2022 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion Part 2

[Philsmania]

One of the new ownership group's first moves. Rebuild hasn't gone any better/faster than it did for the Phillies, which I guess also makes Derek Jeter Andy MacPhail. But they don't lack for talent. Remains to be seen how good Ng actually is as GM (or if ownership lets her be good).

The Marlins arguably have some young talent but, at the same time, their rebuild hasn't gone anywhere...yet. In 2020, it looked like they were turning a corner but that proved to be more a case of them getting hot and probably playing above themselves at the perfect time in a small sample size season. There's a lot of chatter out there that Jeter quit in disgust and ownership's refusal to sign one Nick Castellanos fed that disgust a great deal. Jeter reportedly wanted to sign Castellanos--a South Florida native--in an effort to begin the transition from teardown to progressing toward contention (like the Padres signing Machado in 2019 a year before they were ready to conted). Just google "Jeter Marlins Castellanos" and you'll come up with plenty. There may be signs that this new ownership isn't much different than the Loria group.

Sanchez has slipped out of the Marlins Top 10 prospects and off the MLB Top 100. He is probably an injury reclammation project at this point. Unless he finds health and becomes something, the Phillies win the Realmuto trade hands-down

[andyb]

There are really no good choices unless you want Sosa to play RF with VIerling in CF. This is the cost of Bryce at DH, because when Bryce was out you could slide Bohm to DH.

No real issues with the lineup as long as they aggressively pinch hit Stott for Sosa as the game dictates.

[LoneStarPhan]

Well Sosa gets the start and goes 3 for 3 with a double and home run, and 3 RBIs.

I do agree Stott needs to play but Sosa is the super hot hand right now. And his fielding is also top notch.

[zambonir]

Eflin and Seranthony set for rehab appearances on Friday and Thursday, respectively. Appel to AAA IL, guessing his year's over.

[Austinfan]

Sosa about to "Wally Pipp" Stott.

Marsh, Sosa and Vierling bring some serious athleticism to this team, if Long can work on their hitting they have a solid CF platoon and possibly the 2023 2B. At worst a great bench. And they buy time for Rojas and Muzzioti to grow up.

[phillychuck]

I don't think Stott is established enough to be "Wally-Pipped", but it would be nice if Sosa were the modern equivalent of Lou Gehrig at the plate!

[andyb]

Gelb notes on Alvarado and others. It does seem like guys like him and Brogdon are really only effective with a rest day and this is a problem in today's bullpen. I do wonder if they try to keep Nattolli because his look is just so different that he'll do well the first time around the league and he does seem fresh.

A bunch of moves coming up. Seranthony and Eflin seem close. Wheeler hopefully within another week. Castellanos will take Guthrie's spot when he is back. Hall (HR yesterday) should really take Sands' spot. Are we really ever going to play Sands in a non blowout game? We just don't need 3 catchers if we can't DH JT.

Phillies notes: José Alvarado's mental-skills work, Dalton Guthrie's journey,...

[andyb]

Bryce taking a day off today against the LHP (Corbin). Sosa at 3B and Bohm at DH. Hope he is not hurting and this is just a day to clear his head and maybe pinch hit.

[tom81]

It looked to me that Bryce was in pain sliding into home plate the other day, looked like his left arm was bothering him

[zambonir]

He also said his timing is off and he said he hadn't seen any breaking balls in AAA (but I mean, he only played two games). Looking at tonight's line-up I think Thomson might have played nine RHBs if he could have.

[andyb]

Gelb on the bullpen. Seranthony back Sunday (they wanted to give his 2 days rest instead of 1 - day off Monday so it is not as if he would have pitched twice this weekend anyway). Eflin role undetermined but it seems they will piggyback him with Suarez first. They DO want Alvarado to face the best part of opposing lineups. They just don't want to push him. McGarry is in play but needs a better 2nd outing in Lehigh Valley for it to be a serious consideration.

Phillies survived Seranthony Domínguez's absence, now must sort bullpen in final...

[zambonir]

They DO want Alvarado to face the best part of opposing lineups. They just don't want to push him

Right, which is why he got the 8th not the 9th last night. It was funny to hear Kruk try to put that together.

[andyb]

I thought it was kind of refreshing during the month that Seranthony and Knebel shared the closing role but Seranthony would pitch either the 8th or the 9th depending on whether the best part of the lineup was up. It now almost seems hard to do that since we really don't have a 1A closer option any more with Robertson scuffling a bit.

[zambonir]

And Hand was an option too. Now Alvarado should be ahead of him. But they really need Robertston to get unscuffled. Hopefully Seranthony's return as well as Wheeler and Eflin taking some innings (Wheeler by going longer than some of the other starters have and Eflin in whatever relief role) will get him some rest.

And then once Wheeler comes back do you go six-man with Falter? Replace one of the other starters? Transition one of them into the relief role they'll have to have in the playoffs anyway? (If they even make the roster.)

[andyb]

It would also be nice to figure out who starts game 3 of the wild card series. Right now I have no clue. Most likely a tandem/bullpen game. Suarez seems to be best positioned to win the job, but he is also the guy who seems to be hitting an innings limit that actually has significant experience in the bullpen. Right now it is scary to think, but I might choose Gibson or Syndegaard with a really short leash. I'd even consider Falter who did not really thrive in the bullpen role but seems to be good for 4-5 innings most nights lately (twice through the lineup max).

[zambonir]

Yup. But I guess first they actually need to be sure who is starting Games 1 and 2 (i.e. they aren't needed in Houston.

I reckon you also don't even decide until after Game 1 is played. If you win it, then at that point you designate one guy as your NLDS Game 1 starter who is not available unless absolutely necessary, and then draw up the Game 3 plan accordingly. If you lose it then everyone's available (for Game 2 as well). Either way, nobody is a perfect, worry-free #3 or #4.

No matter how it goes you are going to have four former starters in a different role (or off the roster) in that first round and even if they just decide Suarez is a reliever I doubt he's available for two games.

Hey, fun to even think about (if premature).

On another note - do the Phillies quietly obtain the waiver and announce Thomson's permanent status heading out of the final weekend (or perhaps sooner, if the race is tight) for a little boost?

[andyb]

The players' objection to the pickoff rule does have some merit. What the players are saying is that they would take big 1-way leads to draw the first 2 pickoff throws then get huge leads to steal bases after that.

I am not sure that is a bad thing but it is a legitimate concern that they need test data on. It is a shame that MLB made it possible to implement changes without the players (4 spots on 11-person committee where majority rules and the owners get 6 spots). It is not a surprise that the player reps vote as a block and the owner reps vote as a block. So it was fiction that the players actually had a say in any of this.

It would be healthy for MLB to give the players a legitimate say. And it would be healthy for the players and owners to actually work together on this. The players are too resistant to change IMO, but the owners could have done a better job of buying them into the process.

Rob Manfred introduces pitch clock and ban on shift for 2023 over player...

[zambonir]

Looks like Mattingly gets to hire his own hitting guy one year later after all

Announcement: pic.twitter.com/sVT9Lh5WE5

— Jason Ochart ( @JasonOchart ) September 10, 2022

[Austinfan]

Wonder if there was a philosophical difference, watching the big league team, it's obvious that Long changed the approach for a lot of players, teaching them to sit on FBs early and to use the whole field instead of trying to pull everything.

Some strange things, Simmons looks like crap, then takes off when he's promoted to JS, Rojas and De La Cruz hitting better at Reading, and so on. Maybe it's ballpark, maybe the coaching changes are more evident higher in the system right now. Inquiring minds want to know.

[allentown]

It's not at all unusual to hit better at Reading than at Jersey Shore, especially for a power guy like De la Cruz. Obviously less so for Rojas. Over the years, Lakewood has been the pits for hitters.