Phillies Hot Stove, Winter 2023-24

[zambonir]

I realize he barely got a chance but Hall hit all of one HR last year in 54 ABs. And he's useless paired with another LHB 1B. When he was going good it was equally SSS, and against limited competition in most cases (lesser teams/pitchers).

Merrifield's gonna end up playing 1B on Bryce's off-days, which will still be rare. Not great, but better than continuing to move Bohm around (and if they did that Merrifield would be just as likely as Sosa to play 3B now).

Honestly it doesn't seem that possible to me to use fewer relievers. Yeah, the long man might not get used much, but you still need him when you need him. You need bench players and PHs even less.

[bkox]

Are we sure about Merrifield playing 1B and 3B? He hasnt appeared at 3B in a game since 2017... and 3 games at 1B since 2020.

[zambonir]

We aren't but it seems the team is. Guaranteed to see it over the next month. 1B isn't hard (look how many non-1B played it for the Phillies last year). 3B seems more of a stretch (and also unnecessary) but plenty of 2B have done it (including Segura and Polanco and for that matter Sosa, even if he is a SS).

[andyb]

JT could play 1B too. Athletic article today has him saying he wants to start 130 games again. I think I'd shoot for somewhere in the 120-125 range. Remember he usually hits 130 with a couple injured stretches so he is starting more frequently than that. Let JT start 5 games against left-handed pitching at 1B when we rest or DH Bryce.

[Austinfan]

If they have 3-4 RPs with options, they may do the merry-go-down strategy where you bring a RP up for a few weeks, send another down but have him mostly rest, and keep the arms in the back of the pen fresh. In that case, you can carry one less RP for much of the season.

[zambonir]

But they are in fact extremely short on RPs with options, especially since two of them (Kerkering and Soto) are unlikely to be used in that fashion. They may or may not use one spot in that fashion, and have before, but it has never meant carrying one fewer arm overall. It's happened for a couple of weeks a couple of times. And then of course they went with a six-man rotation though I'm not sure that actually led to using the bullpen less.

Currently they have to trade or DFA either Covey or Brogdon just to open up a single "rotatable" spot.

None of these bench candidates are even worth doing that for anyway, unless they simply don't want to lose Pache (or Cave).

[zambonir]

JT could, and probably should play 1B a bit. But didn't do one time last year even with 1B essentially unfilled. And the drop-off at C when he does that is steep (which should maybe still be addressed). They are also saying Schwarber will play the OF a little.

I guess I'll believe any of this when I see it - both a plan to start resting guys more and giving anyone but Merrifield the excess starts. Unless or until he flops he will always be the first guy up at any position except SS and CF (both of which he has also played) and C. And if he doesn't flop he'll play more.

Castellanos could also probably use a little less work and sit against the odd RHP but that would just put Cave in RF, Hall does no good there either.

[BostonRoss]

Whatever happened to the Castellanos playing 1B idea? I know that was hatched before Harper became the 1B, but Nick is a former infielder, and getting out of the outfield once in a while wouldn’t be a bad thing.

[bkeich]

Even Schwarber getting to 1B every once in awhile wouldn’t be atrocious and would make it possible to partially rest a regular by just having them hit.

Spring Training should tell us who among the 26 will get some time at 1B,because hopefully whoever it is will get 50 or so innings of ST game time “practice”

[zambonir]

Yeah I don't think anyone actually hatched that except Nick saying he'd be willing and had a glove. Along with Schwarber continuing to say "never again." (And I think 1B might actually be harder on his knees than OF, more action/pivoting. He and Thomson have both said he'll play some LF this year. 1B has not come up, and won't IMO).

But if Nick plays 1B who plays OF? That still just ends up being Merrifield or Cave or TBD, not anybody good (unless they keep Pache and then at least you've got a strong defensive OF).

All of these scenarios that involve a full rest day or position change for one of our top hitters puts a weak bat in the line-up, and only occasionally a good glove. Clearly while some of us are not excited about Merrifield, those who are, including the team, see him as the top option off the bench in almost every situation except Sosa for SS and maybe 3B.

[BostonRoss]

I am guessing that Merrifield is better than Nick in the OF (admittedly a low bar). If Pache is still around somehow, it makes sense for him to play since. If Harper is resting there’s probably a LHP facing the Phillies.

Cave is not a great outfielder but is also probably better than Castellanos. But it wouldn’t make sense for him to start against a LHP.

[zambonir]

Funny, I was just thinking this. It was always going to be tough, and twice as much money (more with the QO) but I sure would have liked Hoskins at 1B with Castellanos only getting 400 ABs (mostly in LF, RF on Harper off-days, DH on Schwarber off-days) over Merrifield getting 400 ABs).

Rob Thomson thinks the Phillies would be a better team with this one player who...

[andyb]

JT could, and probably should play 1B a bit. But didn't do one time last year even with 1B essentially unfilled.

But he has in the past and prefers 1B to DH. Last year was a mistake. JT got a year older and his catching load remained the same. Results were worse. None of that is a surprise and a more reasonable explanation to his season than mechanics and bad habits. JT is human. We need to realize that and manage that.

Stubbs or Marchan do need to play better. Hopefully they switch between the two if needed. Or get a better backup if both fail.

[zambonir]

Yeah but you read the same article I did. The team is focused on tweaking his game (both at the plate and behind it), his desire to not regress doesn't seem to be accompanied by an interest in catching less and the team agrees wholeheartedly (with three different people saying so!). The failure to upgrade back-up catcher kind of says that too.

How to fix a hole in your swing: J.T. Realmuto started by visiting the hitting...

As far as Realmuto is concerned, this is not a physical issue. He’s started 130 games at catcher in each of the past two seasons and that is the number he’s targeted again for 2024. There won’t be a debate about this. “He’s in great shape,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “It’s tough to take him out of the lineup.” If Realmuto’s swing adjustments don’t lead to better results, maybe the Phillies reassess. Realmuto seemed to benefit in 2023 whenever he had occasional rest. The Phillies are not convinced that is correlated.

“I mean, if a guy is 28 years old and has a down year, people don’t say he’s aging,” Wathan said. “If a guy is 32 and he has a down year, people say he’s aging. So, why don’t we talk next spring?”

_Wathan wasn’t being flippant; there is just confidence in Realmuto that is not reserved for most soon-to-be-33-year-old catchers. “He’s too good of an athlete still,” Long said. “I mean, he’s still running well. His body doesn’t look slow. It looks explosive. His mechanics needed to be [adjusted]...."

[Austinfan]

Whistling past the graveyard. Age charts apply to everyone, there are outliers, but very few.

[zambonir]

Well, we're certainly gonna find out. With about 2/3 of this entire roster, over the next two years and the next five years.

[andyb]

Sometimes there should be a debate about this. Yes I read that article. And I disagree with Thomson. It is unlikely they will follow my sage advice, but that is what message boards are for.

[allentown]

It is fine to carry a bench guy to do nothing but PH (or DH). If Hall can hit well enough to hold down that position, fine. Same with Merrifield, although I don't think either has the bat for this.

[julio]

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Phillies Spring Training Discussion 2024

[BostonRoss]

We all love Rhys, but unless Schwarber or Harper went down, there wasn't a place for him to get much playing time. The article seems to say he would be a good addition to the lineup, but you can't just add him and bat ten guys. He would have to replace someone. That could be Castellanos at times, but would you really want to pay $35+ million for that roster spot to split between Rhys and Nick?