Phillies News and Discussion 2025 (Part 2)

[phillychuck]

Like I said, I do not care even one little bit about records. I think you have to play him some to keep him sharp, and I’d give him a day off, but if he doesn’t want to take a day off I wouldn’t fight with him about it.

I don’t think the Phils keep laurels in stock, and if you’re resting on your laurels you’re wearing them in the wrong place.

[zambonir]

Ostensibly he doesn't care. Said he wasn't even aware he was approaching Howard, or thinking about 60. But privately I'm sure he and his agent would love to see him reach both marks.

And as a fan who likes to see Phillies' players take a run at things like MVP and HOF, I'd like to see it too. Not that I think he can win the former.

The fact that he is a DH makes it a bit less of a big deal. Pretty easy to just play him.

[bkox]

Do DHs really need days off? He spends at most 10 mins on the field in a game. Less if all he does his hit HRs and strikes out. lol

[phillychuck]

DHs have to stretch and often do light aerobic exercise anticipating ABs. Not much, really. I’ve rarely read any article where a pro athlete got hurt stretching or riding the exercise bike...

Autocorrect is getting weird...it changed “read any” to “Keenan” before I went back to fix it.

[zambonir]

Unfortunately he also takes a lot of walks and runs the bases hard. But they could tell him to just swing at everything

[zambonir]

I thought it was interesting that Buehler had a bullpen session last night. That seems like a guy who's still targeting a traditional starter role. He said he's ready to do whatever, but I wonder if they've privately talked about piggy backing (given three three LHPs) and/or let it be known the #4 spot is not set. In a lot of ways he and Nola are the same, it's just that the Nola's been here (and with Thomson).

Obviously if you only go with the past two weeks, Buehler has the best results over both Nola and Walker.

[phillychuck]

Nola has a history of being a #2-type starter (for years). I don’t think Buehler has the same historical success.

Aaron Nola vs. Walker Buehler: Head-to-Head Stats Comparison | Stathead.com

Closer on the rate stats than I thought...my eye sees Nola’s stuff as harder to hit, to be fair.

[zambonir]

Buehler's also been a lot less durable, and not nearly as good in more recent years.But they are are both former All-Stars (Buehler twice Nola only once) and Top 5 award finalists (ROY and CY for Buehler, CY twice for Nola) making #2 starter money (Nola almost $25 million Buehler $21 even if Phillies aren't paying it) with solid career postseason stats (Buehler 3.04 ERA with his best work in two World Series wins, Nola 4.02 because of some ugly numbers in '22 NLCS and WS and '24 NLDS).

Nice for Nick Pivetta that he turned down the Sox QO, got himself a good deal, and then saw them spend that same money on a bigger brand name pitcher who busted.

I don't imagine Nola won't be making a start, but it's hard to ignore Buehler's numbers in this short Phillies stint, and he wasn't even having a worse season than Nola before he got here.

[phillychuck]

z, doesn’t Buehler’s stuff scream “please hit me” when you watch him pitch? He doesn’t seem to miss many bats, and watching his innings, one ground ball that finds a hole rather than going right to a fielder seems to be potentially worth a crooked number all the time.

[David_Criss]

Buehler, Nola and Walker - do they need a 4th starter? A right handed starter? Neither one of those three names get me to excited and I don't like the idea of wishing and hoping one rises to the occasion.
The way I see it those 3 names a long with Lazar (opener perhaps), Mayza, Robertson, Trivino along with Wilson and Rojas (pinch runner) will compete for the final 6 spots on the post season roster. I didn't include Stubbs, cause he doesn't even get to catch now.

[zambonir]

Our fourth starter in 2022 was Thor (two starts), plus Falter (one terrible start that the Phillies still won). Eflin was in the pen.

Sanchez was not an especially good 4th starter in 2023 either (after he beat out Walker and Lorenzen). We never got far enough to have one last year.

So do you need one? Yes and no.

I'm not sure exactly what they are thinking as far as the NLDS roster in terms of how to use someone who might also be an NLCS starter, but Trivino and Lazar and Mayza are nothing special, the only thing that makes them better potentially is being more accustomed to the role. Mayza would seems a lock as the third LHP but maybe they don't need that with an all-lefty rotation.

And Robertson isn't competing for anything, he's our third highest-leverage reliever followed by Banks and Kerkering (with Duran and Strahm at the top).

Kemp's hardly a lock either, him versus Wilson is one decision and than the loser vs. Rojas is another.

Dodgers have already moved Kershaw to the pen.

[allentown]

Dodgers have already moved Kershaw to the pen.

Now is the time to do it. It is bad planning to have a guy start all season and expect a positive switch to relief in the post-season without being eased into relief at the end of the regular season.

[zambonir]

It's also less that they have a deep rotation (though they do) as an absolute mess of a bullpen. Sasaki also made his relief debut.

Having Walker relieve Buehler and Buehler relieve Walker gives them both a taste, plus they've both done it before. Nola, on the other hand....

[andyb]

Now is the time to do it. It is bad planning to have a guy start all season and expect a positive switch to relief in the post-season without being eased into relief at the end of the regular season.

Not sure it is really a huge deal. Sitting out 10-15 days is a big deal too and a change in usage. Everyone has different roles in the playoffs and none of these guys (Nola, Walker, Buehler) will likely be used to come in during the middle of an inning outside of an absolute emergency. They are professionals and will figure out what the team needs out of them.

It is a far different question as to whether all 3 SHOULD be used as relievers or whether the team should keep other relievers for the short series in place of one of them. Frankly to me none of them really lend much confidence in relief and I suspect they will be used primarily to take up innings in games we are losing or in extra innings.

[allentown]

I'm not suggesting sitting out 10-15 days. I'm suggesting being an increasingly frequent part of the reliever rotation for the last 10+ days of season, ending on a 3-day cycle. You probably think that's dumber than what you thought I said, but I think it's a step to having a potentially good reliever for post-season. I wouldn't expect them to be able to adjust to coming in mid-inning. They would have to be second reliever in, or started warming up early. Their warm-up routine should stay the same.

[zambonir]

If you are the bye team in a short series, especially one that doesn't go the distance, you shouldn't really have to go to your sixth or seventh relievers, though the Phillies did in 2023 (Kerkering and Soto) due to the quick hook on Ranger. Eventually both of them weren't used in leverage. Lorenzen was the mop-up guy.

Last year Ruiz, Banks and Alvarado were #s 5-7 but it didn't really matter with Hoffman, Strahm, and eventually Estevez all struggling. Kolby Allard was the 8th reliever and did not pitch.

Dodgers have to think differently about their rotation and bullpen usage since they have to play the WC series. They might save one of those guys to pitch 2 innings in a possible Game 3. And they'll have a Game 1 NLDS starter who probably isn't on the WC roster.

[andyb]

If you are the bye team in a short series, especially one that doesn't go the distance, you shouldn't really have to go to your sixth or seventh relievers, though the Phillies did in 2023 (Kerkering and Soto) due to the quick hook on Ranger

So you just contradict your whole point in your first sentence.

The question is who would be more valuable in those 5-7 reliever roles. We will still keep a couple of players for extra innings or losing games. We'll have 3 starters and then at least 2 of the other 3 arms.

That leaves 7 more relievers. Duran, Strahm, Banks, and Kerkering are the first 4. What other 3 arms would most help the team? I would say at least one extra lefty and then two flexible arms that COULD pitch in any situation (winning, losing, mopup, get a 3rd out early, etc.).

Just because we have not needed them in all situations in the past does not justify picking an arm who would be less good in most situations (like the lesser of Walker and Buehler when the role of long relief is not needed). Saying it does not matter because it did not in one past series is not a good answer to the question of who would help the team most if they are needed in a variety of situations.

[zambonir]

I would say Robertson is ahead of Kerkering now, and of course Kerkering will make the roster. And yes, if they want a lefty, there aren't actually two choices, Mayza is the guy.

Beyond that, IMO, the Phillies seem to be pretty clearly telegraphing that they like Buehler better than Trivino or Lazar, and they like Walker for long reliever or extra inning guy. Unless they really are evaluating them as possible starters.

Otherwise, to me the mystery is more, why roster Nola, and in what scenario does he get used? If you just leave him off with the expectation that he starts NLCS Game 2 (if DS goes 5) you could take Lazar or Trivino.

But I still think if Lazar, Trivino or Walker are pitching, we're losing. And that they really hope Buehler can be more than that.

[mdougherty12]

Dodgers have already moved Kershaw to the pen.

Kershaw made one relief appearance this week, but he's listed as the starting pitcher for Sunday. I guess it's a retirement send-off, it's not a home game for the Dodgers, though.

[andyb]

Beyond that, IMO, the Phillies seem to be pretty clearly telegraphing that they like Buehler better than Trivino or Lazar, and they like Walker for long reliever or extra inning guy.

And Trump says Tylenol causes autism. Sometimes what they are telegraphing is incorrect. In the last 28 days Walker has a 6.43 ERA with 6 HRs given up in 21 innings and with a K rate of 4.7/9. That is not good. He is batting practice these days after getting lucky early in the year. Your posts really fail to give a good reason why all 3 of the starters/long relievers should be on the roster.