2023 Phils Spring Training News and Discussion

[andyb]

Walker is starting today in Clearwater.

[Austinfan]

Walker is actually more important to this season than Painter.
Can they get him to raise his game a notch to a dependable 4th starter who can get closer to 6 innings a start and not put too much burden on the bullpen.

[zambonir]

Walker is actually more important to this season than Painter.
Can they get him to raise his game a notch to a dependable 4th starter who can get closer to 6 innings a start and not put too much burden on the bullpen.

While the Phillies pitching braintrust certainly believes there is more there, I also don't think there actually has to be more there. And I don't think they expect him to start lasting longer. The bullpen they built is designed around the fact that Suarez, Walker, Painter and the other guys will not ever pitch the 7th, and only rarely the 6th. And the braintrust probably wants it that way too.

Walker's 2.6 WAR would have been third on the team last year (just ahead of Ranger) and well ahead of Eflin, Falter and Gibson combined (even if their low WAR was, respectively, a product of injury, part-time usage and being really bad for half the year). He's already a well above-average fourth starter, if not a third.

But Painter could still be better. A #3 or even a #2 if he has a ROTY type campaign in him. They are equally important in that having both of them, at the hoped-for level of performance, would give you a rotation with no 5th starter type at all.

[BaseballCat]

I decided to keep my MLB audio going even though it is ten dollars more and the first game I try to listen to has no audio

Hop Walker does well and adjusts to the Phils quickly!

[andyb]

First 2 innings for Walker went well. Looks like Vierling chased him with an RBI single then the next pitcher gave up a HR. They must have done his first outing as a simulated game since he is the first starter to get into the 3rd I think. Curious if he goes again for the Phillies or they just hold his next start for the WBC.

Big ex-Philly contingent in the Detroit lineup. Maton, Vierling, Sands, and Cesar Hernandez all starting.

[kmc1019]

Wanted to see more of Abel after his strong sole inning that lasted only 11 pitches.
Smaller than small sample size, could Scott Kingery make things interesting?

[zambonir]

I see no reason not to give Kingery a real chance.. If you didn't see the names on the jerseys or their salary/service time/option status he's certainly no better or worse than the other bench job candidates, and if he were to flat-out in the job it still probably doesn't cost you anyone that important from the 40. You can argue that the body of work says he still won't be that good; you could also argue that a healthy recalibrated Kingery has a higher ceiling than any of the other bench job candidates if it did work out.

[andyb]

No harm in keeping Kingery at AAA for a month or two while you see how Harrison and Guthrie work out.

Bench now is Stubbs, Sosa, Harrison, Hall and Guthrie if I had to guess. Cave and Clemens competing with Hall for the LH bat spot but I think they really prefer Guthrie to make it because of the CF ability. Kingery would have to beat out Guthrie.

On the bullpen front Soto is still not there and was scratched from the WBC. That does open a bullpen spot for a bit if they wanted to keep both Painter and Falter. Obviously we want Soto too, though we do have 2 pretty easy 40-man spots to use if we need them (Harper 60-day, Vasquez if he fails to make the team). I am assuming there is no chance Harper is ready before June though I would not be shocked if he plays closer to June 1 than the All Star break.

[tom81]

I decided to keep my MLB audio going even though it is ten dollars more and the first game I try to listen to has no audio

Me too, but I was surprised at such a big percentage increase even not that big in dollar terms.

[zambonir]

Yeah, I think that's right, Guthrie would be Kingery's competition. Of course Kingery can play CF too but probably best not to open that door. I think they are pretty serious about Sosa playing there (or RF) too.

I could still see Cave beating out Hall just for the flexibility.

[andyb]

Uh oh:

Thomson said that Andrew Painter came in with a little tender elbow yesterday. They sent him out for some tests and don’t have results yet. Phillies will have more info for us tomorrow.

— Alex Coffey ( @byalexcoffey ) March 3, 2023

[allentown]

It is easy to keep Kingery in AAA as an injury replacement. If he kills it in AAA for a few months and there is no injury, then we may a trade decision to make.

[JerseyJoe]

Cave and Clemens competing with Hall for the LH bat spot but I think they really prefer Guthrie to make it because of the CF ability.

Cave has played a lot of center field, so I wonder if Cave and Hall could both be on the bench.

Jake Cave starting the spring strong in bid for spot on Phillies' bench

[andyb]

Cave has played a lot of center field, so I wonder if Cave and Hall could both be on the bench.

While it does help with the occasional injury to Marsh, ideally you want the second CF to be right-handed in case Marsh needs to platoon. Though I could see them wanting Cave just for the bat I guess. I just wonder if this is a roster that ever needs to pinch hit that much when the starters play.

[zambonir]

I think it's more likely Cave beats out Hall and he and Guthrie get one start a week in RF or LF with Schwarber and Castellanos DHing.

[Aquapong]

That’s rarely good when a power pitcher is involved.

[zambonir]

Let's just hope it is soreness and he ends up needing a little bit of rest - or even more than a little - and all the angst about whether he's ready or what his innings limit ends up being becomes moot. Of course the nightmare scenario makes everything moot too.

Joe Sheehan's newsletter today was apparently about TINSAAPP and another layer to that - which is that if the guy can pitch, you pitch him, because he's going to get hurt eventually.

[JerseyJoe]

In that scenario, I suppose Bohm would be the backup first baseman, right?

[zambonir]

They seem pretty willing to play Bohm at 1B or DH (or Hoskins at DH) in order to get Sosa on the field too. But I bet Cave or Guthrie could play 1B in a pinch (and even more so both catchers).

[David_Criss]

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies

Phillies' prized prospect Painter undergoing tests on 'tender' elbow

UHOH