2022 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[Aquapong]

First time in over 100 years the Phils aren’t playing on July 4th? This sum bs.

[bkox]

First time in over 100 years the Phils aren’t playing on July 4th? This sum bs.

ehh.. that was my thought at first. BUT.. with the team not having to travel, the players actually get to spend a summer holiday with their families like normal people. I kinda like that thought

[zambonir]

Sanchez was announced since then.

Still a little weird to not play on July 4. In Philadelphia. And could have been against the team from DC.

[Aquapong]

They deserve the same holiday experiences. My post was tongue in cheek.

[BostonRoss]

Might the Phillies use an opener from time to time? It's become pretty common. I'm listening to the Red Sox-Rays game, and both teams are using openers.

[andyb]

Openers are a little overrated. It also helps to have a staff where multiple relievers in the bullpen can go 2-3 innings and we have one (Nelson).

It does get you improved matchups in the first inning, but it also limits your staff and taxes your bullpen when that 14th pitcher is no longer allowed.

[David_Criss]

Sanchez recalled who gets the boot to AAA?

[julio]

Sanchez recalled who gets the boot to AAA?

Nobody. The club was at 25 on the Active Roster, since Ranger Suarez was IL'ed on 7/3.

[andyb]

Clearly giving the kid who never got a big amateur bonus one more day of major league pay and service time will break the bank. I know all of MLB will do this on off days, but this goes into the category of "big picture" why.

[andyb]

To add further layers, Brogdon is "back" throwing but not activated yet.

Connor Brogdon is back with #Phillies after being sick with COVID-19. He spent eight days in a hotel in San Diego before being cleared. Will throw a bullpen session today before #Phillies determine when he’s ready.

— Scott Lauber ( @ScottLauber ) July 5, 2022

Sanchez going tonight. We will also find out if Falter ever got vaccinated as he is lined up for Toronto now though of course Eflin could come back for that start potentially.

[David_Criss]

When does Moniak get sent back to AAA?

[Austinfan]

Probably when Maton returns, freeing Vierling for CF platoon duties.

To use 1st rd picks on Thompson, Haseley and Moniak, and pay Ortiz a $4M bonus - and you still have a gapping hole in CF.

Fortunately, between the low cost Rojas and Muzzioti, that hole will be filled in a year or two - because with Schwarber, Harper and Castellanos in the corners the next four seasons, they desperately need a CF with elite range.

[zambonir]

Thompson?

And your post basically disproves its own premise. How can we know Rojas and Muzzioti will fill the holes any better than Haseley and Moniak (or Williams or Altherr or Quinn or Kingery or Randolph. I'm guessing the latter is who you meant).

[andyb]

Maybe our manager is actually worth a number one pick.

[zambonir]

He hasn't let us down playing CF though. (Or even pitching, like Jake.)

I'm fairly confident Moniak is staying until at least the All-Star break, in part because they'll need him in Toronto. If they really wanted to send him down they've had multiple chances to do so already.

Camargo should be back before Maton though. And that is the roster spot Moniak would have to vacate (since Hall isn't going anywhere).

[Austinfan]

The only one with comparable speed is Quinn, and he lacks defensive instincts, but would still be the CF if he could just have stayed healthy longer than two weeks at a time.

If Moniak could cover CF like those two, they could live with zero bat given the construction of the rest of the lineup. He's decent, but not good enough to fill a Maddox like role (Bull, you cover the LF line, I'll take care of the rest of LF).

Herrera has lost a step or two and isn't even a decent CF anymore, at least Vierling has hope.

[andyb]

Right now Moniak grades out as slightly worse than Herrera in CF. Small sample sizes, but Herrera seems to have good instincts out there even if his range is diminished. Remember when the higher-ups were saying that Moniak was not a true CF? It is very possible he will never be better than average out there.

Moniak as a CF really needs to hit at something like a 750 OPS rate to even have a platoon role in the majors. Can he do that? Possibly. But not likely this year.

[zambonir]

Quinn was DFAed this year without ever getting hurt (and still isn't. But he belongs to the Royals now). If memory serves he also managed to play the majority of the team's games in CF (albeit by a very small margin, or maybe it was a slight minority) in 2020 and simply wasn't good enough.

But right now the issue is not who is a good CF, they simply need a spare OF part who can play the position and Moniak is the only person on the 40-man (besides Muzziotti) who can.

But I also think two things are true/clear right now:

• The Phillies do not want to give Herrera more playing time (or they would).

• They want to follow through on the commitment to give Moniak a longish look (or they'd play Vierling against RHP more). Maybe the light turns on. If not, he'll be be back in AAA soon enough.

The only flaw in all this is that committing to Herrera has a better chance or producing a hot streak, which is why I think it comes back to, they simply believe Moniak's defense is better (he'd have to play more to see if the statistics bear that out).

[andyb]

Whenever the Royals trade Benintendi, the Royals will have an open outfield spot, maybe two. Quinn will probably get a full time starting spot for 70 games to show what he can do. If he can stay healthy of course. I think he made the right decision going with the Royals this time.

[zambonir]

Certainly rooting for him but it always seems to end the same way (either the IL or a sub-.600 OPS). And he'll be 30 next year!

Whenever the Royals trade Benintendi to the Phillies, you mean!