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

[zambonir]

The Phillies have replaced Cristian Pache!

Phillies Sign Oscar Mercado To Minor League Deal

And also more RHB utility IF depth

Phillies Sign Christian Arroyo To Minor League Deal

[andyb]

I really can't remember the circumstances but we had Mercado for 1 AB back in 2022. Might have been a trade deadline temporary promotion.

Arroyo seems a lesser Weston Wilson at this point in his career, but I guess is decent AAA depth.

[Matt_Winkelman]

6/26/22 - Harper to IL with fractured thumb, Moniak recalled
6/27/22 - Mercado claimed on waivers, Damon Jones to 60 Day IL
6/28/22 - Eflin to IL, Mercado activated
6/29/22 - Camargo to IL, Hall added to 40. McArthur to 60 day
7/1/22 - Falter promoted to Eflin's rotation spot. Mercado DFA

Essentially he was a waiver claim during the time in 2022 when everyone got hurt.

[andyb]

This is new. Realmuto in LF on off days? It kind of makes sense if DH is occupied and Realmuto is not going to put Bryce on the bench. The learning curve for LF has to be smaller than anywhere else and JT does still have the legs for it.

Less catching? 1B? Some left field? Realmuto says he'll do whatever to win

[zambonir]

I assumed Arroyo was more of a better Rodolfo Castro (but neither of them are on the 40).

[BostonRoss]

Arroyo was the Red Sox regular second baseman for a while, including most of 2023. He was not really good enough to be a regular. Not bad for AAA depth.

[zambonir]

Reading that story it sounds like the LF thing is a long shot. Schwarber LF and JT DH is first option, with a day off for Kepler. Presumably Schwarber's experience trumps JT's athleticism; plus, if you want him to rest, let him rest.

And the subtext - not even subtext really, they say it - is that they feel pressure to let JT play a certain number of games to help his value in free agency, even if not all of them are at C. An extension would solve that, but JT probably doesn't want what the Eagles are offering before he hits the market (just like last time).

[bkeich]

I think I can guarantee that Realmuto is a better defensive LF than Schwarber today, I also think he is a better RF than Castellanos. Those two guys are among the worst defensive OF in years and Realmuto is a good all-around baseball player.

To me the more important question is as you said, is it better to just let him rest and just hit, and of course what if he gets hurt doing the “different” things that he never does as a catcher (100 foot sprints, different types of throwing, walls, etc).I

[andyb]

I think this is more contingency on outfield injuries. Wilson is probably fine in the reserve/start against LHP role. But what if Rojas struggles or someone like Castellanos or Marsh gets hurt? At that point we really need to integrate more players on the roster. Having JT as an option in LF once in a while at least introduces the concept.

Miller is a second half wild card too. What would they do if he is actually ready? Miller is staying at SS this Spring, maybe exclusively. Which would then put Trea in play as the fill in anywhere person. It really does feel like the Phillies want to give Miller a legit chance to start at SS in a year or two.

[bkeich]

I think this is more contingency on outfield injuries. Wilson is probably fine in the reserve/start against LHP role. But what if Rojas struggles or someone like Castellanos or Marsh gets hurt? At that point we really need to integrate more players on the roster. Having JT as an option in LF once in a while at least introduces the concept.

Miller is a second half wild card too. What would they do if he is actually ready? Miller is staying at SS this Spring, maybe exclusively. Which would then put Trea in play as the fill in anywhere person. It really does feel like the Phillies want to give Miller a legit chance to start at SS in a year or two.

It does also give a way to keep Realmuto in the lineup if he gets a “can’t catch for a month” type injury.

[Philsmania]

6/26/22 - Harper to IL with fractured thumb, Moniak recalled
6/27/22 - Mercado claimed on waivers, Damon Jones to 60 Day IL
6/28/22 - Eflin to IL, Mercado activated
6/29/22 - Camargo to IL, Hall added to 40. McArthur to 60 day
7/1/22 - Falter promoted to Eflin's rotation spot. Mercado DFA

Essentially he was a waiver claim during the time in 2022 when everyone got hurt.

Then, on July 4, the Phillies waived him and the then-Indians claimed him back. In the span of nine days, he went from the Indians to the Phillies and back to the Indians. That was faster than Rob Ducey's back and forth in 2000--from Phillies to Blue Jays on July 26 for John Sneed who never made it to The Show and back to the Phillies on August 7 for Mickey Morandini.

[zambonir]

I think there is still something to be said for hundreds of games and years of experience seeing the ball come off the bat and running routes. Plus, Schwarber is in far better shape than he was his last stint playing LF for us regularly. He made 5 starts in LF last year.

In the story JT says he might shag a few balls in Clearwater but that's it.

Finding someone to play LF once a week is not really that hard (especially when our CF is really good at it and our LF is really good at RF). If there's an injury Wilson does it and Stevenson or Clemens (if he sticks/clears) or even Mercado (who is a good defender) would be up.

It sounds like Miller is indeed our next SS but I doubt it will be this year. Would be a good problem to have.

[phillychuck]

JT's offense isn't good enough that it is a benefit to the Phils to stand him out in LF when he's not catching, thus putting Marsh or Kepler (or Rojas) on the bench. JT's net value offensively plus defensively in LF has to be less than all three of those guys.

If JT's not catching, give him the day off or let him pinch hit.

[zambonir]

JT's offense isn't good enough that it is a benefit to the Phils to stand him out in LF when he's not catching, thus putting Marsh or Kepler (or Rojas) on the bench

Which also means his bat isn't good enough to DH. But I'm not sure that's really true of LF if it's a LHP. I think JT also probably outhit Marsh in the second half of the season by a lot (after his surgery). And Rojas had reverse splits. It's true about the defense, but in this scenario, JT is DH and Schwarber is LF, so you are losing one of those guys regardless.

We also have to hope your statement is actually true when it comes to Kepler (versus what he was last year).

[andyb]

JT has a 782 OPS against LHP. If Wilson fails or is unavailable, JT's offense might actually be a plus In LF. And we'll have a switch hitter as backup catcher most likely, so it is not as if we will never start that backup against LHP like Stubbs ideally.

It won't be the first option or even the second option. But it might actually be a serviceable option for some situations over 162 games..

[BostonRoss]

If JT is DHing and the catcher gets hurt, we’ll lose the DH for the rest of the game

[andyb]

If JT is DHing and the catcher gets hurt, we’ll lose the DH for the rest of the game

I hate that rule but it is what it is.. There is like a 2% chance of a catcher injury so if the price is a couple of at bats in one game it really is not that big a price. I don't think JT will DH that often anyway, but I would not avoid it because of the pitcher hitting in an emergency. We rarely use most of our bench anyway in most games.

[zambonir]

Let's face it, it's all a lot of lip service until proven otherwise. He caught 134, 139 and 135 games before the injury kept him at 99 last year. Seems just as likely he catches 120 as he catches 110 and plays 10 elsewhere. But hopefully that's it. It depends on the back-up situation too. Odds are Stubbs still gets a few weeks here or there when either of the others are banged up. If Marchán hits he'll play more but we all know what his career minor league numbers (versus last year's small sample) say.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

An extension would solve that, but JT probably doesn't want what the Eagles are offering before he hits the market (just like last time).

Howie always seems to find a way to

[zambonir]

Haha wonder why I had them on the brain today.

I like this idea, Howie would get JT to take three years and a pay cut based on reduced playing time with a signing bonus and deferrals.