There are a lot of divergent views here on exactly what (who?) the problem is in the Phillies baseball-side managers and professional staff, but the common view, which I share, is that something is very seriously wrong.
I think it not coincidence or simply bad luck that the Phillies have started strong two seasons in a row and then SERIOUDSLY collapsed both seasons.
It seems to me that the new Phillies management is chasing baseball trends, without really understanding why the trendsetters are doing what they do. I had that feeling to a greater extent last season than this year because of the awful results from the shift and OF positioning and deciding that just about any player could play just about anywhere
The launch angle focus seems not to have increased our offensive output in general or HR production in particular
I think the team misjudges and gets down on players when they don't succeed in pushing a square peg into a round hole and then blame the player
I don't think they evaluate players particularly well. The Segura trade is looking worse and worse as it appears Crawford was stifled by the ways he was treated by the Phillies and what they asked him to do
It seems Klentak wants to trade youth for talent to hold salary cost down, while Middleton is willing to spend on FA.
Klentak and his reports seem allergic to devoting the big bonuses to pitchers in the draft and international signings, while MacPhail says grow your own pitchers.
I don't think the above comment on the Phillies bullpen not pitching a lot of innings is convincing. I think the short appearances and frequent warmups have as much to do with wear and tear as absolute IP
Too many of our hitters and pitchers have regressed after the organization changed coaches and their approach to hitting.
The last two drafts do impress me as being very professionally conducted, with the team knowing who is signable and following a plan. Absolute talent level remains to be seen, but I like our last two first rounders. Still, the farm is weak. It's well below the Braves and although middle third, I think below mid-point.
Enough is wrong and the end results are bad enough that it is impossible to have confidence in Klentak/Kapler. Kapler seems more and more like Chip Kelly. I liked Andy Reid's post-game perpetual comment after losses that he had to put the players in a better position to succeed. I felt much of last season that Kapler/Klentak consistently put players in position to fail: Hoskins in LF, Kingery at SS, Crawford at 3B, counter-productive OF repositioning and too many shifts in the If, which left Maikel Franco trying to man the SS position. I didn't like the way the team talked down Alfaro or the way over several years they have talked down Hernandez and Odubel as space cadets. I still don't think the Phillies treat minority players especially well in either the minors or majors.
I want a GM who is willing to follow Middleton's lead to sign impact FA, rather than needing to be dragged to that.
I liked the Arrietta signing. I don't like that the bone spur in his elbow wasn't dealt with at the end of last season. The team may not have even known about the problem, but surgery, sign Corbin, get Arrietta back sometime in-season.
The mood surrounding the Phillies seems grim. It's clear MacPhail and, I suppose, Middleton bot see the problem.
I just don't get MacPhail. He preaches grow your own pitchers, yet leads an organization which refuses to spend to accomplish that.
