Non-Phillies 2023 Major League Season Discussion

[bkox]

Navy commissions USS Cooperstown; honors war veteran players

[zambonir]

Bowden: MLB players and teams to watch in the lead-up to trade season

He mentions Cron as a potential Phillies target (certainly not the first to do so) but Meneses (who isn't having as good as year as last year) and Joc also on the list of bats. Along with a few SPs and a few relievers.

[andyb]

I just don't see acquiring a first base bat as a huge priority unless we are just going to bench Bohm at some point. I really do want Bohm to show more power, but we really have bigger problems. And both Bryce and Hall could be in the 1B mix also at some point. We really need to get Bryce out of the DH slot if we can. Once that happens the other issues are smaller.

[zambonir]

I think a part-time OF bat would be the bigger priority with Bryce at 1B, but never say never. Not sure Hall is an answer and Bohm definitely isn't as a 1B or replacement for Rhys's RH power. Cron's not even having that good a year but that could also make him cheaper as a rental.

[andyb]

Hall is only part of the answer if he hits (50-50) and if Bryce can't play 1B adequately (50-50 as well).

If Hall or Bryce plays 1B a great deal the consequence is most likely more Sosa in the outfield assuming we still want Bohm in the lineup. Outfield bats also don't help us unless we can move Bryce off DH. That is the huge issue. Outfield bats can help us when Schwarber is the DH, but he and Nick have to play otherwise.

[zambonir]

I am assuming Bryce pans out at 1B and Hall just becomes redundant. In a perfect world Pache returns and is actually worth playing 2-3 times a week (but the sample size on his feel-good story was pretty small) and then Bohm, Schwarber, Castellanos and even JT rotate through at DH. Sosa in the OF seems unlikely; they never considered it (as far as the corners) previously.

Heck, I still don't understand why Bohm can't move from 3B to LF if Castellanos could move from 3B to RF. But the larger issue there is that Bohm's bat still doesn't cut it.

If Schwarber and Turner find their normal level of production maybe the offensive inconsistencies and loss of Hoskins isn't as big a deal. But there could also be regressoin ahead for Marsh and Sosa (and it has already come for Stott and Bohm). Obviously the past week has been more about pitching than offense, and right now they are not even a division contender again. But if they expect to get back in that mix and at least chase the 4th wild card I just think they are going to need more.

(and I guess I should have posted that story that wasn't really about the Phillies in the Phillies thread, lol)

[Aquapong]

Man pitchers are dropping from arm injuries all over. Ken Giles is holding a showcase…hopefully we’ll at least do our due diligence.

[andyb]

Probably not too surprising news here:

Kumar Rocker To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

He was actually pitching pretty well and was just added to that MLB.com top 100 list.

[zambonir]

Paging Kurt Vile

Thursday, June 1 at approximately 1pm ET – Ira will throw out the first pitch ahead of the New York @Mets vs Philadelphia @Phillies game at @CitiField . Photographic evidence to follow (or not, depending on how it goes.) pic.twitter.com/o5XtqIj2us

— Yo La Tengo ( @TheRealYLT ) May 17, 2023

[zambonir]

Yankees trade for Greg Allen (RHB, plays all three OF spots, played there before) from Red Sox, DFA Aaron Hicks (no we probably don't want Hicks).

Sox re-sign Bradley Zimmer to replace Allen in AAA.

[bkox]

Wisconsin's Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers need to approve a plan to finance $448 million of long-term renovations at American Family Field − or risk the Milwaukee Brewers moving to another city.

That's the message expected to be delivered Thursday by Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred, who's visiting Milwaukee, a source is telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The baseball commissioner has a message for Wisconsin. Fix American Family...

[zambonir]

While I'm not a fan of public funding that doesn't sound like that onerous a deal - and almost boilerplate given existing lease terms. It also sounds like a situation where a conservative legislature wants to try to squeeze a liberal city for $ and nothing more. Because nobody is suggesting the team pay.

And of course it's a completely empty threat to suggest they'd move. Though I'm sure a lot of us would find it kind of funny just from a Bud Selig perspective.

[Philsmania]

Hard to believe how many of these '90's-early '00's ballparks are already being deemed inadequate. Heck, Choctaw Stadium f/k/a Globe Life Park f/k/a The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994 and Turner FIeld opened for baseball in 1997 are already in the dustbin of ballpark history.

[zambonir]

Well, those situations where they actually replaced perfectly good ballparks are in fact onerous. This isn't really all that different than the renovations to CBP and Wells Fargo - except of course the Brewers are a cheap small-market team that managed to get a lease where the public pays for that stuff (unlike in Philly).

Of course the Sixers have decided the WF is inadequate as well, though that's not really about its infrastructure or experience, just them not wanting to be a tenant. Which is whole other trend that really wasn't necessarily. Nobody liked multi-purpose stadiums but properly built arenas accomodate two sports easily.

[bkox]

Oakland has won 10 games at the 1/3 mark of the season. On Pace for a 30-132 season.

[BostonRoss]

Maybe when they move to Vegas, they can rename themselves the Spiders.

[andyb]

We are in the apparent final 10 for Ohtani.....

Dodgers? Mets? Angels?! An inside look at how Shohei Ohtani's suitors are...

[zambonir]

That's not a final 10 according to him or his agents is it? Just a bunch of collective informed speculation/punditry.

I mean, at the end of the day there are only 10 teams who could write the check probably. The sole criteria to make first cut.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Oakland has won 10 games at the 1/3 mark of the season.

Got win #11 tonight against the Braves!

[andyb]

Remember Ben Joyce, the kid who blew up in college last year throwing 105 (though with control issues)? He dropped to the 3rd round in the 2022 draft and just got called up after pitching decently in AA (still lots of walks though and a 4.30 ERA).

Ben Joyce, the @Angels No. 9 prospect, was NASTY in his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/8T7xFNF1Ut

— MLB ( @MLB ) May 30, 2023

Orion Kerkering is really not that different than Joyce. Might only throw 100 instead of 102-103, but he has a better secondary pitch and more command. Kerkering was in the 5th round last year.