Phillies Off-Season 2024-2025 (Part 2 including Spring Training)

[julio]

7 Phillies walks so far in the 5th inning. Are strike zone challenges being made?

There were a couple - including one called ball that was changed to a strike. But mostly, the pitchers were just missing.

Game's on the radio - and WIP is streaming the audio. And of course, Gameday is available.

[zambonir]

I was wondering if Game Day pitch by pitch would show the overturns? Just heard the Tigers challenge and get a ball.

[LoneStarPhan]

6-6 after 8 innings. I know these games are for getting ready for the regular season, but I’d rather win than lose plus blowing a 5 run lead always bothers me.

[zambonir]

Phillies just burned their second failed challenge, not sure how many they had successfully.

[zambonir]

I definitely don't want to see Cuas or Schulfer in a real game.

[LoneStarPhan]

Tigers walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, winning 7-6.

[BostonRoss]

Wait ‘till next year

[Austinfan]

I've learned to take all results with a bag of salt until about 2 weeks into ST.
Pitchers are either minor leaguers or ML pitchers who are working on stuff or just building up strength their first few outings.

A couple weeks before the 1st game, pitchers start getting regular starts and building up to 4-5 innings.
At that point hitters are facing real pitching, not batting practice.

Walker supposedly has his velocity back, but I won't be a believer until he goes twice through a lineup with 5-6 ML starters, not mow down a bunch of scrubs.

Though it's nice seeing Crawford hit a 108 MPH line drive.

[zambonir]

Oh, I dunno. I am very concerned that Johan Rojas is not designated hitter material and that if Crawford can't get a hit on a 108 line drive here how is he going to do it in Allentown. But I think Nabil Crismatt could win 10 games for us this year based on his two scoreless innings and Weston Wilson just lost his job to Breaux.

[bkeich]

….Harper can’t even get on the field, clearly a cut candidate and Wheeler and Nola had a nice run, but now they don’t even pitch into the first inning.

[Philsmania]

Dang, season's over.

[andyb]

Looks like Clemens or Buddy Kennedy have a real shot at the last roster spot now.

Weston Wilson Out At Least Six Weeks Due To Oblique Strain

[zambonir]

Gelb really does seem to think the Phillies were willing to send down Rojas if Sosa could play CF. But it's moot for now. Kennedy still probably has the edge (and Clemens has modest trade value, or will clear if he doesn't).

Phillies infielders’ outfield forays gain importance after injury that alters...

The Phillies have been active, major-league sources said, in trying to obtain righty outfielders on minor-league deals. It’s possible they cast a wider net now. They could wait to address the situation until later in March when other teams make cuts.

The Phillies had thought about Sosa in the outfield before Wilson’s injury because they considered it a way to keep a better bat on the bench over Rojas, who can be sent to the minors. The Wilson injury probably protects Rojas.

[bkeich]

Looks like Clemens or Buddy Kennedy have a real shot at the last roster spot now.

Weston Wilson Out At Least Six Weeks Due To Oblique Strain

I hope we are looking VERY hard at Waiver wires and low end trades that could be made. I know it is just the 25th/26th roster spot, but in today’s game that 4th bench spot does play a reasonable amount and it would be nice to upgrade.

Somewhere there is a bad team that would give us a low end starter that could be a bench player on this team for a low end prospect. Even if it is a veteran they would like to unload.

[flyers19rw]

Well, it's only a "tax" if the house that's sponsoring the gambling is a government at some level (lotteries, etc.). If it's private... that's just another part of capitalism; in this case, selling the dream of winnings that may not (and in the long run, will not) materialize.

If winning at gambling was so easy to do Las Vegas would be a deserted cross roads

[phillychuck]

Mainly a response to Julio:
Lotteries are a regressive tax, run by the government and heavily slanted toward lower-middle-class and poor participants. Other gambling, including sports gambling, is also a regressive tax, since the earnings of Fan Duel and Draft Kings (etc) are pretty heavily taxed, so a decent portion of the gambling winnings also pass along to the government. And current advertising scares the heck out of me; implying that you need to wake up every morning thinking about what "play" you're going to make today so you can get more money (and we know that at least statistically, that doesn't work). Not to mention that the advertising is heavily slanted toward minority gamblers. I know everyone has free will, but we make choices in a motivated, restricted landscape, and advertising sculpts that landscape. We are sculpting a gaming-addicted population, or at least a portion of the population that is in danger of that addiction. I'd give you 9:2 we're are headed for trouble.

[Austinfan]

Well, at least the government won't break your legs if you don't pay your gambling debts.
The Maifa was less forgiving than the bankruptcy courts.
Though that might change under Musk.

[Callison]

Really a bad time for Wilson to get injured. Had enough good ABs to make you think he can hit, but just when he gets his shot, he's injured. Opens a shot for others.

IMHO, the Phils are late in giving Sosa a shot in the OF. IMHO, he should also be given a shot at SS because he might be the best IF on the team. If he doesn't get beat out by the phenom. Turner's speed in LF would be a great asset. Has anyone asked Turner to play LF? The Phils are late asking that, though if Turner has just gotta play ss, that's OK. But the Phils could be stronger with him in LF. I guess the decision has been made to just hand LF to Kepler, expensive and questionable, but the Phils sometimes see talent where others can't.

Biggest ST question is $36M Walker. He's surely been motivated to get stronger over 4 months. Anxious to see if Walker can come back, but the Phils are real anxious.

[andyb]

Silver lining is that a 6 week recovery plus 30 day rehab after that (he's had no Spring Training at all) means they can get a 40-man roster spot if they need one for the last spot on the bench or the bullpen. This should be an easy 60-day IL stint and the clock starts now and not at the beginning of the season so Wilson could be ready to go in late April or early May.

The last spot on this bench will actually not play a whole lot if they want to give Marsh and Kepler an opportunity to play full time. With Rojas around you only have to play one of them against LHP anyway. The team also has a 5th OF in Schwarber in an emergency too. A day to day injury to one of the starting OF would actually be a good excuse to rotate the DH spot for a week. Wilson rarely got more than 1 start a week anyway as the last man on the roster last season.

[Austinfan]

We're talking the last spot on the bench, look for Kemp to get OF time (has the speed and arm to be credible), Stevenson and Crawford in Lehigh.
We'll see if Kennedy/Clemons get claimed.
They'll probably add a AAA plus OF before breaking camp, shouldn't cost much, might just be a waiver claim after ST cuts.

Probably the easiest slot to fill is a RH platoon corner OF, b/c they only get 200 or so PA teams don't put a great deal of value, even if they're plus platoon hitters.

The player to watch is Walker, if he really has his velocity back and his splitter is working, 2-3 good ST starts could make him prime trade bait (2x18 is affordable for some teams) or make Ranger available. With Painter in their back pocket, aren't going to break camp paying for 6 SPs if they can avoid doing so.