Phillies Hot Stove 2022-23

[Aquapong]

Holy crap. Some people will just see racism anywhere. Even speculating it into existence. Unconscious bias in looking for trade targets? Seriously?

Castellanos said it’s hard to stay focused all season throughout all the games. He’s right. Rollins said there’s no point in running all out all the time. He’s right too. I’ve noticed Harper doing a half hearted trot to first at times. Hoskins has been booed mercilessly this season…I guess if he changed his walk up music to rap, he wouldn’t get booed.

There was a time when baseball’s culture was undeniably racist. That time is long over. There probably are a lot more white kids playing baseball and teams can only choose from the players that are there. They can’t wish more black players into existence. Is it really a problem is just a made up problem? I guess we would have to say the same for hockey.

[zambonir]

It is indeed a problem in hockey, including many appalling actual racist incidents, and something the NHL continues to work on fixing.

[Austinfan]

The lack of black baseball players is probably a combination of factors, but racism isn't likely to be one of them.

Baseball is hard to play in dense urban areas, it's a suburban/rural game, same with soccer to some extent, while basketball courts take up far less real estate than large open fields.Especially the Eastern cities which are denser and more built up. It would be interesting to see where white ball players come from.

In the southern states, where a large proportion of the black population still resides, football is king.

So it's less about exclusion than viable alternatives.

As far as ethnicity, as the son of an historian who writes multi-disciplinary history, I am always curious about people's ethnic background and history, I'm fascinated by the interplay of culture and conquest/immigration/emigration.

[zambonir]

Structural and economic racism is still racism.

[Austinfan]

Not necessarily. While poverty and race are connected through historical and cultural currents (I'd like to see the economic outcomes for white v black sharecroppers, both starting from a similar spot, 50% of southern sharecropper were white in the 19th century), to see the relative impact of race and socioeconomic status and human capital (or lack of such), poverty explains a lot of outcomes that are ascribed to race.

The best trend in economics the last couple decades has been the shift from theory to empirical studies, there are a lot of clever economists trying to sift out the impact of various factors - unfortunately a lot of this work goes unnoticed in the media, where reporters jump on bad studies that support popular prejudices.

[andyb]

Lots of inner city high schools don't have the money or the facilities for baseball. Opportunity is a big reason why the number of African Americans in baseball is down. Not the only reason, but certainly a big reason.

It is as easy to play baseball as football in urban settings. Football and basketball are more popular, but there is a choice being made to not build baseball fields and facilities. There were lots of urban kids (white and black) in baseball 50 years ago. It is a choice to not build baseball fields, and that choice is based largely on economics. Baseball is much more of a rich suburban sport these days. Travel teams, swing schools, etc.

[bigegypt0417]

I always am fascinated in seeing the viewpoints of those at the head table explaining why those who aren't...aren't at the head table.

In 2022 you'd think you'd realize the bias.

[Austinfan]

Economists see the world different, one of my fields was econometrics, I wasn't good enough to do research, but it gave me an appreciation for the complexity of determining the impact of variables on outcomes - and good economists attempt to tease out the relevant variables from a sea of data.

Extreme positions, whether "race doesn't matter" or "race explains everything" simplify complex situations and interactions.

Academic research is a dialogue, there are no "definitive studies," especially in the social sciences where controlled experiments are difficult, so you rely on "natural experiments" and incomplete and biased data. But one should never start with a conclusion and look for evidence to support it, that's the way lawyers think as advocates for a position. A good scholar should start with doubt and questions and look for answers.

[zambonir]

He's locked up for more years than the President (at least for now) or the manager

The Phillies have agreed to a two-year extension with hitting coach Kevin Long, per source. Long is now signed through the 2025 season.

— Mark Feinsand ( @Feinsand ) November 12, 2022

[flyers19rw]

Wise move here. Both Long and Chatham have had an impressive positive impact on the hitters and pitchers of the club. After many seasons where people in their positions seemed to be ineffective, their work this year was a revelation.

[allentown]

Yes, with no cap on what an organization may pay its baseball professionals, it makes total sense to find and pay what it takes to hire and retain the best possible professionals. Even considering the owners' pocketbooks, it likely saves them net $ compared to what it would cost for expensive FA to sign instead of the homegrown plus players whom great scouting and development staff can provide at low salaries for 6 years of MLB service. Whatever the cost of your MLB roster, the cost of the best coaches to eke the best possible performance out of the 40-man roster is peanuts compared to the 40-man salary total. It is the truly stupid organization which would attempt to scrimp on their professional baseball staff. Apart from talent identification and development and just keeping the already developed players humming along with minimal slumps, if you have a good bench coach, he might just become a plus manager for a lot fewer $ than a has-been name like Girardi.

[Austinfan]

Same with the minors, if you spend $5M a year on improving your minor league coaches (and player nutrition and living conditions), and you produce one solid 2nd tier ML player a year, it'll more than pay for itself, compare what Brogdon makes v Familia, Knebel and Hand.

This, not busting the salary cap, is where Middleton should invest his money, along with buying the best scouts available.
Doesn't count against the cap, doesn't cost draft picks or int'l bonus money.
But doesn't provide instant gratifications, building a world class organization will take five years before you see results.

[zambonir]

if you have a good bench coach, he might just become a plus manager for a lot fewer $ than a has-been name like Girardi.

Which actually begs the question: are we keeping the interim bench coach?

This does also basically make Long the next Phillies manager should things go south at any point in the next two seasons. Though the contract also won't keep him from leaving to manage another team in 2024 should the right job come along.

[andyb]

This, not busting the salary cap, is where Middleton should invest his money, along with buying the best scouts available.

How do we know they don't do that?

Still need to spend money and bust the salary cap when your upper minors prospects are not good enough. Kind of like what happened way back in 2022.

[julio]

This, not busting the salary cap, is where Middleton should invest his money, along with buying the best scouts available.

It’s not either/or. All of the above.

[allentown]

It’s not either/or. All of the above.

Exactly! Push every baseball rule to the limit to gain advantage. MLB established a permeable salary cap, so breach it when doing so is a net benefit. Spend big in areas MLB doesn't control spending. MLB limits our international spending and with winning this year and hopefully in future will limit our draft position. We will not receive charity draft picks. Being a large market or a winning team doesn't put one in the caboose when it comes to competing for top international 25+ talent. We are missing a bet by missing this market. AF's suggestion on treating our minor league players the best has merit. Ditto for minor league coaches and teachers. Guys who can teach super spin, including the 'tricks' of the trade. I don't want the Phillies to be unethical like the Astros have been or, I forget which team that over-committed on LA bonuses and just reneged on the less appealing ones come time to sign the written contracts -- as I recall the cesspool which is the Commissioner's office imposed no penalty for that one (while the Phillies shouldn't copy this, it is a reminder of how stupid it was to reward Yhoswar's cheating with the full agreed bonus -- there are always other places to spend the $, such as Cubans and the guys who had their offers renegged).. The Phillies do need to be less the boy scouts talking about the good of baseball and more the slashing pirates.

[andyb]

Dombrowski interested in Boegarts. Should not be surprising.

https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1591611333069389833

[phillychuck]

The concern about Bogaerts is that you are paying for a 30-year-old SS coming off of a career year. You are bound to be paying for declining production. That is, of course, the same concern with Turner (in terms of declining production). Correa is only 28, perhaps a better bargain and a marginally better defensive player. They are all real offensive upgrades.

[zambonir]

Dombrowski is already on the record as saying, "we like them all," though nothing particularly meaningful about that. I hope they are at least in on Correa for all the obvious reasons (talent, age, no compensation) and also hope the previous relationship does not automatically elevate Bogaerts. He also strikes me as the guy who would move to 2B (or 3B?) most quickly (along with Turner) and while that is fine, the price of the contract should also reflect that.

[The_Poster]

Does anyone else see Correa as a player who relies on talent only? Obviously getting into a player's passion for each individual game is speculative. Yet from the outside (limited and only a layman) looking into Turner it seems has a burning desire for dominating at all times. IMO of course.