Phillies Hot Stove, Winter 2023-24

[RolenRules]

Z I don't know if your comment is tongue in cheek, but Joc has been used as a DH these past few years for a reason.

[zambonir]

Well, no not exactly tongue-in-cheek - he still made 27% of his starts in LF last year, and he's a former CF - is he really worse than Castellanos (or Harper)? But I was joking in that he still doesn't really fit the Phillies (can't platoon with Marsh or Harper, wouldn't get all the ABs against RHP platooned with Nick either).

That's pretty much the caliber of player the Phillies are probably going to be looking for though. There will either be something wrong with the bat or something wrong with the fielding. Anyone who's a good-fielding good-hitting OF (or 1B for that matter) will have better opportunities.

[bkox]

From Todd Zolecki's latest email

[Philsmania]

I have never been a big Nola fan and always thought he was kind of soft because prior to 2022, he tended to come up small in Phillies must-win games and because he didn't proverbially "take a punch" well (he would wilt when the other team threatened in the mid-to-late innings). Since 2020, I've considered Wheeler to be the ace far more than him and it's made me shake my head that Nola keeps getting the Opening Day start over him when Wheeler's frankly deserved it more. However, over the last couple of years, Nola has gotten much of the big game monkey off his back (though he did come up small towards the end of last postseason and in Game 6 of the 2023 NLCS). And, yes, his overall success speaks for itself. But still, I would feel very, very uncomfortable with the Phillies resigning him for more than three years, especially considering that his overall season in 2023 was not all that good. The market is more than three years, though.

[andyb]

A Burnes trade seems more the Phillies style than the Japanese guy (who might cost much more than Nola when the $30 million plus posting fee is added to the $200 million contract).

I still think they seriously want Nola. The big question is where the market is on Nola.

[zambonir]

Not really seeing Eskin as a solid source here lol.

The appeal of Yamamoto is pretty clear given his age but it seems even more unlikely that the Phillies would win that bidding war. And Burnes probably costs you Abel and a second prospect. Still a lot of free agents to cross off the list before you have go there.

I also wonder if the Brewers can really afford to be in their usual money-saving mode now that their fans are mad about Counsell.

[Callison]

The top FAs after Bellinger (who, let's be honest, would actually be perfect - he's the antidote to all the other defensive flaws because he can play all three OF spots as well as 1B)

I must seize the moment to agree w z-dog, although he's standing on the brakes for financial reasons. The Phils are about ONE player short of a WS championship and the team won't be this strong forever. I understand reluctance elsewhere noting that he spent two years forgetting how to hit. And he won't be cheap. OTOH, opportunity knocks. Let's take a chance. I'm guessing Big Rob would bat him #4. Let it happen. I agree with Boston Ross that the remaining options are unexciting and the Phils will never go after another DH.

It will be a happy day in Philly when the Phils have a player to move Bohm outta cleanup.

Sorry to learn about the Snell compensation issues. He is way off the table. Thinking more about him, the Giants are desperate for talent so they'll pay, and he and the Giants new HC, Melvin, know each other well from SD. Likely he ends up there. Though Gray is older, he surely showed what he can do against the Phils. Second best SP option, IMHO.

There is some rumble suggesting that the Phils won't sign Nola, but DD has already said that's a priority. In addition, Nola has said he like the Phils. So, IMHO, the Phils will be in it to the end, but there is a chance they will get outbid. I have mixed feelings about him - CAN be dominant, but was not in the moment of truth. But if the Phils sign Bellinger, the team could become an offensive juggernaut and win a lot of games 10 - 8 or so with weaker pitching. Offensive juggernaut - like everyone thought they'd be this season. Could be a season to remember. That's where I'll be until Bellinger is SIGNED or otherwise off the table.

[zambonir]

Sorry to learn about the Snell compensation issues. He is way off the table.

I have bad news for you about Bellinger. And Sonny Gray too.

[julio]

Thinking more about him, the Giants are desperate for talent so they'll pay, and he and the Giants new HC, Melvin, know each other well from SD.

The Giants' HC is Brian Daboll. Melvin is the manager.

[Les229]

Knowing Hoskins' situation and his agents' m o I think he will just follow the money.. It would not surprise me if he wound up with a short term contract so he can prove he is back to normal and can fulfil the obligations of a bigger contract,

[Callison]

I have bad news for you about Bellinger. And Sonny Gray too.

You taking over for DD?

If the Phils don't sign Nola they'll be desperate for SP and Gray might be the only comparable option.

[bkox]

If the Phils don't sign Nola they'll be desperate for SP and Gray might be the only comparable option.

They both cost us the same thing Snell would. The 2 draft picks

[andyb]

Lots of internal promotions. Barber and Mattingly most prominent. Sal being moved out of his international role also.

PHILLIES PROMOTE BARBER AND MATTINGLY TO ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS; ANNOUNCE...

I really know little about Derrick Chung. Been with the Phillies for 5+ years. Not really announced as the scout on any major signings. College teammate of Rhys Hoskins! This feels like a managerial promotion for someone who has grown up in their system.

[julio]

If the Phils don't sign Nola they'll be desperate for SP and Gray might be the only comparable option.

They both cost us the same thing Snell would. The 2 draft picks

For the sake of completeness... The penalty for a club that pays luxury tax (i.e., the Phillies) is loss of 2nd and 5th draft picks, and loss of $1 million in international signing pool. So, two draft picks, and one or two large-dollar international signings.

[Austinfan]

Given Sal's track record, and the move away from Venezuela, this is probably a good thing.

[zambonir]

Clarity

Dave Dombrowski, on Bryce Harper: "We decided we're going to play him at first base. ... He's happy to do whatever we wanted him to do. He said he'd play first or the outfield. He feels great. But the more we talked about it internally, we liked the idea of playing him at first."

— Todd Zolecki ( @ToddZolecki ) November 8, 2023

Dave Dombrowski said he spoke with Rhys Hoskins to tell him about the decision. Harper will be the everyday first baseman (he will not play right field) and the Phillies see Kyle Schwarber as the primary DH, essentially leaving Hoskins nowhere to play.

— Todd Zolecki ( @ToddZolecki ) November 8, 2023

[zambonir]

Extremely interesting/overdue about Sal. Barber and Mattingly were already de facto assistant GMs (moreso even, in that they reported directly to DD not the GM) but I'm sure that's a nice pay bump and resume boost.

My guess is Sal's job is not going to change that much. That he will still have boots on the ground, and was never that good at the organizational and management side of the job, which Chung will now handle. Wonder who Chung reports to?

In his new position, Agostinelli will continue to serve in a leadership role and will be instrumental in various facets of international scouting with a focus on evaluation and the development of international players.

[fish]

I really know little about Derrick Chung. Been with the Phillies for 5+ years. Not really announced as the scout on any major signings. College teammate of Rhys Hoskins! This feels like a managerial promotion for someone who has grown up in their system.

He went from a 31st round pick of the Blue Jays to the Phillies Korean clubhouse interpreter in 2017, to international scout in 2018, to running the whole operation in 2024. Well, that's interesting. I trust the guys in charge now to get this right, but why it doesn't make more sense to get someone tied to the Dominican I don't know.

[zambonir]

To me that is what is striking about the hire. Sal only seemed to know what Sal knew. This speaks to a bigger picture. As I said in my previous post I also think scouting per se is the least of the job once you get kicked up to the top. That Sal continued to do it for so long was kind of the last bit of Old Phillies inertia left, but also, he wasn't really the "manager" of operation, that was Looper and then Minniti. Velandia may continute to do that at the executive level but I think Chung's ability to run the scouts and coordinate with Mattingly probably matters a lot more than his opinion about a particular kid in the DR, or connections to the agents and buscones. That's still on the actual scouts, and Sal himself perhaps.

[andyb]

I never thought Sal was a bad scout. Just bad at negotiating cost-effective deals with the best talent. It just seemed that we lost out on the top tier of talent and then tried to make up for it by throwing top-tier bonuses at second tier talent. Jhailyn Ortiz seemed a major overpay from the beginning. William Bergolla may be a good prospect, but his tools really scream one million dollar bonus to me as opposed to $2+ million.

Maybe we need a good manager rather than a good scout running the operation.