2021 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[zambonir]

Jankowski's a .400 hitter, you can't cut him!

I just feel like he might end up like Torreyes, where we all assume he's on the bubble but he never actually is. Of course a straight swap for Haseley would be easiest, but I'm not sure there's any more reason to bring Haseley back than there was to keep Kingery, Maton or even Moniak up there. They all need ABs, and they all weren't getting it done in the majors (Maton after his initial burst, obviously).

But also at this point Joyce is no better than Haseley.

For now everything depends on Didi, and on the two COVID guys. Because they actually can't stash any long relievers in AAA. Suarez is the only one with options (besides Sanchez but he's just holding one of the COVID places) and he's the second lefty now, and is pitching well. Stashing Howard while he skips major league starts would be an option, but beyond that it would have to be a DFA (since Brogdon and Coonrod are't going anywhere).

I suspect they're gonna slow-play the COVID-IL if they can. And Moore's injury is probably gonna linger. At least when Didi comes back Torreyes becomes a RHB off the bench, however feebly (but no more feebly than Kingery or Quinn really).

[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]

Updating, last four starts running:

Nola (1-2): 4.37 [22.2; 25/7; .371]

Wheeler (1-1): 1.88 [28.2; 44/5; .250]

Eflin (0-4): 5.56 [22.2; 26/5; .333]

Velasquez (1-1): 4.95 [18.2; 19/10; .294]

Howard** (0-1): 2.89 [9.1; 11/9; .190]

Suarez*** (0-0): 0.00 [8.0; 7/0; .091]

** - Last three starts
*** - Three games of relief following Howard starts

[bkox]

Phillies' progress stunted by persistent failure to develop homegrown hitters

Maton was the 10th hitter to make his big-league debut with the Phillies since the start of the 2018 season. Only one, Alec Bohm, remains on the active roster.

This is but one snapshot in time, but the Phillies’ homegrown hitters have combined to hit .216/.276/.346 in 807 plate appearances this season. That’s a .622 OPS in 39 percent of the Phillies’ non-pitcher plate appearances in 2021.

[zambonir]

It's amazing to me that not only have they failed to produce any starting position players (just Hoskins and the currently struggling Bohm) but they have now been forced to go with a 100% free agent bench (besides Knapp). Even Haseley might not come back to the majors right away IMO. I know more than a little of this is due to the pitching stockpile, and also they've got three catchers for the first time in awhile, but it's still a bit of an oddity, even given the lost season, that they don't have even one advanced AAA player for depth.

Of course Kingery, Moniak, Haseley, Maton and Bohm all either skipped past or spent limited time in AAA before making their major league debuts, and now they're all question marks (not that I'm giving up on Bohm, but he still might end up back there along the way).

I wonder what the Phillies would have done if someone had actually claimed Kingery? Just let him go, tried to figure out a deal (maybe get one prospect while taking back salary and paying half of Kingery's), or pull him back? Because it seems like they only made the move to open up the roster spot, but who knows.

[bkeich]

Even Haseley might not come back to the majors right away IMO.

Worse than that, he might. That would actually prove we arent growing hitters even more so as he CLEARLY is not ready for the majors.

or pull him back? Because it seems like they only made the move to open up the roster spot, but who knows.

Unless I am mistaken (and I might be) they were not revocable waivers. If someone had claimed him I think we would have lost him (anyone?). That would have been a bit of a disaster, but given his terrible hitting for almost all of his career in the majors (he really only has 2 months that he has hit the ball well in 3+ seasons), there probably wasnt much of a chance that anyone was going to take him.

Hopefully they leave him, Haseley, Maton, Moniak and maybe even Bohm in AAA for the rest of the year (or at least until September). All of these guys need success and it seems pretty clear that none of them are ready for the majors really. Even Bohm was really just "hot" last year over a short season and it was optimistic that he would duplicate a season in the majors that he really never approached in the minors. He needed time in AAA, now he needs confidence and to work on consistency in the field.

Kingery, Maton, Moniak and Haseley just simply are not major league players. They may be someday, but frankly the clock is running on all of them and SO FAR things are not promising. None of them are showing very much except for occasional hot streaks like Maton had when he first got called up. Moniak is almost certainly a AAAA player as he has almost no skills that make him good enough to play in the majors (questionable CF defense, above average speed, average at best hit tool and no power does not really add up to playing the majors).

Frankly, we need to be sellers just to get some better prospects. The ones we have are kinda terrible.

Edit: Believe or not, I am widely regarded as an optimist I just re-read this and, well, sadly, these are my opinions on our young-ish hitters

[zambonir]

Unless I am mistaken (and I might be) they were not revocable waivers. If someone had claimed him I think we would have lost him (anyone?).

You are right that they weren't revocable the way they used to be in August, but I guess it's also true that he was placed on outright waivers, not DFA'ed with the process ending in outright waivers. Anyway, still not sure if they were confident they wouldn't lose him - understandably, nobody's throwing around money in the game right now anyway - or would have been equally happy to have the money taken off their hands, even if he wound up putting it together somewhere else.

[BostonRoss]

It seems to me that the Phillies either assumed that no one would claim Kingery given his contract or were ok with someone claiming him and perhaps using the saved money to add someone who becomes available later. Either way, they are saying that they don’t think Kingery will be able to help the major league club anytime soon, and there are better ways to use the roster spot.

[David_Criss]

Removing Kingery in favor of reinstating Haseley to the 40-man is all the Maton move was about. This screams Didi or a pitcher will be activated to the active roster before the game tonight. Interesting we still haven't heard who it will be yet.

Did Didi play any rehab games? Moniak and Haselely are the only other bats and neither is close to being ready to rejoin the Phillies.

[zambonir]

Didi has not yet played a rehab game and it's hard to believe he wouldn't.

And Kingery was actually placed on outright waivers before he suffered his concussion, which was three weeks ago (and was leaked/speculated at the time). So they were just wanting to get the spot open regardless of what they did with it.

There's still the Williams scenario, of course. I feel like that would just turn into the same movie as everybody else, but then again if he can just be hot for a while like Maton - which he clearly was on Team USA - why not take it?

[andyb]

I can't imagine Didi is ready. Right now they have 13 pitchers and 12 position players, so an ideal roster would add a hitter to the bench. The most logical addition would be Luke Williams who is both hot and plays positions of need (i.e. infield).

With all the off days this month they should probably add a hitter. But since they need a 40-man spot for Haseley by Saturday, it is possible they don't want to have to come up with another spot at that time. Which would mean they might just add a pitcher for the next few days and give Haseley that 40-man spot on Saturday. Personally I DFA Hale or the new guy (Lail), but unfortunately they are probably not asking me.

[zambonir]

What is the point of the new guy, is he supposed to be able to help the big club?

I would DFA Kintzler or Anderson personally, because they'd both probably clear. Hale hasn't been terrible relative to expectations and is cheap.

[andyb]

What is the point of the new guy, is he supposed to be able to help the big club?

David Hale with options > actual David Hale without options.

[bkox]

Phillies have called up Luke Williams

[bkox]

Anderson and Hale back from COVID IL

Kintzler on IL with neck strain

Maton and Sanchez to AAA

Williams called up

[andyb]

Good move. And I am not sure it matters if he hits that much. Williams actually plays decent defense at a number of positions where the Phillies generally don't. And the right-handed bat fits the bench better (like we planned with Kingery). He is not as athletic as Kingery, but he does many of the same things well (above average speed, positional flexibility).

[zambonir]

Injuries have been pretty conveniently timed!

So, kicks the can down the road until Haseley has to come back onto the 40. Moore and now Kintzler still off the 26, along with Didi.

Kind of hard to get Williams a start as a RHB though - already have them at LF, 3B, SS (w/o Didi), 2B and 1B. Good for double-switches though.

[bkox]

When Williams appears in his first game, he will be the 40th player to appear in a game for the Phillies in 2021. 20 hitters and 20 pitchers.

[andyb]

I hope Didi is closer than has been implied, because I wonder if he is a candidate for the 60-day DL. We are almost one month into his DL stint and he probably will need close to a week of rehab games. A 60-day move would give them a little roster flexibility, though of course we really want a shortstop that can hit since Torreyes is likely done with his hot streak and back to being the limited offensive player he has always been. I wonder if we'll start to see some lineups with Segura at SS as Williams probably belongs more at 3B or 2B.

[zambonir]

That's a good point/option, but I feel like they really don't want to put Segura there. Poor defense, plus he prefers to play 2B and not move around (even though he volunteered to do so last year pre-Bohm).

Technically Miller can play SS too. But it seems to me Joe is just content to put Torreyes out there. Much as Charlie was with Bruntlett and Wilson Valdez when those starters got injured.

[bkeich]

Kintzler on IL with neck strain

From watching the ball go flying?