Phillies 2017 Spring Training Discussion

[allentown]

I'd rather see what Appel can do out of the pen.

I'm not sure why we sure want to see Appel learn to relieve as a major leaguer. He should make that conversion in Allentown. When I saw him pitch last season, he often started games well and as soon as a runner got on base and he had to pitch from the stretch, he fell apart and couldn't throw strikes. That just about eliminates him as a reliever who comes into the game with runners on base. Other than just eating an inning or two in a blow out, that's how young relievers are most likely to be used. He won't be the 7th to 9th inning guy who comes in to start an inning. Appel opening the season in the Philly pen just strikes me as a very risky idea, both for the Phillies and for Appel's development.

[andyb]

Appel has had well documented problems pitching out of the stretch so it is not just you. Whether they make a late inning relief career impossible is another question, though I would agree that any limited conversion should start in the minors. I DO think he has the stuff that will play up in short outings and frankly he had trouble the second time through the lineup in the minors. Would love to develop a high-end 2-inning reliever if that is possible.

[flyers19rw]

I'm hoping that Appel will be the surprise of the spring. He was a top prospect during his seasons at Stanford. That talent didn't just disappear. The Astros messed with his development by forcing the four seam FB on him and took away his two seamer. Supposedly now he is going back to what he had while he was at Stanford. Perhaps he'll just flame out but I'm anxious to see how he fares. Look at how much improvement Asher has made since he dropped his four seamer and worked with the two. I think that some organizations are in love with the high 90's four seam pitch and there are more than a few pitchers that have not benefitted from that.

[Austinfan]

Neither Appel or Asher belong in the pen.

Appel needs to return to his two seamer and see if that settles him down. There's a reason he was the #1 pitche, he was dominant in college throwing a two seamer.
Asher needs to pick up from last season, and see if he can be a 4 pitch command pitcher like Hellickson, his stuff doesn't look like it'll play up in the pen.
Go with the veterans to start the season, and keep an eye on the flamethrowers in Reading and on Pivetta, who to me is the best conversion prospect.

The guys who are the best bets are starting pitchers with good velocity with one good secondary pitch who struggle to develop that second pitch.

[zambonir]

If the Phillies put Morgan and one other starter in the pen it will just be because there's no where else to put them, but that's assuming perfect health and no other trades or roster issues. I could see Asher starting in the pen merely because he's both the most major league ready and the most resilient (having already overcome his awful 2015 debut and his 2016 suspension). He'll end up as a spot starter or in the rotation sooner rather than later.

[California_Dreamin]

Adam Morgan has one skill that seems to be ignored much too often in my book...he is the only lefty this team has that can even spell the word "starting pitcher."

When I see the Phils anticipated starting rotation and then see the expected rotation in LHV I see 10 right handed pitchers. And while I don't advocate using a weaker lefty over a more talented righty, I do believe that at SOME point you have to have one southpaw in the rotation and right now, the guy would seem to be Adam Morgan.

Frankly I am somewhat surprised that this hasn't been a bit more of a discussion item, I can think of no successful major league club that had an all right handed rotation.

Teams will simply load up lefties in their lineup when facing the Phils and my guess is that given there are few lefties in the bullpen also, this could become an issue.

I have wondered why Klentak, for the good work he did this winter, did not address this issue more strongly. Oh, he added some lefties on the fringe but nothing concrete. Basically we are counting on Joely Rodrgiuez and a prayer.

Adam Morgan may be much more important than any of us realize.

[zambonir]

You would think, but it was the same deal last year, both in the rotation and the pen (of course, you said "successful major league club"). They weren't willing to give Oberholtzer a look either (not unreasonably, as it turns out).

Morgan just isn't good enough to be important. The fact that he is a lefty is the reason why he might make the bullpen and is nice to keep around as depth, but he's the 8th starter at best. And if Burnett shows something in spring training that could just as easily knock Morgan off the 40 (even w/o Burnett in the mix, Morgan and Luis Garcia would seem to be the first two guys to go, barring 60-day DL move or a trade of one of the minor league starters).

Klentak will surely address this for 2018 or maybe even at this trade deadline. To me most of the off-season moves were window-dressing, they are not really expecting to win 81 games and sure, maybe the lefty thing will cost them a couple of wins, maybe it won't. But I'll be (pleasantly) surprised if Morgan is worth a win or two, in any role.

[donaldorc]

Running out the AAA lineup to face the U. of Tampa.

Meghan Montemurro (M_Montemurro)

[tom81]

All except the starting pitcher, Mark Leiter Jr, who will probably start in AA.

[kmc1019]

Unlikely for Kingery to start at AAA. He did not impress at Reading after his promotion and will likely have to earn his way to Lehigh.

[Austinfan]

Valentin will start at Lehigh, he's also more likely to get a call up since he can fill in as a utility man.
Kingery is 2B or bust, so they'll bring him along slowly since the only way he comes up is if they trade Hernandez.

[julio]

Meghan Montemurro (M_Montemurro)

Jim Salisbury (JSalisburyCSN)

Arano is probably on the path to ligament replacement (Tommy John) surgery, IMHO.

[Philsmania]

Meghan Montemurro (M_Montemurro)

Jim Salisbury (JSalisburyCSN)

Arano is probably on the path to ligament replacement (Tommy John) surgery, IMHO.

Not that I am saying his injury is a good thing but him landing on the 60 day DL would open up a 40 man roster spot.

[xogfog]

Interesting that they are playing Cozens in RF and Williams in LF, I would have thought they would be the other way around. Does Cozens have the bigger arm?

[allentown]

Cozens has a very good arm. Williams played a lot of RF and some CF in Allentown. The team may want to see if he can handle LF. It sounds like a simple move down the defensive ladder, but it was a big problem for Domonic Brown and not an automatic.

[tom81]

This is probably reading too much into it but they might see LF as a more likely position that will open up 1st, trade Kendrick before Sanders. They may want to get their OF'er closest to being ready reps there.

[mdougherty12]

Adam Morgan has one skill that seems to be ignored much too often in my book...he is the only lefty this team has that can even spell the word "starting pitcher."

When I see the Phils anticipated starting rotation and then see the expected rotation in LHV I see 10 right handed pitchers. And while I don't advocate using a weaker lefty over a more talented righty, I do believe that at SOME point you have to have one southpaw in the rotation and right now, the guy would seem to be Adam Morgan.

Frankly I am somewhat surprised that this hasn't been a bit more of a discussion item, I can think of no successful major league club that had an all right handed rotation.

Teams will simply load up lefties in their lineup when facing the Phils and my guess is that given there are few lefties in the bullpen also, this could become an issue.

I have wondered why Klentak, for the good work he did this winter, did not address this issue more strongly. Oh, he added some lefties on the fringe but nothing concrete. Basically we are counting on Joely Rodrgiuez and a prayer.

Adam Morgan may be much more important than any of us realize.

Baltimore earned a wild card spot last season with a rotation that was all right-handed for most of the year (151 starts out of 162 by RHP). They picked up lefty Wade Miley at the deadline, but they likely would have been better off without him.

AL champions Cleveland also had an all right-handed rotation (only 1 start by a LHP all season).

[Philsmania]

Adam Morgan has one skill that seems to be ignored much too often in my book...he is the only lefty this team has that can even spell the word "starting pitcher."

When I see the Phils anticipated starting rotation and then see the expected rotation in LHV I see 10 right handed pitchers. And while I don't advocate using a weaker lefty over a more talented righty, I do believe that at SOME point you have to have one southpaw in the rotation and right now, the guy would seem to be Adam Morgan.

Frankly I am somewhat surprised that this hasn't been a bit more of a discussion item, I can think of no successful major league club that had an all right handed rotation.

Teams will simply load up lefties in their lineup when facing the Phils and my guess is that given there are few lefties in the bullpen also, this could become an issue.

I have wondered why Klentak, for the good work he did this winter, did not address this issue more strongly. Oh, he added some lefties on the fringe but nothing concrete. Basically we are counting on Joely Rodrgiuez and a prayer.

Adam Morgan may be much more important than any of us realize.

Baltimore earned a wild card spot last season with a rotation that was all right-handed for most of the year (151 starts out of 162 by RHP). They picked up lefty Wade Miley at the deadline, but they likely would have been better off without him.

AL champions Cleveland also had an all right-handed rotation (only 1 start by a LHP all season).

I admit that this is largely perception but there really seems to be a dearth of quality lefthand pitching these days. Of course, there are good lefties out there but they seem to be fewer and farther between than usual. Maybe my perception is wrong, who knows.

[andyb]

Gelb's first roster prediction goes with three catchers rather than a Stassi or Nava. Coghlan gets the 24th spot which I think is all but certain pending injuries.

Predicting the Phillies roster, Version 1.0

I think this configuration of 3 catchers is a bad idea because I want Knapp to catch. It is great that Knapp can play 1B occasionally which might let him pinch hit more, but I really want him catching twice a week (and if you have a 3rd catcher they probably get 1 start a week).

I might consider 3 if Alfaro is ready mid-season and he also provides more offense than the Stassi/Nava spot. But not now. We need to develop young catchers with playing time.

[Philsmania]

Gelb's first roster prediction goes with three catchers rather than a Stassi or Nava. Coghlan gets the 24th spot which I think is all but certain pending injuries.

Predicting the Phillies roster, Version 1.0

I think this configuration of 3 catchers is a bad idea because I want Knapp to catch. It is great that Knapp can play 1B occasionally which might let him pinch hit more, but I really want him catching twice a week (and if you have a 3rd catcher they probably get 1 start a week).

I might consider 3 if Alfaro is ready mid-season and he also provides more offense than the Stassi/Nava spot. But not now. We need to develop young catchers with playing time.

My gut says that Mackanin will really really want a veteran backup and will fight very hard to get one, for better or for worse.