GDT 7/24/24 Philadelphia Phillies (Nola, Aa) @ Minnesota Twins (Okert)

[billgtrman]

We need a few reliers that are consistent. Ruiz & Soto are dead anchor weights on this team

[billgtrman]

I meant relievers that we can rely on lol. Very bad series loss

[andyb]

I wonder why we did not use Alvarado in the 9th. Has not pitched since Sunday and Soto did pitch yesterday. I realize they both would have to pitch if the Phillies were to win (one in the 10th most likely) but one needs to get there first.

[zambonir]

I'd still put that one on Kerkering, and even Strahm and Marsh. Not to mention the offense in a bullpen game even if four should have been enough (but they could have had four by the third inning).

Still doesn't faze me, they should have had a 3-3 road trip against a couple of good teams and they only managed 2-4. Enjoy the day off tomorrow, shake off the the lack of rhythm that was clearly happening since the All-Star break and go play like they usually do at home.

And hope Marsh is okay. But, as I said yesterday: some of the worst things that might happen this week will also please people who want to see more trades. Certainly Soto is not passing his "can he be one of our top guys" tests right now, and neither is Kerkering (I still have more faith in Alvarado because we know what he's like at his best).

[zambonir]

I don't think you have to wonder, Thomson was openly letting Soto get the biggest spot and a 9th inning (which he supposedly has been lobbying for). Wven if the 10th would have been just as big.

I don't think Thomson is managing to win every game and inning this week, his managing to figure out what he has.

[billgtrman]

Yep another Topper head scratcher. Assuming Alvarado is the closer, then on tied scores in away or even home games, the closer comes in 95% of the time or even more unless he pitched say two nights in a row. I saw Soto I said to myself this is a loss. So sad

[VoteForKalas]

Tough loss, but I agree with Z that Rob is testing things out and working to confirm what they have, but also what they need.

Part of that process is facing up to the weaknesses we do have as a team.

We all know about the LF/CF issues, but unfortunately I think Stott's performance is becoming an issue hard to keep ignoring and now the pen is struggling. In today's game, bullpens are more critical than ever.

I think DD might be into something in looking to add a starter and consider shifting someone to the pen in preparation for the playoffs. Get them reps during the second half so they are ready to go when it counts.

One silver lining is Casty continues to fight to be productive and I love seeing that. Nick is easy to root for even though he drives me nuts at times lol.

[Philsmania]

Our bullpen is a bit of a disaster right now.

We definitely need some deadline reinforcements. Could be just a slump, however.

[andyb]

There is testing things, but there is also using the guy with 2 days rest versus the guy with zero. Soto might still have pitched, but what are they saving Alvarado for?

[Sabin]

I think Stott's performance is becoming an issue hard to keep ignoring

I've been eyeing him lately as well. Looked it up during the game and his BABIP is the lowest it's been (.266 vs .289 career), as is his hard hit % (29.5% vs 34.5% career). His July has been especially soft, with a .204/.254/.278 split.

[VoteForKalas]

Agreed, one wonders if he is banged up or perhaps is not on board with how to (or even if they need to) address issues the coaches see.

[andyb]

Strahm and Hoffman also pitched last night, so guessing Alvarado is hurting in some hopefully minor way.

[flyers19rw]

I don’t care for the BP usage. Expecting a starter to go six I II gs followed up by a tandem of three relievers each going an inning a piece every other games is going to trash a BP. Not every reliever can go 70 games per season without breaking down.
Marsh has never shown that he can handle left handed pitching in his career. Thinking that he could be an every day CF was foolish. Now he is a platoon LF who has issues to his game. Unfortunately DD gave up a starting catcher to obtain him. Now that piece is off of the board and the club still needs a reliable full time OF, preferably a RH bat.
It's going to cost a good prospect to cover getting Marsh.
Right now the Phillies have issues that money can’t solve and it’s going to cost some prime prospects to resolve. DD needs to be really clever to fix this situation.

[zambonir]

I don't think Marsh is really the weakness by himself. He's still strong side of the platoon, and a good defender. The weakness was Marsh + Rojas + Merrifield + Pache. Replace any two of those three names after Marsh and you would have had a better offensive OF; make the exact right choice and you have a better OF, period.

And all those options are still there. New CF, new RF who pushes Marsh to CF and Rojas to the bench, or platoon RF who is just a bench guy.

No regrets on the O'Hoppe trade, the last two teams still don't get where they did without Marsh and a more pedigreed veteran rental or better controllable OF might have cost even more.

[zambonir]

I feel like the Alvarado usage is more of reflection of his demotion. We wouldn't be wondering why Seranthony, Ruiz or Marte didn't pitch, and that's the group he's in right now. Except it doesn't looked like the two guys who moved ahead of him are up to it either.

[andyb]

Rob has also said he does not like to use relievers back to back unless he has to.

Maybe there is something else going on, but there is the real possibility the manager either made a mistake or there is some sort of injury.

[flyers19rw]

You can’t play an OF everyday who hits in the 140’s against lefties. You also can’t platoon two OF positions along with a third one who is drastically inconsistent himself.
Then there’s the defensive side of the equation. For all of his faults, Rojas is a vacuum in CF which the club needs with Castellanos in RF.
Rojas in center; Castellanos in right and a reliable left fielder who can play every day with 25 HR power is a good outfield. What they have right now won’t make it. Their failures put too much pressure on the rest of the lineup to overproduce.
OAS, the day care crap needs to cease. Winning a WS is serious business and requires all players to get focused and grind their way through it. The fun is being what Chase Utley said (WFC). It’s time to focus on that.

[zambonir]

I gotta admit, I thought he pitched Monday, maybe Rob did too? They don't usually go from memory though. Could very well be they wanted to give him a blow (as the manager likes to say) or that there is indeed some soreness.

I don't think he's ever truly shied away from using guys back to back. He has had that luxury with the depth and interchangeable parts, but he didn't do it last year. Three days in a row is what was verboten.

[zambonir]

You don't have to play him every day, you only have to play him against RH starters, which is between 2/3 and 3/4 of them.

Marsh is still a good player having a good season, and is one of the better OFs in the NL even. You can't discount his defense either. I'm all for the LF platoon upgrade and a bench upgrade too. A new starting LF who plays everyday would be costly, and also would move Rojas to the bench because even with his defense, you can't play an OF everyday who can't hit, period (and, ironically he has reverse splits so he is not even that much better than Marsh against LHP).

This is still the core of the team that did what it did the last two years and the one that is on pace to win more than 100 games. Panicking or making major changes is not called for. Though, if we do want to panic, I see the 2B spot has now been brought to the floor.

[flyers19rw]

Stott is a good player whose worst enemy is himself. It might not be a bad idea to send him down to LHV to get a re-set; settle down and get back to his basics. I’m not worried about him. Play Soto at 2B for the interim.
Corner OF/RH power bat needs serious attention. WS champions have a stronger OF than what the Phillies currently possess. Harper pre-TJ would have potentially made the OF Harper, Castellanos and Rojas. That a much stronger trio than what is out there now. However having to move Harper to first, not a bad move, meant no Hoskins who was a good RH power bat. Now the IF is good but that RH power bat is missing in the lineup and should have been replaced in LF. That’s not Marsh. That needs to be addressed.