2021 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[bkox]

I think, at times, we arent taking into perspective the overall downtrend of offense this year when evaluating our offense.

We are actually slightly above league average in BA and OBP. Our OPS is 50 points higher than the division leading Mets. Our main problem is the strikeouts.

And we seem to have a power outage. We have 49 HRs.. but have given up 64.

Hoskins and Harper each have one HR in the last month. Brad Miller is 2nd on the team for HRs in May with 3.

[andyb]

We are 2nd in the league in offensive Ks. In the middle in terms of BBs. And a bit below average in Home Runs. No idea if CBP still grades as a bit above average offensively, but it is clearly also a better place to hit than NY or Atl.

The Ks bother me. Older guys losing bat speed (along with one younger guy the league adjusted on in Bohm). The Ks without the power are a problem. Usually you trade the Ks for more home runs. If we are not getting that power then something could be wrong.

[bkox]

Harper to the DL with a left forearm contusion .

Roman Quinn activated

[Sabin]

I think, at times, we arent taking into perspective the overall downtrend of offense this year when evaluating our offense.

We are actually slightly above league average in BA and OBP. Our OPS is 50 points higher than the division leading Mets. Our main problem is the strikeouts.

And we seem to have a power outage. We have 49 HRs.. but have given up 64.

Hoskins and Harper each have one HR in the last month. Brad Miller is 2nd on the team for HRs in May with 3.

This point is well taken, but for me at least, the offensive woes are with respect to the below average defensive skill of the lineup (not to mention the subpar bullpen). It would seem the PTB leaned more to offense than defense in their valuation of recent free agents; and, similarly, the organization has yet to develop a significant plus defender in recent memory outside of Crawford - who they then quickly moved off of SS in an effort to squeeze Kingery's bat into the lineup - before trading away. Kingery himself was pinballed around the diamond once at the ML level, occasionally placing him in average-at-best positions defensively, again for the sake of getting him more at-bats (obviously a bit of a backfire of late).

[andyb]

Nice to have a more complete bench. Herrera playing better makes Quinn less important, but we probably should platoon the two in CF. Herrera has actually hit better against LHP than RHP this year, though his career stats are more traditional (770 OPS vs RHP 716 vs LHP).

I suppose you could play both at times, though that keeps Miller out of the lineup most likely when you do that. Miller probably should be in there every day somewhere until Harper is back.

[flyers19rw]

So far this season the baseball gods have not liked the Phillies. To have three of their top players go down with injuries and then two younger starters flame out in Kingery and Hasely is an almost unheard of amount of carnage. Hopefully the gods will smile again on the club and allow the injured guys to regain their health in a few weeks and Hasely can come back. Unfortunately Kingery looks to be a lost cause at this time.

[bkox]

To have three of their top players go down with injuries and then two younger starters flame out in Kingery and Hasely is an almost unheard of amount of carnage

The Mets might disagree with the "unheard of" part. Their owner tweeted last night asking if anyone wants to suit up.

[flyers19rw]

True but they're the Mets. Is that a MLB team or a tax dodge owned by a ponzi scheme developer?

[bkox]

tax dodge owned by a ponzi scheme developer

Hedge Fund Billionaire Steven Cohen bought the team last winter. The ponzi scheme victim Wilpons finally are gone.

[andyb]

Of course that is like figuring out who to root for in Saturday's Champions League final in Europe based on ownership. Chelsea (Russian oligarch) vs Manchester City (Middle East oil money).

[flyers19rw]

A cynic might ask how much difference is there between a hedge fund and a Ponzi scheme?

[bkox]

A cynic might ask how much difference is there between a hedge fund and a Ponzi scheme?

Ponzi schemes dont lose billions on a reddit inspired Gamestop short squeeze like Cohen's hedge fund did

[Philsmania]

Of course that is like figuring out who to root for in Saturday's Champions League final in Europe based on ownership. Chelsea (Russian oligarch) vs Manchester City (Middle East oil money).

And, it seems like half the owners in the NFL own a Euro football team now. The Yankees and Red Sox have their fingers in that pie as well.

[LoneStarPhan]

Could a deal built around Stott get a decent return? Not sure.

Is it worth giving up Stott?

Trading Stott would shout that the Phillies will be mediocre for another decade.

[bkox]

Who would have predicted that 2 of the big reasons we are still relevant at this point would be Odubel and Velasquez

[tom81]

I thought one but not both.

[zambonir]

I was just gonna post about how teams simply don't have to give up their top 3 prospects at the deadline ever anymore when I started reading this. That doesn't mean there aren't numerous teams better-positioned to deal than the Phillies, but there are definitely deals to be made.

Trevor Story's rental price, Cubs' and Twins' deadline approach, OF help for...

What would a team have to give up for a Trevor Story rental? — Matt W.

Teams no longer trade elite top prospects for two-month rentals, even those as talented as Story, unless the two-time All-Star would agree to an extension at the time of the trade. I think the probable return would be a top-five and a top-15 prospect from an average farm system, along with a major-league “second-division-type” starting player.

[bkox]

Good. Although any team that gives up prospects for Story I think is going to be disappointed. Big big Coors splits. 50 point BA and 175 point OPS difference home/road splits for his career

[Taudawg]

Good. Although any team that gives up prospects for Story I think is going to be disappointed. Big big Coors splits. 50 point BA and 175 point OPS difference home/road splits for his career

Completely agree. Story is a product of Coors and his defense is slipping (league average this year). No thanks.

If we need a SS for second half of the season, how about José Iglesias, Andrelton Simmons or Freddy Galvis? Just send cash like we did in 2019 Corey Dickerson deal.

[Philsmania]

Herrera isn't a complete surprise. Velasquez, however, is lessening the sting of Pivetta's blossoming in Boston. It's hard for people to tsk-tsk the Phillies for not giving Pivetta just a little more patience when they did so with Velasquez and, so far, have been rewarded. It's remarkable how generally similar Pivetta's and Velasquez's lines are this season. Sometimes, it takes just the right pitching coach who develops just the right rapport with a guy to help him unleash his potential (like Podres with Schilling years ago and, in Kansas City, the otherwise much-maligned Bob McClure with Greinke). Maybe Pivetta and Cotham would have hit it off the way Velasquez (and perhaps Coonrod) and Cotham apparently have or, at the same time, maybe not.