2024 Phillies Late Season Discussion

[Aquapong]

Tough call between Clemens and Kennedy when Sosa is ready. Neither has a strong track record at the plate, but both have had big moments in the past few weeks. Clemens probably has the inside track since he’s a lefty and we already would have Sosa and Wilson as righties off the bench.

[zambonir]

Stevenson is also a lefty but yeah I don't think it's a tough call. Where it will get interesting is come playoff time depending on whether Hays comes back (sounds like a longshot) and whether they carry an extra position player. But that still doesn't open a spot for Kennedy probably.

It is a bit ironic/unfortunate that a RH LF bat was seen as such a big need, and the Phillies even thought Hays could play full-time on top of that, and now they're back to Weston Wilson and maybe playing Marsh against LHB more often, just like before. But, it's working.

[Austinfan]

Wiilson has a role as the platoon RH in LF.
Stevenson is a switch hitter who can play CF.
Kennedy would be the 5th IF with Sosa back who is below average fielder, so he's the odd man out.

Wilson and Stevenson are looking like bench keepers for next season.

[zambonir]

Where do you see that Stevenson is a SH? If he was I don't think he still is.

[Austinfan]

Yeah, you're right, he's now listed as a LH.

[bkox]

Wilson and Stevenson are looking like bench keepers for next season

I agree with Wilson possibly. But 20 PA is not enough to make that assessment with Stevenson. An 0 for 4 and his stats go back to looking pedestrian

[Austinfan]

Stevenson is a better hitting version of Pache, good batting eye, and has not been intimidated by big situations.
Certainly a good profile for a cheap bench player.
Not that I'd advise him to buy a house.

[zambonir]

They both have options and make minimum so it's just a matter of the tender and the 40-man spots. I don't think either of them are "keepers" at the major league level per se.

[Callison]

Merrifield and Pache may be starting elsewhere, but the Phils got instantly better with new players that have gotten some clutch hits. Clemens looks like the best of the bunch at the plate. The Phils would be foolish to send him down. Wilson's swing looks smooth too. 30 yo phenom!

[Philsmania]

Merrifield and Pache may be starting elsewhere, but the Phils got instantly better with new players that have gotten some clutch hits. Clemens looks like the best of the bunch at the plate. The Phils would be foolish to send him down. Wilson's swing looks smooth too. 30 yo phenom!

And, Jake Cave starts for the Rockies.

[zambonir]

That's just nuts (I mean, it wouldn't be nuts if he'd shown more, but he didn't).

Nice to have a good bench, no need to make them more than that. Whichever player gets sent down isn't being punished, there's only so many spots. They aren't losing their job to each other, they are losing it to JT, Bohm, Sosa, Hays (maybe).

[andyb]

From today's Gelb article Hays seems 50-50 to come back. Lack of strength in his lower half because of the medications. Maybe he is a pinch hitter at best in the postseason, though they note that the Phillies probably will choose to keep only 4 starters and 12 total pitchers on the roster if they get a bye. Reasonable strategy in that everybody will be well rested if the team has a bye. Last 2 seasons the thought was that lots of bullpen games and little rest after the end of the regular season meant they needed the extra pitcher on the playoff roster.

[zambonir]

They carried the extra position player for the WC round but not the NLDS last year. In '22 I think it was extra pitchers both rounds. They probably shorten the bench for the NLCS. Tough situation for Hays, he'll probably have to go play sim games with the taxi squad. I'm sure they'd love to sneak him into late-season games if he can. Gelb made the case for Stevenson as the 5th bench guy (on top of Clemens and Wilson and Sosa) if Hays isn't back.

[andyb]

There is the possibility that in any series we just come to the conclusion that our extra pitcher won't be that good - so might as well carry somebody like Stevenson who can pinch run and play defense.

We did not use Walker last year. The extra pitcher only pitches in blowout losses so is really not that important. I suppose it is bad form to have a position player pitch in the postseason but somebody's going to break that glass at some point.

[zambonir]

Heh, has there actually been a playoff game yet where the score would have made a position player pitching legal? As it is Lorenzen didn't even appear in any really meaningful spots last year. Is that Walker this year?

Banks is technically Soto (the third lefty) but I still don't feel like he's shown much. Lazar could still be in the mix. Gilbert currently pitcher 14 (with Allard in the starter spot that won't exist come October).

[andyb]

The stats on Banks really looked like someone effective lefty on lefty and that is it. He might have the stamina to go multiple innings but the stuff of a LOOGY. Just need an opposition lineup with a half dozen lefties in it and a point in the game too early to pinch hit I guess.

Banks was acquired to fill Soto's slot but is really not better now. The main feature was really the years of control (it is one of DDs good strategic points to always think about the roster in the future in minor deals like this). The issue will be whether he is worth controlling of course.

[zambonir]

Right, Banks feels more like a low-leverage middle reliever than someone you'd want facing Matt Olsen in the 5th inning - let alone a RHB after him. Which was also Soto's problem last October, especially when he didn't get the guy he was supposed to get.

[andyb]

I'd be fine with him facing Olson in the 5th if it saved Strahm and Alvarado for the 7th and 9th. It is facing the right-handed bat. Think of how Bohm has prospered at cleanup because there are so many left-handed pitchers facing Bryce.

I was a little surprised BTW that Bohm hit behind Casty last night. I guess the second half stats are close and they want to ease Bohm back in, but I also do think the lineup works better with that contact bat scoring runs after the top of the lineup gets on base.

[Austinfan]

I'm not sure I wouldn't prefer Wilson over a healthy Hayes, having seen them both hit.

[andyb]

Hays. Charlie and Von Hayes are probably not as good as Wilson today. Phillies would pick Hays if they had a choice though. Track record plus defense assuming he is healthy though imagine he may not face all right-handed pitching in the playoffs.