2021 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[BostonRoss]

I worry about Vince. Can’t argue with success, but prior to last night he’d given up 7 HR and 19 BB in 30.2 IP.

[andyb]

Velasquez is definitely a better pitcher using all 4 of his pitches. I'd also say he is getting a little lucky now when hitters are missing some pitches that he does not locate well. Command is still a problem with him.

He probably was not as bad as his stats some years, but also is not quite as good as his stats suggest this year.

Pivetta just looks like they made a mistake to me. It is not like Irvin who may be doing it on smoke and mirrors within a pitcher friendly home park. Pivetta always had more potential and it seems pretty clear that he might have been hurt by past pitching coaches and analytic regimes in the same way both Eflin and Velasquez were hindered.

[zambonir]

Pivetta was never going to put it together as a member of the Phillies. He didn't always help himself either (not taking well to demotions, not responding to coaching). It's just unfortunate they used him for a garbage trade (and threw in a prospect to save $ too).

[Taudawg]

I still think Pivetta will come back to earth - mark the tape Pivetta has made 9 starts against 8 different teams, twice against the world-beater Orioles Most of these hitters are seeing for him for the first time.

[Taudawg]

If the Phillies do fall out of contention, Vinny will be a valuable trade chip.

[BostonRoss]

Another way Velazquez has been lucky is that six of the seven homers he’s allowed have been solo shots.

I’m not sure the Phillies made a mistake with Pivetta so much as they erred in assessing Workman. I didn’t think it was a bad trade at the time; Workman had been good in 2019 and his bad 2020 to that point had been 6.2 innings. Interesting that the Red Sox have resigned him.

[allentown]

Both Pivetta and Velasquez doing better with different pitching coaching speaks to me more of the inadequacy of the Phillies prior pitching coach and the simplistic application of analytics to how pitchers were told to pitch than it does to personal failings of Pivetta.

[andyb]

Matt Winkelman notes that Velasquez has a pretty good DRA (better than Eflin but fewer innings) which accounts for some things like defense that might be hurting his FIP.
https://twitter.com/Matt_Winkelman/status/1397618435107000331

I do agree with saying Velasquez has been a bit lucky but that is more looking at what seems an above average number of hard hit balls hit at fielders in key situations and him missing spots while the opponents don't take advantage. But on the other hand he is still missing bats, and perhaps most importantly, he mentally seems to be able to handle things going wrong behind him better than he used to.

When he began using all his pitches in his handful of starts last year he really looked like he could be a better pitcher than he had been in the past. Using all 4 pitches just gives him more room for error because batters were not sitting on his fastball or slider. When we talk about him having upside all these years it was less about dominating stuff and more about pairing knowledge about how to pitch with his stuff.

[zambonir]

Well, you can't say anything good about the Phillies' five pitching coaches in five years, but Price couldn't do anything with them either, and Pivetta was actually the analytics golden boy, Young and Kapler and Klentak were the ones that viewed him as a #3 or even #2 - maybe Kranitz would have told them that was crazy? Eflin is the one who had the bigger issues with Young, not to mention he was once demoted purely for roster management reasons, and it still didn't turn into a soap opera even though he was proven to be in the right.

None of which really matters. He needed the change of scenery, doesn't matter whose fault it was, and there's fault for both sides.

[Philsmania]

Pivetta was actually the analytics golden boy, Young and Kapler and Klentak were the ones that viewed him as a #3 or even #2 - maybe Kranitz would have told them that was crazy?

Maybe Kranitz told them they were crazy and that's why he got fired? Random speculation on this Humpday.

[zambonir]

Yeah, just being funny. Young was a poor decision, but I'm not convinced Kranitz was any better than McLure (who helped both Morton and Nola) either.

Young now with the Cubs btw, but back at the bottom (bullpen coach). I believe Mallee is with the Angels (also not the main guy)?

[bkox]

The #Phillies are now at minus-29 Defensive Runs Saved, last in MLB, according to @SportsInfo_SIS .

Next-worst NL team: The #Cubs at minus-1.

Next-worst NL East team: The #Braves at plus-8! #Nats & #Mets rank 1st & 3rd, at plus-32 & plus-30.

— Jayson Stark ( @jaysonst ) May 27, 2021

[bkox]

Joe Girardi has said he will no longer be sharing info with reporters about player availability

Joe Girardi was asked why Jean Segura pinch-hit but did not stay in the game. Nick Maton entered at second base. You should no longer expect any info from the Phillies: pic.twitter.com/zaIsS4fVBS

— Matt Gelb ( @MattGelb ) May 27, 2021

[Sabin]

I get it, I guess. Sure seems to be a lot of other little things the club could do to give themselves advantages, though, and I can't remember a game thinking the Phils blew it by tipping who was available for a certain situation.

I can, however, remember wondering why they were putting themselves at a disadvantage with such a short bench while procrastinating the decision to put a few players on the IL.

[BostonRoss]

Who knows what as up with Segura today, but I am puzzled in general by the way Girardi uses up bench players in the course of a game. Sometimes he removes one of the better hitters in a double switch, when that hitter is likely to bat again, in a game where more offense is going to be needed.

[zambonir]

It's not surprising Girardi would react this way when multiple members of the press literally called him a liar, but it all seems like losing manager behavior/a bunker mentality.

As for Girardi's management of the bench and double-switches, don't forget this is the first time he has managed in the NL with NL rules in 15 years. And Thomson has never coached in the NL.

[andyb]

As all these legal gambling related places start to crop up, one wonders if baseball will start forcing teams to be more honest. This is why the NFL has a pretty accurate injury list. They want to have full visibility in front of gamblers to eliminate inside information.

This is a problem baseball will have to face sooner or later.

[zambonir]

This is a good point. But football only has to do it 16 (or 17) times. Will baseball have to start listing people as probable/doubtful even when there aren't IL moves? Or will the way the Phillies (and other teams) have handled things combined with the gambling deals lead to an expansion of the 26 and 40 with a 1-3 day injury lists?

Or, perhaps inevitably, just having an "inactive" list with the last two SPs and the most recently/heavily used relievers? In hockey, football and basketball such a concept is pretty standard (though hockey has very little injury transparency still).

[Sabin]

Insomniac stats - last four starts. Includes decisions, ERA, IP, K/BB, and BAbip.

Nola (0-4): 5.40 [27.1; 27/6; .345]

Wheeler (2-0): 0.92 [29.1; 37/2; .265]

Eflin (1-3): 4.38 [24.2; 29/5; .317]

Velasquez (1-0): 0.98 [18.1; 21/9; .162]

[David_Criss]

Realmuto is set to be activate before tomorrows' game. With 14 pitchers including the seldom used Anderson and Hale and ineffective Kintzler I am wondering if it is an arm that is optioned and Marchan gets to stay.