Phillies News and Discussion 2025 Season

[zambonir]

Nothing wrong with having Johnson in AAA for the most part but as September approaches and there are just three Iron Pigs series to go, nothing wrong with having him in Philly either. Time in the bigs and time with the major league staff can be just a important for how he goes into the off-season.

But this is still a fungible spot, giving it to the 30 year-old Robert (who closed for LV last game) or anyone else fine too. Tonight the decision will be more like the Hoffman decision, do they want a guy they send back for another fresh arm when needed or a guy they keep for at least six days.

[zambonir]

If they're serious about it someone already caught a flight from Omaha by now. There will be a move by the time line-ups are posted, if there's a move.

[andyb]

They moved him to the pen this season, so unless there's a real need, he was better off in Lehigh pitching on a regular basis in a higher leverage role than mop up duty in the Show. He needs the experience right now.

The real need is Romano is terrible and we need 2 relievers counting September 1, Experience in the big leagues is what he needs now and the best pitcher in LHV is what the Phillies need now. You have so many unwritten rules it must be hard to keep track of yourself. Johnson will turn 27 in September. There is no more development for him. It is time to put up or move on.

[zambonir]

After all this talk they'll probably claim Jose Ureña or something. Or put Waguespack on the 40.

[Pat_Burrell]

Per Gelb,

The Phillies have released Joe Ross, sources told The Athletic. Ross, who signed for $4 million, had a 5.12 ERA in 51 innings this season.

[andyb]

And Romano to the IL. Robert and Trevino up. Guessing Trevino is a bit temporary because they need to recall someone on September 1 and Lazar is not eligible till the day after. Would not be surprised to see Johnson on the 1st and then Lazar on the 2nd or 3rd.

[BostonRoss]

Per Gelb,

The Phillies have released Joe Ross, sources told The Athletic. Ross, who signed for $4 million, had a 5.12 ERA in 51 innings this season.

I may have to change my name. Whenever the Phillies get a Ross (Joe, Gload, even Ramon Rosso), they aren't very good. But Rosses on other teams fare well against the Phillies. Ohlendorf and Stripling were a combined 5-0 against the Phils. And then there's Cody $%&^$#! Ross...

[Philsmania]

Man, I am beginning to wonder if Romano has kompromat on someone. The rate things are going, I would not be surprised if the Phillies give him a three-year extension after the season ends. For reasons others have stated, it makes so much more sense to hold on to Ross because he is more functional as a mop-up guy than Romano. "Middle finger inflammation" sounds like a lot of words for "blister" which usually just makes a pitcher unavailable for few days but not two weeks. It's perplexing that the Phillies are seemingly so desperate to let him finish the season with them.

[zambonir]

Well, I am certainly surprised by all of that! I know they weren't comfortable/confident making moves like these until Robertson and Alvarado were fully in the mix, and also that neither of these guys had trade value (unlike Soto and Dominguez last year). Plus Robert was injured. But it seems like they were just spinning their wheels with them for all of August (albeit without it costing them any games). And now it definitively closes the book on the fact that they could have kept Estevez for less than they paid Romano and Ross, albeit not just for one year.

It's a favor to Ross really, he actually can and probably will sign with a new team and be playoff-eligible. Whether they didn't care to do Romano the same courtesy, actually do think he can make one last attempt to fix something or just like the guy, who knows?

[RolenRules]

Yet another underwhelming off-season signing by DD.

[zambonir]

That's just relievers. I'm hardly the first person to say this (and @schillingfan is a strong advocate as well) but you'd probably do better staying the heck away from the guy with a 1.67 ERA (as Ross had last year in relief) in favor a bounce-back guy. But then, that was the idea behind picking Romano over Hoffman or Estevez too.

And tonight, having a two+ year commitment to an elite closer doesn't seem like any more of a flawless strategy than resigning Hoffman would have been, though failing to get it perfect in December did cost the Phillies prospects.

[Austinfan]

Outside of a few outliers, RPs is "safety in numbers."

Which is why you need a steady supply of good arms in the farm system, top 3 starters are hard to find and develop, but middle inning RPs shouldn't be.

[zambonir]

But it doesn't really matter if you get your #6 to #8 relievers from the farm or minor trades or minor league deals or waivers (and even better if you get a higher-leverage one from any of those other avenues). Like everything else you want a little of everything. If you hit on a Hoffman it doesn't matter if you don't have another Kerkering. If you hit on a Ruiz you don't need a Lazar. Kind of a forgotten part of this bullpen's struggles is actually Ruiz not working out, a hole in the middle of the pen that was just further magnified by Romano/Ross and Alvarado's suspension, especially when Romano and Ross weren't any better than Ruiz.

Certainly Ross was an overpay compared to a guy making minimum, but they really saw him as a possible spot 6th starter (with Walker providing nothing) when they signed him.

Fortunately in the end this team hasn't been any better or worse than last year's. But a game like last night also far too closely resembled the NLDS. And still could have gone either way. Kerkering and Duran were worse than Helsley and Diaz; none of them are perfect.

[RolenRules]

Understood, but DD is supposed to be a savvier judge of talent than the average PBO. And the three major off-season signings - Kepler, Romano, and Ross - are all 32 years old, an age where many players' production falls off a cliff.

[zambonir]

Ha, well, I don't know that I ever believed that. He put a nice finish on the Red Sox one time, still largely on the strength of the Theo/Cherington foundation, but it's been a long time since he really built a team, and he barely built this one.

But nobody bats 1.000 - and probably not even .500 - on all their trades and FAs every year. And the Phillies still have the same head of pro scouting they've had under every other GM since Gillick.

I don't know the age curve applies to relievers in quite the same way either. But that being the case, it was smarter to go get two cheap one-year guys than two expensive two-three year guys, which is what Hoffman and Estevez were.

And conversely, smarter still not to trade for Devon Williams. At least they got a controllable younger guy when they finally had to pay a trade price. He'll disappoint us too (including now).

[EastFallowfield]

I think the Mets are even streakier this year.

They've definitely had longer losing streaks than the Phils, Phils have had 2 5 game losing streaks while the Mets have had 2 7 game losing streaks

[zambonir]

I don't think this is a series that turns the Mets' season around, nor one that puts us in a spiral. We are going to win some games against the Braves and Mets at home, and the Mets are going to lose some games in Detroit and Cincinnati even as we might struggle in Milwaukee.

Love the Bader quote though. The new "that sign can't stop me because I can't read."

Heck, even a sweep, should that befall the Phillies, shouldn’t sound any alarms.

Because the Phillies (76-56) still have a five-game lead in the National League East with 30 games to go. If they finish 15-15, the Mets (71-61) would need to go 20-10 to tie them. And the teams still have four head-to-head games in two weeks in the Phillies-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park.

“I mean, I don’t think anybody got into this locker room by doing math,” said Harrison Bader, another trade-deadline newcomer. “Every game, win by 10, lose by 10, it’s one game, and you just try to gather information from it.”

Closer Jhoan Duran surrenders a walk-off single in Phillies’ 6-5 loss to the...

[EastFallowfield]

The Phillies have expressed interest in veteran right-hander Walker Buehler, multiple major-league sources told The Athletic. Boston released Buehler, who had a 5.45 ERA in 112 1/3 innings, earlier this week. The 31-year-old righty has not pitched well for two consecutive seasons, but he comes with extensive postseason experience. He pitched five scoreless innings to win Game 3 of last year’s World Series and was on the mound to close out the decisive Game 5.

Buehler must sign with a team by Sunday to be eligible for this year’s postseason. He’d cost one month’s worth of the big-league minimum ($760,000). It’d be a dart throw, but the Phillies have the roster spot to attempt a low-risk salvage project.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6586757/2025/08/31/trea-turners-walk-off-phillies/

[zambonir]

I wondered if they might. Given his pedigree and postseason performance it's probably worth the roster spot for a month. Wouldn't even shorten the bullpen, they'd just have to option someone today and bring back Lazar tomorrow.

Even if he doesn't do well enough to make the playoff roster he'd be saving some innings for the other starters in the meantime.

[zambonir]

Of course that article also says they already have a day off Tuesday (that weird Labor Day interruption) and the rotation set up for the Mets, so they might only want a spot starter in the KC series. Do you carry Buehler as the long reliever between now and then.

Article also says Painter doesn't seem to be in the mix but I sort of like the idea of letting him have that spot start. Just make it clear that's all it is and keep it in perspective They do apparently intend to let him complete the AAA season, innings-wise.