2023 Phillies Regular Season Discussion Part 2

[zambonir]

But Nola at $100M for 4 years is far more palatable than 6yr/$180M.

Yeah but as andy already pointed out you've got that backwards. It would be more like $120M four years vs. $150M six years.

If the Phillies really only offered him $100 million four years that was not a serious attempt to keep him from going to market, never mind his performance this year. Should have either been more money or same AAV more years.

But, maybe they were smart not to overpay based on his most recent year. We'll see if they can enjoy the same opportunity to underpay based on this one.

I agree Lorenzen should get less than Walker but how much less? Is he a $12.5 million guy or a $15 million guy? Is he for sure going to start for the Phillies for the next two (hopefully three) months or not? One suspects Sanchez is going to lose out here despite his performance because the veteran they traded for who is also tight with the pitching coach and is a pending free agent does not want to go back to the pen. Hopefully his performance makes that an easy call too.

[bkox]

Will Realmuto just be league average the last 2 years of his contract

The rules have changed, but Realmuto is now at 61 stolen bases allowed, his previous high was 53, it is August 5. Last year he threw runners out at a rate 20% higher by than league average. After today he should be right at league average.

— Matt Winkelman ( @Matt_Winkelman ) August 5, 2023

[zambonir]

As long as they don't have the robot umps before he's done. But I wonder how much of that is the rules (affecting the pitchers too) or if it really is another indication of less athleticism. They will need to look hard at this in the off-season, he is fine, but they can't keep playing him like he's 28 (or Superman).

[bkox]

Brandon Marsh says he nailed his knee on the metal rod in the wall.

Wasn’t a matter of landing weird. Was a contact injury for him.

X-rays came back negative, but Rob Thomson says he’ll have more testing tomorrow and is unlikely to play at that time.

— Taryn Hatcher ( @TarynNBCS ) August 6, 2023

[xogfog]

If Nola throws up another dud on extra rest, I would send him to the bullpen for a while to limit his innings.

[zambonir]

Right after that week off for Turner right?

[xogfog]

Well, I wish I had thought of the giving him a standing ovation idea, kudos to WIP.

[LoneStarPhan]

Everyone wants Turner to do well. I am sure he is as disappointed in his struggles this season as anyone. Positive fan support is great to see. I hope tonight is an indication that he is entering a very hot period to finish out the season.

[Austinfan]

Just as important was a big night for Harper, if Turner and Harper were to hit to their career norm, this team would roll to the playoffs, given that Stott and Bohm have taken the proverbial step up. Hopefully, Marsh is OK.

Sanchez seemed to run out of steam in the 5th, it's not like he threw a lot of pitches, maybe he's still recovering from that stomach bug.

[DurhamBull]

I hope Marsh is OK too, but if he needs to take some time on the IL, the Phils have several young OFs in AAA that could fill in while he's on the mend. The Phils would like to know how they fare against major league pitching, so they'd get a chance to learn a little about that. With Rojas already on the roster and doing reasonably well, CF/OF is a place where the Phils have some depth.

[zambonir]

the Phils have several young OFs in AAA that could fill in while he's on the mend

Who besides Muzziotti? I don't think they will look at anyone who is not on the 40. But it would be fun to get a look at him if they had to. Would also be fine to just keep playing Rojas (but would mean more Cave). But really I hope Marsh is fine and it seems like he might be.

Pache is also going to be ready soon but it sounds like at this point they can just send him to Allentown for a rehab stint until roster expansion.

[Austinfan]

I can see dropping Cave off the 40 and giving Kroon a look (I wouldn't rush De La Cruz, but Kroon is 26).
RH bat with some power and can play almost every position.

[zambonir]

They're not going to drop Cave off the 40. I'm not impressed with him, mind you, but he's still useful depth now. And not a pending free agent either (though I think he's out of options after this year).

If they really want to add someone the 40-man spot isn't an issue (Ellis is still on it, for instance) but I don't think they are looking to add someone. I bet we're more likely to see Kody Clemens again at some point before someone who isn't on the 40.

(Haha nope, we're all wrong, it's Weston Wilson. Though maybe DB had him in mind too.)

[andyb]

If Marsh is hurt they'll just get Muzziotti and rotate between Rojas and him and Cave (who has played more CF than any other position) for 10 days. Most likely Rojas will get a majority of the starts anyway.

They are not going to get a 26-year-old from AA who is not on the 40. Just not going to happen. They won't even think of protecting Kroon for the rule 5 draft. Nice minor league depth, but behind Marsh and Rojas and Cave and Kingery and Stevenson (and Pache of course) on the CF depth chart. He is a Dalton Guthrie type who has not done it at AAA yet (because he is behind all those other players).

• I now see they called up Wilson. Actually a bit odd there, but it also goes towards Cave playing more CF potentially. Rojas clearly will play most of the time but not all of the time. Wilson is odd because they now have 3 backup right-handed infielders (Castro, Wilson, Sosa). I guess Wilson has played a bunch of 1B in the minors so he might play there instead of Cave when Bryce is at DH. I feel the only time Castro is going to play is when we give Stott a rest day and that just should not happen often.

[mdougherty12]

Weston Wilson has played ~1000 innings of corner OF in his minor league career, too, so he's probably adequately defensively, if needed.

Simon Muzziotti has slumped quite a bit recently - .600 OPS for the last 28 days.

[bkox]

Simon Muzziotti has slumped quite a bit recently - .600 OPS for the last 28 days

wonder if any of that is disappointment of Rojas being called up instead of him

[zambonir]

Today's game notebooks also said Castro is willing and eager to play CF.

wonder if any of that is disappointment of Rojas being called up instead of him

Well, he has to know they needed a RHB at the time (to replace Pache/pair with Marsh). If anything he should be disappointed he didn't get Cave's spot. But if that's what affected his performance then he's not much of a player is he?

[andyb]

When a right-handed bat plays CF against a right-handed pitcher it is just going to be Rojas. Castro is bad offensively against RHP and Rojas is just great defensively. Against left-handed pitchers we'll play Rojas first also so while the willingness from Castro is nice (and assume he practices a bunch at least in a corner), but we really are not going to do it unless it is a temporary late inning switch.

Bringing up Wilson is just an endorsement of playing Cave more often against RHP. Rojas won't play CF every game. He'll probably do it when Bryce is at DH (where we'll need his range), but when Bryce is in the field I think we get Cave against RHP and Weston/Castro somewhere against LHP (for Schwarber). Cave may continue to be mediocre for 10 more days, but he is going to play 6 or 7 of those games.

[Austinfan]

Muzzioti hasn't played a full season since 2019, so fatigue may be an issue.

Wilson, like Cave, has put up great AAA numbers (25 HR for a utility guy) but how much is due to K-zone inflation? Like Cave, older AAA player who has to show it translates to the Show.

Podkul, like Kroon, is another guy who missed a lot of PT the last 4 years due to COVID and injury, had a great Reading start, got promoted and got injured again. Same with Dunn, seems like this may be a short-run money ball play, look for prospects in their mid-20s who missed a couple years of PT due to COVID and injury, and who show signs of breaking out - cheap way to find potential depth.

[Callison]

I've been really hopeful that Cave would show us how he hit some .350 in the minors, but he's done nearly nothing since the great Orioles game. If you're on Big Rob's team, you're gonna play, so we'll see him at least a few more times, but his hitting is discouraging as Sosa's. OTOH, Rojas just got the nod against a RHP. Big Rob is discouraged with Cave, too, and Rojas is playing his way into the starting lineup.

Schwarber STILL getting PT in LF - go figure.