Phillies Off-Season 2024-2025 (Hot Stove)

[Austinfan]

But a good sign that they hire good people.

All in all a positive, b/c if your people get hired away as promotions, promising young coaches are more likely to join the organization.

[VoteForKalas]

But the optimal would be to keep that good talent here instead. We have 37 assistant GMs who do nothing; maybe we could find room for this guy.

[zambonir]

I think they did all they could given he also held a quasi front office job, which I think is also probably the more important replacement hire. Assistant pitching coaches are more fungible (case in point Sal Fasano getting the Angels job along with their D'Arnaud signing). Kaplan probably just wanted to do the one job they couldn't give him, actual major league pitching coach (and Cotham probably didn't care to move upstairs). I'm sure it also helps improve the brand of his privately owned business.

I wouldn't say we have any assistant GMs who do nothing though.I know you are exaggerating, but all the people who carry that title are pretty crucial (and Mattingly's about shed the "Assistant" but I assume his successor won't get that yet). The only real surprise is that Ned Rice is still here, but he's the contract/snumbers guy.

What's actually funny about all of it is Brent Strom is one of the greatest pitching coaches of the last 10 years, and has far more rings and World Series appearances than our guy. He just took the fall for Arizona's year, and was close to retired anyway before he even went to work there.

[zambonir]

Kaplan’s departure marks the first time in at least five years that another club hired away a coach from the Phillies’ MLB staff.

Phillies lose Brian Kaplan, who joins Diamondbacks as pitching coach

Sometimes we forget the Phillies kept most of Kapler's staff, other than the pitching and hitting coaches (but including Thomson). Technically the above is not correct as Pedro Guerrero did leave us to join Kapler in 2021 (and he just got the Marlins hitting coach job).

Story says Kaplan did have to sell his company when he took the Phillies job. And of course he was Painter's guy, even before Painter got drafted.

But Kaplan really seemed to make a difference. Don't forget Cotham was Girardi's pitching coach in 2021; Kaplan's first season was '22.

It also says Fuld was who brought him in, so maybe Fuld's move to part-time and eventually the biz side gave Kaplan another reason to leave.

[Austinfan]

He probably left b/c it was a promotion with a lot more money.

[zambonir]

Well, obviously. But the Phillies have made a big deal about giving their guys raises and title bumps to keep them around. And I'm pretty sure they could pay him more than the Dbacks under any circumstance. What they couldn't do was give him this particular job.

[Snooder]

I truly think we should consider someone like Teoscar Hernandez. He is enough of a fielder, which is what we need right now, and he's obviously a great hitter in what would be a hitter friendly ballpark. We need to consider him big time before rolling with Marsh, Casty, Johan, and Schwarber (sometimes).

[bkeich]

I truly think we should consider someone like Teoscar Hernandez. He is enough of a fielder, which is what we need right now, and he's obviously a great hitter in what would be a hitter friendly ballpark. We need to consider him big time before rolling with Marsh, Casty, Johan, and Schwarber (sometimes).

Not a terrible idea, but he is right handed, may well cost $30M and it would necessitate either releasing Marsh, trading Casty or Hayes. It would also mean that Rojas would have to play CF or the pitchers might revolt.

My guess is that money is earmarked for the bullpen, but who knows. I am still confused from us signing Casey and Schwarber.

[Austinfan]

I'd expect Philly scouts are closely watching the AFL (Ricones) and Crawford.
Not that they'd make a decision off fall play, but just noting if they continue to make progress.

Middleton may be willing to spend, but DD is probably thinking 2-3 years ahead, he's got an aging expensive team, needs some cheap young blood and probably doesn't want to commit to another big long-term contract to a player close to or over 30.

He's got Painter back, so don't need SP, will give Walker another chance and can fill in with "scrubs," while young pitchers marinate in Lehigh. Will probably sign the usual half dozen veteran "looking for a bounceback" arms.

Needs 1-2 RPs.This to me is the offseason priority.

Offense is solid, they were 5th in runs scored last season.
May focus on better plate discipline rather than make a huge move, with Crawford, Ricones, Miller in the wings, unless you can make a big upgrade, especially with a younger hitter, why bother?

[xyzabc25]

I'm still confused about Schwarber and Casty too. To improve the OF I'm inclined to find someone younger with good L and R batting splits who would play LF every day. Someone with decent above replacement stats on offense and defense. Brendan Donovan STL or Tyler O'Neil BOS would be trade for candidates. Then Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas would play CF with Casty in RF. Overall better OF than 2024.

[flyers19rw]

There obviously was something deficient with the club after the Oakland A's series which carried through the POs. I don't underestimate Middleton wanting his trophy back. He is a driven man and isn't going to settle for less than what he wants. For that reason, I'd say that any and maybe many moves are forthcoming. It is starting to look like some guys have fallen into disfavor-Bohm, Marsh, Suarez and Walker for starters. In a month or so the dust will settle and I'm not going to be surprised to see who gets moved out and who is brought in. I'm getting prepared for some shockers.

[zambonir]

Not a terrible idea, but he is right handed, may well cost $30M and it would necessitate either releasing Marsh, trading Casty or Hayes. It would also mean that Rojas would have to play CF or the pitchers might revolt.

Why would they release Marsh? He has considerable trade value. Hays is probably not going to be tendered.

Seems likely the Dodgers are going to keep Teoscar. And I just don't think that is a guy you buy at the top of the free agent market (32, has a qualifying offer, puts the Phillies over the next CBT threshold).

The rumor du jour is that the Phillies would love to trade Bohm and sign Bregman. That seems equally unlikely, but at least you'd be doing all of the above for better/younger/more premium defensive player.

Tyler O'Neil is a free agent. He'd be an obvious more modest addition.

[andyb]

The rumor du jour is that the Phillies would love to trade Bohm and sign Bregman.

Miller is the one position player prospect that I really feel could be an above average regular and he slots somewhere in the infield with 3B being his most likely destination. For that reason alone I think they hang onto Bohm for one more year and don't get involved with free agents.

In the outfield conversely, I don't think I am counting on Crawford and certainly not Rincones yet. There I want an upgrade of sorts now.

[Philsmania]

There obviously was something deficient with the club after the Oakland A's series which carried through the POs. I don't underestimate Middleton wanting his trophy back. He is a driven man and isn't going to settle for less than what he wants. For that reason, I'd say that any and maybe many moves are forthcoming. It is starting to look like some guys have fallen into disfavor-Bohm, Marsh, Suarez and Walker for starters. In a month or so the dust will settle and I'm not going to be surprised to see who gets moved out and who is brought in. I'm getting prepared for some shockers.

For a long time, I pointed to the Oakland series as the point where things began to go sideways. But, then someone pointed out to me that on June 8--after Game 1 of the London Series--the Phillies were 45-19. From that point forward, they went 50-48, 51-51 if you include the Postseason. While I don't blame the London Series like some fans do, I do think that the second game of that series when Alvarado blew the save was probably the inflection point where they went from great to mediocre.

[zambonir]

I just don't know that you can build a team to guarantee any of this stuff - not slumping, being better in the first half versus the second half or not going cold for one series, winning less than 90 games and getting to the World Series versus winning more than 100 and getting bounced in the DS (as several teams did before this last season).

The Yankees went out and got Soto and weren't any better than the Phillies in the regular season. The Dodgers went out and got the two biggest FAs and won it all. The Braves have been pretty content to just keep winning year-after-year without major shake-ups (and had injuries). I don't know that emulating any one of those three approaches automatically leads to a particular result. The Phillies could run this whole team back and still win 100 games if they sign the right reliever and have a good fifth starter. They could also sign Soto and still only win 90 or 88 games.

There is certainly pressure/fear that the Braves will be back to their usual and the Mets are a threat again. If they are moving up the Phillies have to keep up.

Andy I hear you on Bohm/Miller but if they did sign Bregman MIller could still end up replacing Stott, or Turner. But either way you'd have to be trading Bohm for something significant (i.e. the OF upgrade)

[andyb]

I guess the Bregman/Fix the OF scenario would be Bregman at 3B and Turner in CF eventually with Bohm dealt for outfield or bullpen help. I don't think they have soured that much on Stott yet as there is still some upside there.

One has to believe in Miller at SS of course in that scenario and I am not sure the Phillies fully believe that even if they think he can be passable there.

[zambonir]

I don't think they have to have soured on Stott per se, if Miller forces his way into the majors in '26 file it under "good problem to have" and if he's not truly ready until '27 Stott will only have one year of control left.

Also possible none of these guys are the SS by '27 or '28.

[andyb]

If Miller does not force his way into the majors by 2026 then he is probably not that good. One of the realities of his being a year older than other HS picks was that he should move quickly in the minors. He did in 2024. If he does not get to AAA for much of 2025 he will have stalled and his prospect status and potential would be diminished (absent injury).

The main point is that we don't add an infielder like Bregman without seriously considering an OF move for Turner. Crawford could upset things in the OF too, though of course we could just move on from Marsh and play both Turner and Crawford in the OF.

[allentown]

The rumor du jour is that the Phillies would love to trade Bohm and sign Bregman.

Based upon this season, that swap nets better D at 3B and an added 1.1 WAR. But, Bregman adds 3 years to an old position player roster and made $30 mill this season. Bohm improved greatly this season and was at least neutral defensively for the first time. The wisdom of this 'swap' depends on what we can get back in a trade of Bohm and how many $/years to sign Bregman. We don't want him for his dotage to overlap Harper's. The other issue on Bohm is whether one believes this season was his career year and that we should expect a short plateau and then decline. If the Phillies take that negative outlook on Bohm and can find a trading partner who sees 2024 as not a fluke career season but and indicator of what Bohm can do and possibly improve on a little during the next 3-4 years.

[zambonir]

Phillies named Mark Lowy as assistant pitching coach to replace Brian Kaplan. Lowy, 32, has worked as a pitching analyst in the minors and majors with Phillies. He came to Phillies from Cressey Sports with Kaplan.

— Matt Gelb ( @mattgelb.bsky.social ) November 13, 2024 at 2:27 PM