https://www.mlb.com/phillies/roster/transactions14
Given @julio's interest in both roster minutiae and the rhythms of how MLB.com updates (or automates) its system, check out April 15-16.
Umm... I'd long since seen all the "real" transactions on the milb.com side - and I was just ignoring the bit on the mlb.com side.
All... if you're curious, see this page.5 (Same link as above. Doh.)
Right, would have been nice if the pen had even been handed a lead to blow in one of those games. But he's still allowed 5 runs and 6 runs in two of those four games. The other two were on the offense.
The good news is, zero HRs in his last two starts.
It's just weird to go into a three-game series against the Mets in Queens thinking the next two pitchers are the best chance of taking it. Which is gonna be hard to do regardless.
Wilson is back. Clemens DFA. Just had to happen because of roster construction issues.
https://www.philliesbaseballfan.com/post/4-23-25-phillies-reinstate-wilson-designate-clemens7
I am coming around to the belief that the window of opportunity tor this edition of the Phillies closed in the 2023 NLCS. The decline set in during that London trip (though not because of the London trip) just as the September 1984 marked the end of the Phillies first golden age (13 games over .500 to .500 finish) and that eight game losing streak in September of 2011 is probably where second golden age group's decline began. They shouldn't waste their time trading for the likes of Tucker or Arenado or any relief pitcher at the deadline. It won't do any good. This edition is just shot, plain and simple. It's not a matter of this team not being a championship contender anymore. It's simply not a good team anymore. Instead, I think they should sell guys like Schwarber, Realmuto, a rejuvenated Walker and Suarez at the deadline and try to retool for next year.
The other thing is that while the Phillies ownership is deep-pocketed, we've seen firsthand this year that there is a limit to that depth. They can't go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers or the New York teams and with them being financially maxed out now (and having to let Hoffman and Estevez walk), Dombrowski was basically forced to shop in the nontender bargain bin this past offseason. None of those guys (Romano, Ross or Kepler) have worked out.
I would like to see them call up that Aoyagi guy from the Pigs. Perhaps send Kerkering down to straighten himself out. And, Lazar has put up good numbers. They were counting on Ortiz to be a big part of their bullpen but, alas, he turned out to be a one-season wonder. DFA him and bring up Lazar. Heck, maybe even reach out down to Reading and bring up Eiberson Castellano (last year's Paul Owens Award winner whom they briefly lost in the Rule 5 draft) and either DFA Hernandez or, if he's agreeable, convince Romano to go back to Clearwater to "work on things" (perhaps develop a new pitch). Seriously, how likely is it Aoyagi, Lazar and Castellano be any worse than the cast of characters they have in the pigpen, I mean bullpen now?
Lazar is probably the only reliever down in AAA that could help though maybe Seth Johnson in a month or two. Aoyagi really does not have major league stuff. Just a weird, funky delivery that might be good once around the league.
The bullpen will get better. Romano is better than he has shown and so is Kerkering. Suarez will be up soon as well and that will help in some places.
There's no question this road trip (and the entire stretch since beating the Dodgers) could turn out to be the beginning of a failed season, but it's also still a very long season, and these 2025 Phillies look no worse than the 2023 or 2022 Phillies (or the 2024 Mets) for now. This is pretty much what an 88-win team always looks like, where it could just as easily be an 82-win team or a 94-win team (but I don't think any of us really believe the latter was going to happen again). This is still a great roster with four guys having possible All-Star seasons (Schwarber, Harper, Casty and Stott), Rojas coming around and Bohm showing signs of life (.861 OPS in past 7 days). The others (Turner, Marsh, Kepler) need to get better. The rotation is still a strength. The bullpen stuff just has to be endured.
I think it's fair to wonder if Dombrowski has really been that great a major league GM when you look at his moves in aggregate, especially when he inherited (or re-signed) many of the best pieces, and created some of the financial limitations himself. But the wins are the wins, and he hasn't sold the farm.
Dombrowski's Philadelphia record has been mixed. Not giving away the farm like he did in Boston and Detroit is important. Thanks to him not doing that, we are probably not staring down the barrel of a long painful rebuild. Schwarber and, to a lesser extent, Castallenos have been good additions. Until this year, he took a Phillies bullpen which was worst in baseball in 2020 to one of the better ones in the game from 2022-24. Strahm and Hoffman were shrewd additions. Sosa was a good move and even Marsh helped for a time. He was able to finish the job that Klentak couldn't, all without a strong farm system to work with. But yes, he created the financial constraints. And, some of his big-ticket free agent signings have been questionable. Walker, until this season, was a flop and Turner may be a signing which haunts us for years to come. And, though his hands may have been financially tied to an extent this past offseason, it must be said that he failed "be resourceful and creative" test with his nontender signings.
Walker wasn't really a flop. One good season, one bad season due to injury. That's just baseball. Still not a stellar signing but also not really that overpriced given the Phillies had no other options (though still ironic they weren't willing to just keep Eflin). It all still depends on the next two years.
All the 2022 moves were good. Hoffman was just great luck. But Turner, no bat in 2023, Lorenzen, Merrifield, Hays, and now, it seems, Kepler and Romano all shaky. Luzardo is looking like a great one but it's not clear if the operating philosophy of them putting starting pitching above all else is going work, when the other two components fall short.
DD certainly hasn't put starting pitching above all else. Whether we are talking about FA signings, draft bonuses, or international bonuses, the emphasis has clearly been placed on position players. The major league salary budget is slanted toward position players. The Phillies problem is that they are cash strapped because they haven't produced a real impact player from their own amateur scouting and development since Nola. Suarez has been plus and Bohm was plus last year, but Nola is the only clearly plus multi-season home-grown guy on the roster and he's faded this season. You can't build a consistent contender based upon FA signings. About the best you can expect is pop-up periods of several years of plus team performance with a trip or two to the WS. To have longer periods of contention, the farm must produce. It hasn't. Until it does the last few years is the best it gets. Perhaps we have the very badly needed injection of plus MLB talent working its way through the farm already, with Painter, Miller, and Crawford.