Phillies Hot Stove Discussion 2021-22

fish 2021-10-09 01:22:20 UTC #221

Isn’t that what the plan was going into last year? He’s 6’5” and doesn’t have the athleticism or feel for the position to make it work. When he was laser focused on his defense the best he could do was a few stretches of tolerable.

BostonRoss 2021-10-09 06:35:08 UTC #222

I’m not optimistic about Bohm, but I see no advantage to giving up on him or selling him low.

zambonir 2021-10-09 06:35:51 UTC #223

We just gotta hope Bohm simply went through a hot start (2020) and then a tough period of adjustment (April/May) 2021 and was starting to come out of it (He hit .329 with a 763 OPS in June, and .296 with an .869 OPS in July. Then came the COVID break, and the demotion (which still seems like a mistake). Clearly he still has things to work on, particularly slug. Though, what if he's just a good hitter w/o 3B/LF/1B power? Where do you put him?

EDmuch 2021-10-09 12:08:00 UTC #224

I go with a platoon of Brad Miller and Vierling in Left. With the money saved by not signing Cutch or Herrera, I use that money to partially offset the cost to sign Kris Bryant to play CF. I would also sign Kevin Pillar as a backup outfielder along with Vierling. Pillar plays good defense and can hit. Then sign Iglasias as closer. Bryant could also be a back up at 3b if Bohm continues to struggle. Or bring up Stott at AS break and move Didi to third. While this would put us above the Cap for 2022, with Didi's $14 million coming off the books after 2022, we should be able to get close to whatever Cap exists in 2023. Bench would be Vierling, Pillar, Torreyes, a catcher plus one more guy preferrably someone who can be an effective PH.

Austinfan 2021-10-09 13:08:00 UTC #225

Forget Miller, we need to find adequate defenders, he's not a good enough hitter to compensate for his glove.
Vierling had one of the highest exit velocity rates in the league, bodes well going forward, he wasn't just a BABIP artifact.

EDmuch 2021-10-09 13:11:33 UTC #226

Brad Miller hit 20 home runs in a part time role. He has hit 30 in a season in his career. He provides cheap power and, if push comes to shove, an excellent 8th inning pinch hitter. He is not someone a rational GM would forget or throw away.

andyb 2021-10-09 13:18:43 UTC #227

The bigger issue with Miller is likely whether his last couple of seasons have pushed up his price. There was no option on his deal. Imagine he might get something in the $5 million range this time. As a platoon left-fielder on the strong side of the platoon in a DH era there is someone out there who will give him a small raise. He is a player that has never made big money, so he should probably maximize this last shot at a decent contract. There is also no reason with his tools that he could not become an average LF if he played there all the time.

allentown 2021-10-09 14:08:15 UTC #228

I doubt he would be adequate in CF. He has played little there and overall negative dWAR for a while. Probably too expensivee in $/years for a guy going into his age 30 season and showing performance slippage. If we signed him, that would pretty much be our winter and he'd be our LF.

zambonir 2021-10-09 16:20:37 UTC #229

Brad Miller may even get more money this year than Cutch, and definitely more than Herrera (not counting their buyouts, which I think are a given).

There's certainly, potentially, a place for him to be back on the team, and you'd probably start him in 1B or at DH half the time (and still only against RHPs).

I don't think they can sign Bryant and also a SS, nor would Bryant be a starting CF. Maybe some of the time.

Gotta be a one big trade (for CF or someone like Merrifield) along with one big signing. The rest can be creative.

bkox 2021-10-09 16:24:01 UTC #230

Absolute terrible news guys..................

julio 2021-10-09 16:49:31 UTC #231

This is "early" - presumably a condition of Bonifacio's conract - but only the first of many departures.

Austinfan 2021-10-09 16:54:36 UTC #232

There will also be a wave of signings to fill out the Reading roster next year.

EDmuch 2021-10-09 17:11:06 UTC #233

So give Miller 2 years at $7.5 per year. That is still a good deal for what he can bring to the table. As for a significant trade, I do not see how that happens without losing Stott and/or Rojas. The UFA market for CF is not bright particularly if you are looking for power that would bat behind Harper.

julio 2021-10-09 17:19:45 UTC #234

Miller is a free agent (technically, will be a free agent after the World Series). The Phillies will have to bid for his services - and they'll have to outbid everybody else to persuade him to return. There's no reason to assume Miller has any reason to prefer Philadelphia over any other team. You're essentially arguing that the Phillies should make re-signing Brad Miller a priority...and that they will be able to re-sign him to an advantageous contract. I'm doubtful that this will happen.

EDmuch 2021-10-09 17:19:56 UTC #235

The only true center fielder among UFA's who could hit for power is Marte.

bkox 2021-10-09 17:30:21 UTC #236

7.5M would be more than double what he made this year. (3.5M)

Brad Miller's not an every day LF. Hes only played in 38 games there in his career. He has a .660 career (and sub .600) OPS versus Lefties in his career. So he needs to be a platoon with someone else. Vierling? Maybe.. but we still have a very small sample size there.

But penciling Miller in at LF takes away Miller's real value. His ability to platy 1B, 2B, 3B and OF allow him to be that great platoon player that can give righties a day off at those positions. Sticking him at one primary position, IMO, lessens his overall value to the team.

I would like to see Miller back next year. But not as our regular LF.

zambonir 2021-10-09 17:31:30 UTC #237

If your big bat plays SS or LF you don't need it in CF. But one way or another they have to upgrade the position, both defensively and for OBP if not power. Unless you want another Haseley/Moniak/Kingery (Williams/Vierling?) bake-off. Or Herrera.

Does Miller actually have the ability to play 3B, 2B (or SS) anymore?

bkox 2021-10-09 17:45:51 UTC #238

He appeared in 13 games at 2B and 8 at 3B this year. Has only appeared at SS in 10 games since the start of 2017. None this year

andyb 2021-10-09 18:26:02 UTC #239

My comment was more about Miller's bat and the value of that bat. I am not sure the defensive versatility adds that much these days especially when his age is pushing him into more of a 1B/LF role. Some team should give him a 400-450 AB role on the strong side of a platoon, especially with a universal DH.

As for value, he is an older middle range guy that has often had to settle for smaller contracts. He peaked at $4.5 million for 1 year and has made less than $20 million in his entire career. If there is $15 million out there over 2 years he should take it. Given that he signed here for his second stint (and arguably made the transition here from a middle infielder with power to a corner reserve with even more power) he must like it here. And LF IS open on this team with potential platoons at several positions.

The Phillies have as much need for Miller as anybody. He'll probably stay if the money is close. There is just no guarantee that the money will be close however.

EDmuch 2021-10-09 19:37:02 UTC #240

So what would you be willing to offer Marte?