Phillies Hot Stove 2022-23

[RolenRules]

Abreu had good reason to avoid running into outfield walls. If I recall correctly he was injured early in his minor league career by doing so. Unfortunately I can't find an article to document this.

I loved Abreu. Very underrated and borderline HOF IMO.

[Sabin]

To me those two abbreviations are easy to transpose. As a kid I used to keep them separate by connecting the 'i' in i.e. to 'i'n other words.

To this day I'll occasionally transpose 'orange' for 'yellow'. Typically happens if I'm distracted while verbally describing something involving, obviously, the color. No real idea where the wires got crossed in my brain there, but while making a long haul of a drive once I spotted a semi that made me wonder if as a kid I happened to see the company more during our holiday interstate treks to visit family:

[jimbomill]

Every free agent kind of scares you.

might that be the Castellanos affect?

[phillychuck]

Mike Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Tom Gordon, and David Robertson effect.

[zambonir]

Don't forget Greg Jefferies! But what's the word for only remember the bad and never the good? Kind of the same way we assume every guy with a sore elbow is going to become Cliff Lee instead of Aaron Nola because we never remember the guys who just missed six weeks and didn't have surgery (Nola being a notable exception).

Anyway, there's no "affect" when it comes to AF, for the most part he's opposed to any and all FAs and FA deals past three years and while the reasons for the latter are understandable for most GMs that risk/sunk cost is just built into the calculation.

I imagine plenty of us were not into the Wheeler deal, even. It didn't seem like this core was going anywhere then, and in fact, it wasn't, for two seasons. I assumed he would be dead weight by the end of it and maybe he still will - there are obviously concerns -but barring catasrophic health issues it looks like he'll finish it out productively.

[zambonir]

Interesting read. Castellanos said he struggled to adjust to Cincinnati in 2020 and hopes to bounce back the same way. Also mentions his wife had their second kid in May. Thought he was back on track after that good August but then got injured.

And, the Phillies actually hired his hitting coach as a special assistant to Mattingly.

Getting $100 million man Nick Castellanos right for 2023 is a priority for the...

[schillingfan]

The word is selective perception.

[zambonir]

I'm seriously surprised there's not a single term for this, be it clinical or more informal (a la schadenfreude).

Why we often remember the bad better than the good

[BostonRoss]

Was also the first World Series with not a single Black American player (albeit, the winning manager).

Obviously not the first since there were no blacks in the first 43 World Series! But the first since 1950, which was between two teams that were notoriously slow to integrate (one of which, of course, was the Phils).

It’s important to recognize both the sad racist history of the Phillies (who of course are not alone) and the current racial issues plaguing the team, the sport, and society. Allen was treated horribly by the team and many fans, but the direct relevance to the treatment of players by today’s Phillies’ management is low. It’s a reminder to always be watchful. Sadly, the fan base is always going to have a significant racist element, exacerbated by our overwhelming whiteness. I hope we as a group condemn it and that the team takes more direct action whenever possible.

[andyb]

It is interesting how the Phillies' every day lineup is perhaps the whitest lineup in baseball. Let me step back and say I don't think any of their personnel decisions have had any racial bias. It is just interesting that they have put the lineup they currently have together. It might even get whiter if they get Trea Turner.

I do say there is probably an unconscious bias in decisions where they evaluate how somebody will survive in Philly which sometimes requires a thick skin. That might make them prioritize the Schwarber types (though Castellanos fits that category too even though he is Latino). Marsh does have tools that justify that trade, but one wonders if there were other non-white options they passed on.

This is all a tricky subject and probably just the result of certain players aging and certain prospects like Quinn or Rojas or Garcia not being ready or not panning out. The clubhouse does seem like a family though that embraces everyone which is great to see. I am guessing we will look back in a couple of years and see it was just a blip for a year or two.

[andyb]

MLB Rumors Top 50 Projections:

2022-23 Top 50 Free Agents With Predictions

They have 3 writers projecting where players go. Here are the players where at least one of the writers projects the player going to the Phillies. It is an eclectic mix.

3 - Turner 8/268 (2 of the 3 project him to the Phillies)
6 - Rodon 5/140
8 - Verlander 3/120
24 - Taylor Rogers 3/30
32 - Carlos Estevez 3/21
38 - Ross Stripling 2/18
40 - Jean Segura 2/18
45 - Adam Ottavino 2/14

Note Eflin is projected 2/22 but not to the Phillies. Robertson also projected to 2/16 but not to the Phillies. Segura at that price would be interesting IMO. Phillies are mentioned in the comments of some other players like Correa. Carlos Estevez would intrigue me as a high upside bullpen play.

[allentown]

I'd rather not do Turner on that contract and face the draft/international penalties. If you are going to commit close to $300 mill on Turner, go all the way and sign the non-comp Correa. Hard no on Verlander. Any team giving $120 mil for a pitcher's age 40-42 seasons is nuts. For $20 mill more for Rodon's 30-34 age seasons, I know what I'm choosing. Segura as a stopgap only if we fail to sign a SS. Not a lefty, but I'd go Estevez over Rogers. At that price, Stripling is very interesting as a #4 SP. Ottavino an interesting gamble at that price.

[EDmuch]

Plus Stripling has experience bouncing back & forth between starter and reliever. That kind of versatility could be helpful.

[Austinfan]

I liked the Wheeler signing, he was being paid based on the expections of his past performance, but had upside left.

JT I was a little nervous only b/c the bat didn't translate to DH or 1B, and catching is tough physically.

I hated Arrieta from day one, he had started to decline, you don't pay for a possible bounce back.

Harper I liked b/c even though 13 years, $26M was a bargain the first ten and a rising cap would make the last three manageable.

The key on FAs is determine the expected future performance, set a reservation price based on that performance, don't succumb to the "winner's curse" by trying to outbid fools, and don't pay for past performance.

If you stick to that, you'll find bargains, b/c for every "name" that gets overpaid, there's someone with upside who's being overlooked.

[Taudawg]

Trade candidate -

Dipoto: Mariners Getting Trade Interest In Chris Flexen

I would be interested in Flexen, but not Gonzales. I wonder what it would take to acquire Flexen. 4 years of control.

[zambonir]

That might make them prioritize the Schwarber types (though Castellanos fits that category too even though he is Latino).

Not that it's important but always kind of thought he was Italian. Cuban-American? (Father is Miami native).

Obviously the dearth of Black players in MLB in 2022 is a problem that is much bigger than the Phillies, and also one that self-perpetuates. It is a white kid's sport for the most part domestically, with people of color coming from outside the US. Randomly think of a Black high draft pick and there's a good chance he's related to a previous-generation MLB player (twice, in the Phillies' case recently).

[julio]

Castellanos was born in Hialeah, Florida. His mother is from Michigan. HIs dad from MIami, apparently.

He has some Latin American roots, and I suspect (at least on Mom's side) some distinctly non-Latin American ancestors. Defining him as a "Latino"... well, it really speaks to the whole "We have to label everybody, and we'll generally assign the lowest-status label available whenever we can...so that we can feel better about ourselves."

You can figure out what I think about this.

[andyb]

Castellanos is a pretty common Cuban/Latino name and his father is Jorge (whose medical degree is from the Dominican Republic) and he grew up in Miami (and married 2 Latinas). Not sure what he considers himself but it would be pretty common for someone from that background to check the Latino box. No idea what he considers himself but calling him Latino should not be controversial.

[julio]

I would argue that the compulsion to define people by ethnicity, in and of itself, should be controversial. It isn’t; it’s what we do. We see people, we think of people in terms of what we see as their “group.” We overcome that, some of the time, with individuals to whom we become close, but strangers we tend to categorize. We routinely “otherize” people based on superficial characteristics. It is arguably the single greatest failing of our society.

[phillychuck]

I see you haven't read "How to be an antiracist" or "White Fragility", j...