2023 Phils Spring Training News and Discussion

[andyb]

If Kingery did beat Harrison out for a job the Phillies would have that 40-man spot.

I just feel they are fine with Harrison and Sosa on the team with Kingery as the first injury replacement if he continues to play well at AAA.

[zambonir]

For sure, I think in the past couple of days they decided they are going to go with Cave and Hall and are willing to give Sosa a look in CF once a week (if not twice). Harrison does everything Kingery does and they have countless RHBs to rotate into the DH spot along with Hall and Cave.

But they don't need a 40-man spot for Song, per se, if they put him on the 60. And while that might slightly raise eyebrows, I doubt they would be forbidden from doing so. One way or another he was probably going to miss around 60 days anyway (a couple of weeks of ST, a couple of weeks of regular season and 30 days of rehab) before the rubber really meets the road.

I don't think Dombrowski makes decisions based on press, but I think the amount of press Kingery got was a reflection of how happy the Phillies have been with him, and that he has been just as legit an option as the guys who are already on the 40. Of course he's also a good story (if it has a happy ending, regardless of when).

[andyb]

Clearly the Phillies have been talking up Kingery in post game comments. But he has also looked better to neutral sources (like Keith Law) in that his swing seems much better after undoing some of the ill-advised changes.

The Phillies are probably fine starting off with the depth in the minors. They also might be fine trading him for a prospect and that would certainly be possible if they picked up all salary over the major league minimum. Another team might actually have more immediate playing time for him and also see him as more valuable because of his remaining options.

[andyb]

Well, this ain't good. I guess the Phillies were lying when they said they were stretching Matt Strahm out because of versatility. I also think they have zero confidence in anyone else like Plassmeyer.

Ranger Suárez will likely not be ready to begin the season. He still has inflammation in his left arm. Team sent him for an MRI yesterday. No structural damage. He’ll take a few days to rest it. At this point, it appears Matt Strahm could begin season as fifth starter.

— Matt Gelb ( @MattGelb ) March 22, 2023

[flyers19rw]

Every game in the season counts. Games thrown away in April come back to bite hard in September. The Phillies need to have a quality starter for each game all year long. Since Painter is on the shelf, is Abel a possibility? He could be a better option than some of these other end of the end possibilities. If not, I wouldn’t doubt that DD makes a move for another SP

[andyb]

I think their issue with Abel was about command rather than control or his stuff. He throws strikes but not in the right part of the strike zone now.

Could he survive for a month or two now? Maybe. They just would rather not try it. I am a little surprised they have not added another AAAA starter or two (remember Kent Emanuel last year). I would be fine with Plassmeyer for a couple of starts too if they are just bridging to Ranger in late April. If the Suarez injury is serious though we should just flip somebody (Vasquez if he does not make the team is obvious) for somebody else's AAAA starter running out of options.

A little more from Gelb. Marsh does not appear serious but something to watch:

Brandon Marsh broke a blood vessel in his left middle finger yesterday, but Rob Thomson expects him to play tomorrow. Also, non-roster infielder Will Toffey separated his left shoulder while diving for a relay throw yesterday.

— Matt Gelb ( @MattGelb ) March 22, 2023

[zambonir]

I guess it didn't seem to me that the Phillies were lying, they made it pretty clear that they wanted Strahm to pick up some of Ranger's innings, they were just hoping Ranger might be able to give them 2 or 3 as he continued ramping up.

Philosophically it's not that different than what they often did last year - prefer a bullpen game, or include the spot starter in what was still de facto a bullpen game, over a traditional start. If Ranger actually goes on the IL Plassmyer could still make the 26-man, but that could also be an extra reliever (plus Vasquez).

Was Nelson banged up as well? I know Sanchez was. Add in Painter and that's three of your four arms who were supposed to fill the 5th-8th spots (or rather, two of them, but Nelson has started too). But having signed Kimbrel and acquired Soto since they signed Strahm, this gives him a more useful role than he might have otherwise had, especially if he can stretch out enough to get 9-15 outs instead of six.

[David_Criss]

If Strahm is the 5th starter, does Vasquez start the season with the Phillies? What about Plassmeyer?

[zambonir]

Well we still got a week to find out. Still wouldn't be surprising if they picked up someone on waivers or in trade. Especially since they have bench and bullpen depth to trade from (including Vasquez).

Not sure it really matters what they do though. They'll need a ninth guy (besides Wheeler/Nola/Walker/Falter) to be a long man, essentially, whether that means innings 1-3 or 3-5. Also depends how many starts they really think Suarez will miss.

[zambonir]

Gelb pretty much covers it all. (Hit me up for a 30-day pass if you don't subscribe.) But it sounds like the job is Strahm's, and they will carry an extra reliever and keep Plassmeyer on turn in the minors. Sanchez and Nelson are both still too far behind themselves.

Phillies' unsettled rotation: The latest, their options, and roster...

There are roster ramifications if Strahm slides into Suárez’s rotation spot. That would open a second bullpen job. The Phillies have six relievers still in camp who are not yet guaranteed a spot. They are: Yunior Marte, Andrew Vasquez, Luis Ortiz, Erich Uelmen, McKinley Moore and Jake Jewell. The Phillies haven’t said it, but Marte appears to have earned a place in the bullpen. He’s impressed all spring with his high-velocity strikes.

[zambonir]

oof. looks like they just lost Hoskins. Knee went out on him in the field. Getting carried/carted off. not the same knee as most recent surgery I don't think (if I heard announcers correctly).

[andyb]

Twitter is very pessimistic. Hope he is OK but I guess we have to think about what happens next. Hall/Bohm platoon perhaps with rotating DH? Cave makes the team under that scenario I would think.

[zambonir]

If he's out for multiple months - and yeah, best case he probably misses at least that without surgery, worst case more with it - anything could happen. I guess Bohm gets the first shot given they also have Harrison and Sosa but I would think they also consider either of the corner OFs (since Cave is probably a better defender than either of them).

I think Cave and Hall had already made the team though. Rhys on the 60-day opens up that spot for Guthrie, Kingery or Clemens.... or even that RH CF if they were still interested in getting one.

[Austinfan]

Could speed up the transition of either Schwarber or Castellanos to 1B.
Harper probably can't do that until next season.

[andyb]

I doubt they will move one of the outfielders to 1B part time. More likely they just find a way to put Sosa in the lineup every day. Could even mean Bohm full time at 1B with Sosa or Stott playing 3B most of the time (and the other 2B). Hall could still DH versus RHP in that situation.

Neither Schwarber nor Castellanos has played much 1B and now is not the time to try. More likely they'd experiment with Harper there in the second half if they think it is easier for him to play defense there rather than in the OF.

[zambonir]

I agree they probably won't do it, especially as they've also shown no real indication that they consider Schwarber or Castellanos's outfield defense to be a major problem (i.e. very little talk about playing Harrison in LF to let Schwarber DH once a week, or Sosa/Cave in RF so Castellanos can).

But it does crack the door for thinking more actively about those future scenarios.

Of course if he does miss a lot of time it also might crack the door for Hoskins to take a QO....and the Phillies will have to think about whether to offer it.

Hall will play a lot if he performs. Far more RH starting pitchers. Harrison could also play 1B I'm sure.

[andyb]

Here is the video. Reaction from Hoskins is bad but it is hard to really tell how bad the injury is:

Rhys Hoskins suffers a knee injury vs Tigers here in the 2nd #RhysHoskins is carted off

pic.twitter.com/WciUdP07US

— Jeff Skversky ( @JeffSkversky ) March 23, 2023

[HopeSpringsEternal]

I could see Hall becoming our regular 1B against RHP, and Bohm at 1B with Sosa at 3B against LHP. I think Cave will get more ABs as a result of Hoskins being out, and playing frequently at one of the corner OF spots, allowing Castellanos and Schwarber to spend more time at DH.

[andyb]

Harrison could also play 1B I'm sure

That is probably the easiest thing against LHP. If Hall is the 1B that would mean the 5-man bench is Stubbs, Sosa, Harrison, Cave, and 1 more. Clemens vs Kingery vs Guthrie? Clemens has some 1B experience but you really want another right-handed bat since you have the DH and potential platoons at 1B, CF, and 2B still.

This clears the way for JT to play 1B too more often.

[zambonir]

Let's hope he's okay. On paper he's a very replaceable player who also has his share of haters (on both sides of the ball, and not always unreasonably) but this is also a longtime face of the franchise and beloved teammate who still brought a lot of power and big hits to the heart of the order. Plus of course they are already without Bryce. They really do need 1 or 2 of these spring training phenoms to keep it up. Or for Stubbs to continue what he did last year (Stubbs himself could presumably also play 1B, as well as other positions).

How's Matt Vierling doing anyway?