Well, Kingery's back anyway, and Moniak too.
Joyce sounds like a day to day injury they just could not have with Harper also day to day. Kingery probably plays against LHP. Mix and match with Herrera first against RHP in CF (at least tonight). I wonder if Vierling could get a quick promotion to LHV. He played a great deal in major league camp and the alternate site, so he may be ready for the jump.
Not an OF, but Ruben Tejada signed to AAA. Barely played in the majors since 2017. Light-hitting but solid defensively.
Bohm is nothing like Franco as a hitter.
You could see the flaws in Franco's approach to hitting, and he never really corrected them, pull happy and not very disciplined, as pitchers learned his weaknesses, they exploited them.
Bohm hits with power to all fields, he's still learning to deal with ML pitching, but doesn't have an obvious weakness outside of inexperience.
Yeah, I agree that Bohm's core hitting ability suggests a much better outcome, but until this sophomore slump - which, to be fair, is really just a mid-season rookie year slump in terms of actual games played - is over we can't just assume he's an All-Star, or even a sure thing starting major leaguer for years to come. Either way, as a 3B he has to hit a high offensive bar and the same is true if he moves to 1B or LF.
We just need to start producing All-Stars rather than solid line-up pieces. Not a million of them, just one!
Archie Bradley said he expects to be back with the Phillies when team returns from road trip on May 18. He’s been on the injured list with an oblique injury since April 11.
— Matt Breen ( @matt_breen ) May 6, 2021
Bohm probably needed that half season at AAA that he did not get. Now, stepping back for a moment, we actually don't know how good a hitter Bohm will be. His BB rate has dropped and his K rate has increased this year. It is not a horrible ratio, but it is also not a great trend as it has not been accompanied by more power. Bohm actually does not have more than 45-50 game power at the moment. He has 7 HRs in 301 plate appearances and it is not as if they are all doubles. He hits lots of singles to the opposite field also.
Now his exit velocity numbers are good and his BABIP is low, suggesting he has had bad luck this year. But that does not change the bad K rate. I think Bohm has the potential to be a very good offensive player. But there is also the chance that he is merely good (say 800 OPS consistently) in an era where that coupled with below average defense leads to a player in the 1-2 WAR range. He has at least close to average speed and a good arm, so the defense might be average in LF if they ever made that switch. Nick Castellanos is a pretty good hitter, but for his career he has 10.5 WAR or roughly 1.5 per full season. That might be Bohm unless he can find another level as a hitter that we have not really seen yet.
What am I missing? Looks like the Phillies list 42 players on their 40-man, with Seranthony being on the 60-day so 41.
Jankowski bats lefthanded, but is a great outfield glove, but alas the 40-man issues.
They have exemptions for Muzziotti (visa issues, has not reported yet), Haseley (personal leave), and Torreyes (COVID). So they technically can have 44 players on the roster now though the Torreyes exemption will disappear quickly. Technically it may not even exist if the Phillies still have call-up options on the 40.
Of course, whenever they move on from Herrera and Torreyes as seems likely, that is 2 more 40-man spots to play with if they wanted someone like Jankowski. Hard to believe they could call him up without designating Herrera since they play the same position and are both left-handed.
In their last 4 wins, all by 1 run, the Phils have held a multi-run lead by the end of the 3rd inning
— Paul ( @paul_boye ) May 6, 2021
Their combined line from the 4th inning on in those last 4 wins: .079/.147/.095, 28 K in 70 PA
Had forgotten Torreyes was COVID. I don't see them moving on from Herrera while Harper is banged up and Joyce and Quinn are on the shelf.
My guess is Segura will be activated as soon as today and Romero will be optioned.
Then like you said, fairly soon, they will either have to designate Torreyes or recall him from his rehab and designate someone, but who? Hale?, Kintzler? With Maton hitting keeping Torreyes is not as important as it was a few weeks ago, but I bet we see Kingery optioned and someone designated in favor of Torreyes.
After that Bradley, Quinn and Joyce will be ready for rehab and then activated in favor of Hale/Romero/Kingery/Moniak/DLS is my guesses
Who knows DD could be actively working on a trade for a 5th starter or centerfielder or bullpen upgrade.
In this age of baseball you have to assume that as we get some pieces back, at least one or two others will need an IL assignment.
Optioning Romero probably depends on how they feel about Moore coming in during the middle of the inning to face a lefty. I always thought JoJo needed a half season of AAA to really learn how to be a reliever so he could focus on maintaining velocity across outings and command which slips at times.
I have no idea how they felt about De Los Santos. His stuff is better this year than last. Will they actually trust him with 7th inning situations where he is not the only option? I don't know, but potentially he has earned his spot.
I think Herrera has a shorter leash than you do. Obviously with Harper hobbled (the Joyce move might have been to get a healthy body in there when the team was short because of Harper's day to day injury), you don't make a snap decision. Playing Miller in the OF more means Maton is more needed in the infield so I think that helps him. All this stuff is so fluid and all these options are so flawed, that it is really hard to predict what DD should do. You are right that he has to be thinking trade. Too bad the Royals are off to a good start because Michael A. Taylor would be perfect for this team.
LIke I said regarding the IL....
JoJo Romero's velocity was down last night. Now he's on the IL with a left elbow strain. Ranger Suarez is back in the majors.
— Matt Gelb ( @MattGelb ) May 6, 20211
And my question about Moore as a serious left-handed short relief option is not something they are considering. I imagine they want to keep both Velasquez and Moore around until at least the point Howard is ready (2-3 more minor league starts?), but there may very well be 5 more IL moves between now and then.
Still no Segura? Romero and Suarez - are they starters or bullpen arms? I like the idea of both of them starting at AAA. The team can always get a Watson but starters is what is and will be needed down the stretch.
LHP Ranger Suarez, who has made two starts at @Phillies alternate site after visa issues delayed his spring training, was called up today to replace LHP Jo Jo Romero (elbow strain).
— Tom Housenick ( @TomHousenick ) May 6, 2021
Suarez was scheduled to start Friday's @IronPigs game
Suarez threw 53 pitches in his last outing
You can't indefinitely option and call up these guys without additional injuries. Suarez is probably here for a while, it's just a question of whether they want him or Moore to take the long role. Given he's on turn to start Friday he could give you two innings Saturday if he doesn't pitch today. Friday too but hopefully Eflin gives you inings.
We're also still stuck with Hale as, if not a high-leverage arms, more than just a mop-up guy.
Segura's roster spot is easy, Kingery goes back down.
Still 3-5 weeks away from any trades I think. We're in first place! A trade now still gets you either a ho-hum player or costs you too much. Even if the Royals had Detroit's record they wouldn't give up a trade chip now unless the offer was better than what they think July would bring in a bigger market.