GDT 8/23/24 Philadelphia Phillies (Walker, T) @ Kansas City Royals (Wacha)

[andyb]

Plenty of pitchers can pitch at 92-93 if they have command and their stuff has movement/spin. Walker's stuff does. And he clearly knows how to pitch also.

Is it as good as throwing 95? No. But the Phillies think they have a better chance with him than guys like Tyler Phillips and that is likely true. None of them are really any good at this point unfortunately. Our real 5th starter now is Turnbull.

[zambonir]

Well yeah I agree that given his performance he should agree to go again but he still has to be DFAed right? (Like, when Neris, Alvardo, Brett Myers all did it they still had options.) But he doesn't have to accept, and he still gets the money.

Chase Anderson Elects Free Agency

players with more than five years of MLB service keep their guaranteed money if they decline an outright assignment.

Eddie Rosario Elects Free Agency

the veteran outfielder has more than enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment without forfeiting any salary.

[zambonir]

Is it as good as throwing 95? No. But the Phillies think they have a better chance with him than guys like Tyler Phillips and that is likely true. None of them are really any good at this point unfortunately. Our real 5th starter now is Turnbull.

Doesn't sound like Turnbull will ever make a start again unless it's a de facto bullpen game in the last couple of weeks of the season. Seems to me the X factor here is the six-man rotation idea. That's two weak spots and stress on the bullpen in order to save the the other four pitchers. Which still might not be a bad idea, even if it means definitely not getting one of the top two seeds (but in that case you've just forced your first three pitchers to take an extra start and apparently your #4 has to go in the NLDS this year too).

Either way, this offense needs to have some crooked-number games to win with any of the #5s or a bullpen game.

[andyb]

14 pitchers and a bunch of players at AAA that can be called up for a one and done will make the bullpen games viable. This weekend is actually the tricky one as we have Walker going 3 and then Ranger likely on some sort of pitch limit.

[zambonir]

I think bullpen games are perfectly viable instead of Walker. Just not in addition to. But they don't have to do it this next time through and then they'll also have another arm tomorrow presumably.

Gilbert already down for Suarez. Castro transaction still has not actually happened.

[flyers19rw]

Should have kept Gilbert up and sent down Walker. I understand the money factor with Walker but he needs to go somewhere to work on his game. Pitching him in a major league game is giving an opponent batting practice.

[julio]

Castro transaction still has not actually happened.

See my post in the season discussion (newer thread). Castro was placed on the AAA 60-day IL on the 21st. Lauber's report that he'd been placed on the major-league 60-day IL was premature, if not just wrong (i.e., if he confused the AAA IL with the ML IL).

[zambonir]

Can't actually send down Walker, per se. He needs to agree (or agree he's injured).

There's nothing that can be done with him to "work on" this season I'm afraid.

[flyers19rw]

I’m not positive about this and someone please correct me if I’m wrong but I believe that Walker can be sent down. He could be put on waivers. It is doubtful that anyone would claim him due to performance and money. Then he could be sent to LHV anywhere in the Phillies system. If he would refuse the assignment , he’d be a FA. I doubt that he’d refuse since that would void the rest of his contract.

[zambonir]

Already discussed up thread.

(By contrast, Kingery didn't have enough service time to refuse. Herrera neither though that would have been a dumb move for him anyway. He eventually did cross the five year mark when the Phillies brought him back but by then he was no longer on his original contracts anyway.)

[owaistabish]

Awful approach continues. Zero for three with risp already. When will this vaunted lineup get their act together?

[zambonir]

Bot couldn't take it tonight huh?

[zambonir]

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