Clemens still has a 113 OPS+ in the major leagues this year, as well as 0.4 WAR. He just happened to have an option, and then he got hurt. For what they actually need from him - like, three ABs in the entire post-season, tops - he's still an option, and still high on the injury depth chart.
Suarez threw today with no issues. He'll throw again Sunday and hopefully be back in the rotation next weekend.
Wonder how much rope they'll give Walker tonight. Thompson is very patient (sometimes overly so) with the starter. Bullpen had yesterday off though and Phils need a win.
Is Walker on a pitch count?
I'm figuring anything better than 3 ER in 5 innings is a bonus.
Walker threw 41 and 60 pitches in his 2 rehab starts. Can't imagine him going much more than 80 tonight.
Seth Johnson promoted to Lehigh, Chase to Reading. Seems the pitching prospects may be close to a wash.
End of the season. See minor league thread. This is what happens with a 165 organizational limit and no FCL and slightly longer minor league seasons. Everyone gets late promotions because we just released close to 20 players to fit all the draftees on the rosters.
Not everybody, only those they feel are ready for a cameo at the next level to prepare them to jump next season.
A number of players the same age at the same level didn't get promoted.
They were of course prospects performing well. That is why they were traded for. Just about every single prospect performing well gets an August promotion these days. It really means much much less than you imply. Just about the entire Clearwater lineup is made up of new players.
After play on July 11, the Phillies completed a sweep of the Dodgers. With just over 57% of the season completed, the were 61-32. A .656 winning percentage.
Since that time, they have played about another 16% of the season, going 8-18, a .308 winning percentage. Only the White Sox are playing below this level for the season.
Tonight, the Marlins easily beat the phloundering Phillies. The dismal play over the past 26 games is a concern. If they continue this pace (.308) over the remainder of the season, they project to an 82-80 record.
It’s time to start playing good baseball. Time to win series. Time to step up and stop playing like the worst team in the league. We know this. They know it. Can they do it? Are they a good team or have they peaked and are on the way down?
We will see by their play on the field.
Before the trade deadline there were a lot of discussions of our needs. I said then we needed a Starting Pitcher and still thoroughly believe that our chance at a Championship is fading partially because we didn’t go after any starting pitcher. Our staff has gone from the best in the league to below average (lately)
In order to have 3 good starters for the playoffs you will need at least 4 in July. Someone will either be lost for the season or burn out. We are now seeing guys just running out of steam, Sanchez is unlikely to be fully available in October, Suarez got a nice break, but will he be effective? Nola has faded a lot the last 2 years and is now more of a #3/#4 Playoff Starter because of his HR susceptibility. Wheeler is an ace, but we are working him too hard, he is not 26 anymore. We have 2 Starters and 2 hopes. That isn’t enough, we needed another.
This is partially why Walker’s use frustrates me. We KNOW he isn’t a good, or even average starter. He is a near certain loss every time he starts, maybe he can be a low leverage reliever or a 2-3 inning reliever, but if he starts a game we have almost no chance.
Add to that the fact that we did very little to improve our anemic hitting bench, and I fear our relatively quiet trade deadline (2 good relievers and a marginal OF) was not enough. If Hayes was being used just to platoon in LF then I think he would be valuable, but apparently the plan is to play him every day when healthy (apparently).
I fear we our going to look back and say, we had our shot, should have given up 1 big prospect…
My issue with Walker is that they lavished 4 years and $72 million on a guy who was never good. A fourth starter is not worth that much. Pay some bloke $20 million for two years for a fourth starter.
I just gotta think the team that managed to win three straight games and the Dodgers series will show up again. And I think they had a fine trade deadline. Not that many impact players actually moved anyway. The players who got them there are the players who need to show up again, and I don't really see anything wrong with the bench. The back-up catcher or a pinch-hitter isn't what's causing this streak and neither is the 5th starter. It's Turner, JT, Stott, Marsh. And Harper (.661 OPS last 28 days). Who knew Bohm and Casty would be the only reliable hitters (or that the guy who hit .197 last year would flirt with a .900 OPS again).
Last year they didn't believe in Sanchez and acquired an inferior pitcher. The year before that they didn't believe in Falter and got Thor (with Eflin out). To get another pitcher this year would have meant removing Sanchez from the rotation ultimately (which, granted, doesn't sound like a bad idea right now) or Suarez being seriously injured. They both made the All-Star team. Phillips and Allard and even Walker last night have done enough for them to win with any kind of offense (even if the bullpen has cost them a few too).
We always knew a stretch like this was coming. Just didn't think it would last more than 12 or 15 games. Hopefully the standings (as far as the Top 2 seeds) and the tougher schedule the rest of August will produce some urgency rather than more folding under pressure. We know they can do it. And I certainly don't think a new hitting coach (let alone manager) is the answer.
Thomson hinting at line-up changes - moving Turner down, maybe some time off for Marsh. Getting Bohm and Casty higher in the short-term probably not a bad idea
I agree - this team is too talented but they need to get off their high horses and start winning here now. They have Washington (James Wood is red hot), Braves (always do well against Phils), Royals (playoff team and playing well), Astros (red hot) and then Braves to close out August. Not an easy stretch - they need to step it up now. We need to actually see "we want to win this year" in action now - words dont matter anymore, results/wins do.
What is "get off their high horses..." supposed to mean? What is it with some fans who just assume when a team struggles that it's due to bad attitude, or "not caring enough"?
Not the best phrase to use in this scenario - but meant to say - show a bit more urgency like they did past two years and we know what they can do in the last few months of the season and in playoffs.
Oh, I see. They're not showing enough urgency...I'm not sure how that differs.
I get it. You want different outcomes. We all do. Where we differ is in how we try to understand what's happening. You don't think they're trying hard enough; I don't think you have any objective basis for reaching that conclusion.
If anything they seem to be trying too hard. Or thinking too much.
But there was probably some complacency involved as well. It's really one of the hardest things in sports, to actually prepare for every game like it is a must-win, and every opponent like they are the 1927 Yankees. You can say you are going to do it, but the brain still knows better. This is also why we routinely see teams come back from 3-0 or 3-1 playoff series deficits for at least a few games.
Now, however, they can't be complacent about their record or the opponents. And that is a whole new challenge.
This is why process matters, doing things the "right way" so that you don't have to depend on "urgency" or "adrenalin" or whatever causes athletes to reach temporary peaks.
The one fault I find with Dombrowski is too much emphasis on "hitting," not enough on hitters who know how to hit, i.e., plate discipline, work a count, drive pitch counts up, patiently wait for mistakes, take what the pitcher gives (don't try and pull everything). Schwarber is the best (and has learned to take balls the other way), Stott showed potential but now is too aggressive, Marsh the same. The others get by more on talent than fundamentals, and when they slump, have nothing to fall back on - and even top talent tends to age badly in a player's 30s.