Phillies News and Discussion 2025 Season

[zambonir]

I think Ranger has alway been a goner. Right now he probably gets a QO, which is great. Nola and Wheeler and Luzardo and Painter (and possibly Abel) are all going to be in next year's rotation, and Walker might be here too. No room at the inn (or on the payroll). Would be great if they could extend Luzardo (as a way of saving AAV as well as keeping him past next year) but he's going to be a free agent at 29, to keep him off the market at that age you'd probably have to give him 5-6 years (including the controlled year).

[julio]

Nola and Wheeler and Luzardo and Painter (and possibly Abel) are all going to be in next year's rotation, and Walker might be here too.

Cris Sanchez?

[flyers19rw]

The Phillies have the money to resolve all of these salary questions. After this season and the next, there's a significant chunk of salary that will be able to take care of things. Losing Suarez or Luzardo for financial reasons makes no sense. The rotation is ,and should be going forward, the backbone of the club.

[andyb]

The players we might trade in the offseason are the ones close to free agency. Luzardo will be a candidate for that and maybe whether they reach out with a long term deal will be an indicator. Long term health has always been an issue for him. Big question is whether they want him post-Wheeler. If Zack is serious about retiring then his huge salary comes off for 2028.

We will know a bunch more about which starters we are looking at long term by September. The Dodgers are showing that one can never have enough starters.

[zambonir]

Wheeler is supposed to pitch Saturday but today's Athletic story said it is still not known. He is clearly taking more unpaid paternity leave, if he wants/needs it, though I guess it probably didn't officially start until yesterday

[zambonir]

Him too! Heck, if they don't trade Abel or Walker maybe Sanchez is the guy who gets moved (though as Andy notes Luzardo would lead the list if he doesn't want an extension). Teams do sometimes trade from areas of depth to address other areas.

I think the combination of the Phillies extending Sanchez and then trading for Luzardo told you everything you needed to know about their interest in re-signing Ranger (or their belief that he would want to stay, never mind what he says publicly).

The Phillies have the money to resolve all of these salary questions. After this season and the next, there's a significant chunk of salary that will be able to take care of things. Losing Suarez or Luzardo for financial reasons makes no sense. The rotation is ,and should be going forward, the backbone of the club.

But most of that money has to be spent on offense. There's still nobody in the minors to replace Schwarber or JT. Or Kepler and Castellanos really (in terms of corner/power bats). Bohm's only got one year left as well. Miller and Crawford will only go so far. Turner's not going to be be better over the next few years. And Stott still doesn't seem like a productive hitter.

It's not that the Phillies shouldn't spend like the Dodgers or Mets. But they shouldn't spend it all on guys over 30.

[andyb]

Wheeler is supposed to pitch Saturday but today's Athletic story said it is still not known.

They will have to activate him Saturday no matter what though. Paternity list is max 3 days. If he is not ready to pitch we'll have a bullpen game unfortunately.

[zambonir]

That's what Gelb said, bullpen game. He could probably go on the restricted list for the roster spot though. He just wouldn't be paid. Legally he should be able to take a longer leave if he wants though I suppose the CBA overrides that. But then it just becomes a family emergency.

[andyb]

I guess Walker is still fully stretched out and good for 80 or so pitches again if they need to use him. Hopefully Luzardo is back to himself today so we don't need much bullpen. And we have not seen Seth Johnson yet. At some point he needs to start working on that 34+ career ERA.

[allentown]

It's clear to me that the Phillies do have a budget and that this year's is about as high as they want it to be. It's also clear to me that we have an aging team and that it would be a mistake to trade youth for another older short-termer. Our team is built around a collection of older, very expensive stars. That isn't a viable approach unless balanced by cheap, young performers to fill out the roster, including at key positions. Abel seems to have great promise (and present) as a cheap, young member of our rotation, who can play a key role going forward as well as in the pennant race/playoffs this season. I wouldn't trade him. It's good that the team has a bright present, but I'd also like it to have a future.

[andyb]

We are getting $4.5 million (plus competitive balance tax) back for Alvarado's suspension - so there is a tiny bit of room to add more if they were at the max budget.

[zambonir]

Phillies will do a bullpen game Friday in Pittsburgh. Unclear who will start; depends on today. Suárez goes Saturday. Sánchez on Sunday. They expect Wheeler to return to rotation early next week.

— Matt Gelb ( @mattgelb.bsky.social ) June 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM

Joe Ross will start Friday for the Phillies. Could go two innings.

— Matt Gelb ( @mattgelb.bsky.social ) June 5, 2025 at 5:58 PM

[RolenRules]

I was going to like your post, but then remembered that Luzardo got torched again in Thursday's game. Hopefully he will return to the form of his first 10 starts!

[zambonir]

Nice story about Kerkering in general and also about the fact that he recently became a college graduate (literally online, on the roads, when the Phillies were playing Cleveland). Clearly a lot of the college draftees still haven't done that.

Phillies’ Orion Kerkering got his sweeper moving again. It’s sparked his season

Now he’s just one of two Phillies players with a college degree, the other being Banks.

[Austinfan]

Give a mediocre RP makes more money than most college graduates will in a lifetime . . .
Having taught college, outside of a few elite schools, most students are there for a credential to get a job.
These days, if you really want a good liberal arts education, the Internet provides all the resources you need.

[zambonir]

Well yes certainly Aaron Nola doesn't need to go back to college to make a living after baseball. Maybe not Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott either. But the average 5th round draft pick can't know that at the time

[Austinfan]

I think most baseball contracts include a tuition provision these days?
So if it doesn't work out, you're an older student with a great backstory when dating.

[zambonir]

For high school draftees probably. I think guys like Stott or Bohm probably can finish up their credits under their original scholarships, not that they can't afford tuition. There was that nice story about Jeff Manto recently who was able to finish up his Temple degree under a special NCAA program at the age of 60.

[allentown]

A lot of good material is available on internet or your public library or nearby college library and bookstore, but a lot of the value of a college education is derived from discussions with fellow students and your professors, both in and outside the classroom.

[julio]

A lot of good material is available on internet or your public library or nearby college library and bookstore, but a lot of the value of a college education is derived from discussions with fellow students and your professors, both in and outside the classroom.

This. In order to really learn to think critically - about anything - you need to be challenged. On the internet, people gravitate to silos; there's a lot of positive reinforcement for what you already think you know; it takes real discipline to seek out differing or contradictory views, to force yourself to be challenged intellectually. Yes, it can be done, but it's not easy, or typical.

In a unversity setting (at least in programs that aren't just glorified job training), this kind of intellectual challenge is (or at least used to be) inherent.