2021 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[julio]

Breaking: Dodgers closing in on a deal for Cole Hamels

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman

) August 4, 2021

Dodgers through the years have had 5 major cogs of our 2008 WS team.. Victorine, Rollins, Utley, Blanton and now Hamels

So… Dombrowski is dubious that Hamels could really help the Phils’ rotation woes…but the Dodgers think he could help them? I wasn’t under the impression that the Dodgers have a weaker rotation than the Phils!

I can just see Cole on the mound at Chavez Ravine…in the post-season.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

So… Dombrowski is dubious that Hamels could really help the Phils’ rotation woes…

I think the issue is that Hamels will not come at price that would keep the Phillies under the luxury tax. The Dodgers have blown past the CBT threshold.

[bkox]

Can confirm, via source that #Dodgers are signing veteran LHP Cole Hamels to a major league deal. Hamels will report to team's AZ complex to build up arm strength first. @JonHeyman was on it.

— Mike DiGiovanna ( @MikeDiGiovanna ) August 4, 2021

[Philsmania]

But, for the first time in his ML career, he won't be able to wear #35, unless Bellinger somehow agrees to give it up.

A reunion in Philadelphia would have been nice but at least he's not going to the Mets. That would have been tough to swallow.

The Dodgers' rotation which started the season as an embarrassment of riches--so much so that David Price started the season in the bullpen--has been hit hard with issues this season--injuries to Kershaw and Gonsolin, Price strugglig to an extent in his return to the rotation, Bauer's legal issues and subsequent leave of absence which don't look to resolve anytime soon. They need help there, now.

[bkox]

Deal is for $1M guaranteed plus $200K per start, as @Buster_ESPN and @BNightengale said. First to report signing was @JonHeyman . https://t.co/dwx9X7NWaJ

— Ken Rosenthal ( @Ken_Rosenthal ) August 4, 2021

[bkox]

I guess the only way the Dodgers can top this next year is a deadline deal with the Angels for Trout and Ohtani.

[zambonir]

I doubt money was truly the issue for the Phillies - they didn't take much, if any on with the other trades - though it's obviously not one at all for the Dodgers. We were probably out of it ages ago. One of the NL West teams always seemed most likely, both competitively and because he's from California.

[andyb]

It did seem like we had $3 or $4 million of room under the threshold after the deadline because each deal included cash. It will be hard for Cole to make $3 million (10 starts) here under the best of circumstances, especially given he will need 3 or 4 minor league tuneup starts.

It seems more logical that he just wants the best chance for another ring here.

[Austinfan]

Frankly, at this point in Hamel's career, I'd rather see what Falter has when he returns.
Suarez > Hamels, Falter?
Gibson is an innings eater, but that's all we need from #4/#5.

What the Phillies really need if Suarez remains a starter is a LH RP more reliable than Alvarado.

They need a healthy Brodgon and hopefully a resurgent SD, add them to Kennedy, Bradley, Neris, Alvarado, Coonrod and Hammer and you have a bullpen.

DLS is a wildcard, 7.02 ERA but 26 Ks in 16 IP, if he settles in he might be useful.

What would really help is if one of the Lehigh LHPs found their groove: Ogle, Singer, are the best bets.

[California_Dreamin]

So sad to me [as someone who grew up where athletes themselves thought they were the difference makers rather than wanting to join a team so they could coat tail to them] to see players choose to make decisions as andyb suggests. And I tend to agree with andyb. Living in SoCal, I have been witnessing over the past 2 days no less than 8 players choose to join the Lakers as they view that team as the best chance to win a title. In no more than 2 days I am witnessing a Laker team that now has only 1 born and bred Laker left. And he is a merely 20 year old 2nd team guard, albeit a talented one.

I had hoped Hamels might view the Phillie situation as "hey, they are really only 1 lefty in the rotation away from being a really solid one and I can be that guy!" Instead, he seems to be saying, "hey, I can piggy back BEHIND Scherzer, Kershaw, Urias and Buehler and maybe win a ring even if I don't play a particularly significant role." Look, I know this is pure speculation and it could be that the Phils never really wanted him back, we may never know. But this ring chasing era we live in now sure seems distasteful to me.

And it is becoming and not less prevalent in almost all of the major sports in America today.

[zambonir]

I think wanting to play where you grew up, or just some place you want to spend your time, is a perfectly great reason to decide what job to take. As is working for a good company instead of a lousy one.

Going back to the Phillies also would have been "ring-chasing." It's not like he was gonna rejoin the Cubs or sign with Pittsburgh. If he was supposed to be a Phillie for life I guess the Phillies should have figured out a way to have a better team and organization that could actually keep and need him for the last six years.

[bkox]

I agree somewhat.. BUT

Maybe Cole also feels a bit of resentment toward the Phils even if it was the prior regime.. or even 2 regimes. Remember when he was deciding to sign his extension here, he wanted to be assured the Phils were committed to win. Remember he signed that extension just days before the July trade deadline and there was talk he could be traded if he didnt sign. He gave up the chance of free agency to stay in Philly... even quoted how he grew up watching Tony Gwynn and how he stayed with the Pads his entire career. And then within 2 years he was traded.

Even knowing he was going to be a free agent this summer, he put his Philly mansion on the market.. meaning he had no allegiance to the city

[zambonir]

He took a discount too! Heck, he didn't even get to ever live in that mansion, they lived in a completely different Delco place from 2009 to 2014 (after previously living downtown), so the trade killed that too. Since then, they've stayed in Texas and Missouri (Heidi's home), and their charity work has shifted somewhat to there as well. But it would not be surprising if they've also had an LA place this whole time.

[bkox]

2022 schedule is out. We open in Houston.. have 3 off days in the first 8 games of the year. And from April 29th through May 29th we face the Mets 10 times.

April 29th-June 1st could make or break the season.. 10 games against the Mets, 4 versus Braves, 7 against the Dodgers 3 against the Pads and 3 against the Giants

All star break very late 18-21 of July.. with the trade deadline just 10 days after the all star game.

Mike Trout and Ohtani visit Philly June 3rd-5th.

[bkox]

Why a Cole Hamels-Phillies reunion wasn’t going to work

[zambonir]

Salisbury writes that the Phillies couldn't even guarantee Hamels a rotation spot, assuming Eflin's back. They made their decision when they moved Suarez. And they probably would have gone with Falter had he not gotten sick.

[Philsmania]

2022 schedule is out. We open in Houston.. have 3 off days in the first 8 games of the year. And from April 29th through May 29th we face the Mets 10 times.

April 29th-June 1st could make or break the season.. 10 games against the Mets, 4 versus Braves, 7 against the Dodgers 3 against the Pads and 3 against the Giants

All star break very late 18-21 of July.. with the trade deadline just 10 days after the all star game.

Mike Trout and Ohtani visit Philly June 3rd-5th.

And the Home Opener is against our once-upon-a-time neighbor turned landlord, the Athletics.

[bkox]

#Phillies call up lefty Damon Jones to get a fresh arm in the bullpen, option catcher Rafael Marchan.

— Scott Lauber ( @ScottLauber ) August 4, 2021

[flyers19rw]

The Dodgers are no lock to get far in the POs. Their pitching really is tentative. Buehler is good, Urias has his moments. After that you have two guys who are candidates for the DL at any moment in Scherzer and Kershaw. Then comes Hamels who some assume has bathed in the Fountain of Youth. The Dodgers BP can fold up as quickly as that of Phillies. People excited about he big three in the NL West. Their records are nice but pumped up by playing two dogs in AZ and Colorado.

[bkox]

But the dodgers arent just pitching... they have 7 regulars with OPS above .845.. and none of those are named Seager or Bellinger who most likely will break out of his slump. ANd they even resurrected Pujols who is putting up his highest OPS since 2016