News of Phormer Phillies, 2024

[LoneStarPhan]

Austin Hays 2 HR and 6 RBI in his first 3 games for the Reds.

Austin Hays had 2 home runs and 6 RBIs for the Phillies last season.

[andyb]

Another HR for Hays today. 8-22 with 3 HRs in 5 games. And nobody should look at the Baltimore Oriole bullpen stats after watching Romano today.

[zambonir]

And nobody should look at the Baltimore Oriole bullpen stats after watching Romano today.

Relievers! If nothing else, I think the lesson there is not so much that the Phillies shouldn't have traded/could use them (even if that's true) but that worries about the current pen are way overheated/overstated considering last year's team had a .646 winning percentage at the break with a bullpen whose 4-5-6 guys were a diminished Alvarado, Seranthony and Soto, followed by Yunior Marte and a bunch of awful #8s as usual. Alvarado being back this year mitigates the fact that Romano is in that middle group. They still need him and Ruiz to be better of course.

[Philsmania]

And nobody should look at the Baltimore Oriole bullpen stats after watching Romano today.

Relievers! If nothing else, I think the lesson there is not so much that the Phillies shouldn't have traded/could use them (even if that's true) but that worries about the current pen are way overheated/overstated considering last year's team had a .646 winning percentage at the break with a bullpen whose 4-5-6 guys were a diminished Alvarado, Seranthony and Soto, followed by Yunior Marte and a bunch of awful #8s as usual. Alvarado being back this year mitigates the fact that Romano is in that middle group. They still need him and Ruiz to be better of course.

They should have given Hoffman and Estevez the years and money they wanted.

[zambonir]

I don't know that I agree, especially when their inevitable bad year came. Estevez was not expensive though. Hoffman they couldn't sign because he already had an offer to be a starter from the Braves and by the time it fell through, they'd already signed Romano.

[andyb]

I was more referring to Dominguez (0.00 ERA) and Soto (3.52) since they would have been less expensive this year. Of course Soto as a LOOGY is going to be too expensive for that role and Dominguez was shaky last year. Guessing Dominguez is always going to be an 8th inning guy, but that is kind of what we need behind Alvarado now with Romano struggling and Kerkering really inconsistent.

[zambonir]

It would have been interesting to see what Seranthony might have gotten had the O's non-tendered him, which a lot of people predicted at the time of the trade. He makes about the same as Romano actually.

It's always nicer when a team develops a Seranthony or lucks out on a Hoffman than overpays for an Estevez (or a Hoffman now). But Romano was a more proven guy than Estevez before his injury, and Estevez was really bad in April last year, and not really that impressive for us. You really just never know.

Had they brought back Hoffman they wouldn't have Romano or Ross (his salary equals theirs combined); easy to say that looks good now but given what the Braves were reportedly offering Hoffman (five years $45-48 million, and a rotation spot) there was no way to reel him in originally.

[bkox]

Let the Auston Hays versus Max Kepler debate begin.

Hays 4-6 today. Has hit in all 6 games hes played.. and has out produced Kepler by about double in 1/3 of the plate appearances.

[andyb]

Hays 4-6 today. Has hit in all 6 games hes played.. and has out produced Kepler by about double in 1/3 of the plate appearances.

My larger question is what the heck has happened to Baltimore. Cincy beat them 24-2 today. Eflin was the big arm they signed and they basically have no pitching and a young offense that needs better support. Hays had 4 hits today but the 8 and 9 guys in the lineup combined for 11 hits and 13 RBI.

Look at the ERAs of the 5 Baltimore pitchers today and think about our complaints today being about Kerkering.

Reds 24-2 Orioles (Apr 20, 2025) Box Score - ESPN

And to take it back to the Phormer Phillies topic, that was our very own Austin Wynns going 6-7 with a HR and 6 RBI. Traded to SF from LHV when we had a backlog of catchers.

[DurhamBull]

Look at the ERAs of the 5 Baltimore pitchers today and think about our complaints today being about Kerkering.

Reds 24-2 Orioles (Apr 20, 2025) Box Score - ESPN

And phormer Phil Charlie Morton giving up 7 runs in 2.1 innings. Ugly game for Baltimore, no doubt about it. There's always tomorrow.

[BaseballCat]

Why Terry Francona just couldn’t stay away from baseball: ‘I probably love it...

Good story about Tito’s return to the dugout. I hope it is readable, it did not give me the gift icon.