Jake Arrieta pitched the Phillies past Milwaukee at Miller Park
This was shaping up to be the type of game that has bedeviled the Philadelphia Phillies all season. Build a lead, fail in chances to put it away. Watch the opposition come back late. Take a small lead into the last inning. Home opponent rallies to a walkoff win against the bullpen.
Three times already this season the opposition has done it. Walked off with a win in their final at-bats. It just happened four days ago in Chicago, for goodness sakes. And here we were again. Phillies build a 4-0 lead. Two on, one out in the top of the 7th inning. Nothing to show for it.
The Milwaukee Brewers (29-24) used a solo homer off the bat of Mike Moustakas in the home 7th to get on the scoreboard. Then a leadoff single by Eric Thames in the bottom of the 8th was followed one out later by an RBI double from Orlando Arcia. Suddenly it was a 4-2 game with the tying run at the plate.
But something different would happen this time. The bullpen didn’t blow the game, at least in part because they weren’t in the game. Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta was still in there, and manager Gabe Kapler was showing faith in the veteran right-hander. Arrieta rewarded that faith, retiring the final two batters in the frame and keeping the lead at 4-2.
And then the Phillies bats did something they have done very seldom this season. They struck a late blow against the opposition. Actually, a couple of late blows. Big blows. After Jean Segura led off the top of the 9th with a base hit, Rhys Hoskins followed two batters later by blasting his 13th home run of the season out high and deep to left-center field.
With rumors swirling, Franco hopes to prove he is the third base answer
There were rumors floating around during much of the off-season that the Philadelphia Phillies were possibly going to be moving on from third baseman Maikel Franco.
It would be understandable if that theory grew from the possible signing of young superstar infielder Manny Machado. If the Phillies indeed were to sign Machado, and if he were to agree to play third base with Jean Segura staying at shortstop, then Franco would clearly be expendable.
However, such speculation should never have been considered as likely. For one thing, the Phillies had a number of realistic competitors for the services of Machado. For another, Machado had already made it known publicly that he wanted to play shortstop. Also, the Phillies were involved in the pursuit of Bryce Harper, and were unlikely to sign both players.
None of that stopped folks such as NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman from making statements such as this one regarding the Phillies incumbent third baseman:
It’s difficult to see, short of replacing Franco with someone like Machado or Mike Moustakas, why this would necessarily be the case. Neither Phillies management nor manager Gabe Kapler has done or said anything to indicate that “Franco is not their 3B of the future.”
The public pursuit of Machado doesn’t say that at all. What that says is that management recognizes that the team desperately needs a truly dynamic bat for the middle of their order. It speaks to the impact talent of Machado, not to any lack of talent regarding Franco.
Though he was able to play in 10 games, Franco missed most of last September with various injuries. Despite ultimately playing in just 131 games he banged 22 home runs in 433 plate appearances. He also hit a career-high .270 while raising his OBP by 30 points, his slugging percentage by 58 points, and his OPS by 90 points from the 2017 season.
Had he been given the health of his first two full years as the Phillies starting third baseman, Franco was on a 30-homer, 90+ RBI pace last season before that final month.
Kluber is one of baseball's few genuine ace-caliber starting pitchers
Phillies Nation was rocked by a report on Boxing Day that the two high-profile free agents who the club has publicly pursued with big contract offers this off-season, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, may hold a negative opinion of the city, the Phillies organization, or both.
That statement must be taken with a bit of a grain of salt for a number of reasons. The biggest, of course, is financial. The odds are that if either superstar turns down the Phillies, they would almost certainly be leaving tens of millions of dollars and multiple years of security on the table.
Then you have the source itself. Sherman is a New York guy. Of course, he would prefer to have Machado or Harper playing in his town, where he could enjoy watching them play and reporting on their exploits.
Finally, you have the statement itself. “Word is?” Where does this “word” come from exactly? And neither guy “particularly likes Philadelphia?” What does that even mean? Do they both hate Philly? Do they hold such a negative opinion that they would never play here? Do they even have a negative opinion at all, or are they simply ambivalent about our town?
Set aside the extremely questionable nature of the report, and let’s assume that it is completely accurate on its face. Neither Harper or Machado wants to play in Philly. Both go to a place they really do want, neither deciding to take the “stupid money” that John Middleton is offering. What next for the Phillies?
As Sherman’s report came out on the day after Christmas, at the same time another report was being released by Jon Paul Morosi at MLB.com that again linked starting pitcher Corey Kluber to the Phillies. The Cleveland Indians have been dangling their ace, hoping to land a package of younger players and prospects in return.
While Morosi’s sources have the San Diego Padres as the current front-runners and the Dodgers perhaps a close second in a possible Kluber deal, the Phillies are indeed again lurking and involved.
Tribe GM Mike Chernoff is reportedly looking for a package led by a young, MLB-ready player with upside potential and a couple of solid prospects. Nick Cafardo at The Boston Globe stated the following on the Kluber situation last week:
“…from what we’re hearing, the Indians won’t deal him unless they get value-plus. There would have to be an overpayment of prospects and young players to get a deal done.”
Any starting pitcher not named Aaron Nola or Jake Arrieta could go. From the prospect ranks, anyone below top prospect Sixto Sanchez should be in play.
Whit Merrifield (L), Mike Moustakas (R) linked to Phillies
Following a split of Monday's twi-night doubleheader with the host New York
Mets at Citi Field, the Philadelphia Phillies (50-39) find themselves still
tied for first place with the Atlanta Braves in the National League East Division.
Yesterday's split highlighted weaknesses that remain with this team as it
battles to stay in contention with the calendar pushing towards the middle of
July.
In the opener, a 4-3
loss in 10 innings, the Phillies rapped out 10 hits and the lineup worked
the Mets pitching staff for seven walks. However, they also grounded into a
pair of double plays, and twice they failed on attempted sacrifice bunts.
The Phillies saw the leadoff man reach safely in each of the first three
innings but left two men on base in each of the first two. Following a solo
home run from Maikel Franco in the fourth, they wouldn't score again.
Bases loaded with one out in the top of the eighth? Nothing. First two men
on in the top of the 10th. Nada. Phillies hitters went 2-13 with runners in
scoring position and struck out 13 times.
In the nightcap, a 3-1
victory, the offensive production can be summed up in two words: Aaron Nola. The young ace starting pitcher surrendered just
one hit and walked just one batter while striking out 10 to gain his 12th
victory.
Oh, and that offensive production? Nola also provided his own offense,
slashing a two-out, bases-clearing double in the top of the 5th inning. It was
one of only two hits that the Phillies would produce in the entire game.
It is no secret that the first place Philadelphia Phillies have struggled to
score runs for much of this season. Sure, they have scored in double-digits
seven times. Those include a 20-run explosion way back on April 7, and a 17-run
outburst just last week.
But those are enigmas. The Phillies have scored three runs or fewer in
nearly 44% (39
of 89) of their games. That figure includes a streak that has now reached
the team's last four straight dating back to the 17 runs scored last Friday in
Pittsburgh.
Despite being tied for the National League's third-best
record, the Phillies are just 10th in runs scored.
A big part of the problem is that they lack consistent pop. As a group,
Phillies hitters have worked the league's sixth-best on-base percentage, but
their overall OPS
is just 11th among the NL's 15 clubs.
Clearly this team can use one or two upgrades to the everyday lineup. These
need to be hitters who can come in and make a legitimate impact on the Phillies
ability to score runs on a more consistent basis.
The crown jewel of the 2018 MLB non-waiver trade deadline remains shortstop Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles. As each day passes
with no deal, a new "favorite" pops up in the news. Last week, the
Phillies were co-favorites. Then it became the LA Dodgers. Then the Milwaukee
Brewers. Now it's the New York Yankees turn.
The problem with each of those stories has been that when you delve into the
details behind the headlines, there is always a "but", such as teams
not wanting to give up a big package, or Machado not wanting to switch to third
base.
Jon Heyman tweeted out the following on Tuesday morning:
manny's interest in staying
at SS doesn't seem like it's deterring yanks' interest, though the match isn't
necessarily seen as very likely in any case. (indians are the other team that
would want Machado for 3B, the interested NL want him for SS)— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July
10, 2018
Fact is that even with the most inside of MLB insiders, it is all going to
be speculation until the last hours, perhaps the last minutes, before an actual
deal is in place. Machado clearly is a perfect fit for what the Phillies need:
a proven middle-of-the-order run producer.
The Phillies remain as much a contender to acquire his services as any other
team. Just yesterday, Roch
Kubatko of MASN wrote this:
"Machado draws the biggest crowds to his locker as visiting media
peck away at him. Would he like to play in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los
Angeles? Would he prefer cheese steaks or pizza? But he has no choice until the
offseason. He can’t pick his city or his position. He goes and plays where he’s
told."
In his own piece on the Phillies offensive struggles and the need to add a
hitter or two, Matt
Gelb at The Athletic mentioned five more names that team management may be
looking to acquire.
Phillies need one or two pieces to stay in contention
It’s the day after Independence Day, and an off-day on the Major League Baseball schedule for the Philadelphia Phillies. The team leaves today on an 11-game road trip leading up to the MLB All-Star Game. It will be July 20 before home fans get to see the local nine play again on the grass at Citizens Bank Park.
The Fightin’ Phils just took both games of a quick two-game series with Manny Machado and the Baltimore Orioles. They can now be considered as hot as the weather. Winners of five of their last six games, the club has stormed to 10 games over the .500 mark for the first time all season.
That recent hot stretch of play has them sitting just 1.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East Division standings. The Phillies are just a game back of Atlanta in the loss column. They also currently control the second of two National League Wildcard playoff berths.
Overall theirs is the ninth-best record among the 30 clubs in Major League Baseball, fifth-best in the National League. Following five straight losing campaigns in which they finished no higher than fourth place in the division and at the bottom three times, this season can be considered nothing but a success to this point.
So why am I reluctant to fully commit to the idea that these 2018 Philadelphia Phillies are truly a playoff contender right now?
First, let me say that I’m excited for the future. The organization has been going about the rebuild in the right way over the last few seasons. Minor league talent has been accumulated through trades and the draft. Much of that talent has begun to surface to help the big club, both now and for the future.
My reluctance with committing to the current Phillies being able to sustain their present pace and remain in playoff contention comes from an evaluation of their statistical performance. If nothing is done by management to improve these weaknesses, they will most likely cause this year’s team to fall short of the postseason.
Offensively, the Phillies current ranks among the 15 National League ball clubs in select key categories are as follows: runs (10), batting average (13), on-base percentage (5), OPS (11), home runs (7), stolen bases (9).
Defensively, the Phillies current ranks within the National League are even more challenging. They are just 14th of the 15 clubs in fielding percentage. The team has committed the second-most errors. Their limited range is exposed by the ranking of 11th in assists.
Some of the offensive shortfall can be attributed to youth. Per Baseball-Reference, the Phillies hitters have the youngest cumulative average age in all of baseball:
Will Machado find himself back in Philly this month?
The Philadelphia Phillies open a quick two-game set with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at the still-sweltering hot Citizens Bank Park. While game time temperatures are expected in the mid-80's, the "real feel" will be in the low-90's for much of the night.
But the weather won't be the only thing hot down in South Philly. Also heating up are trade rumors involving the Phillies and Manny Machado, the Orioles superstar shortstop.
Machado is due to become a free agent this coming off-season. The Orioles (24-59) have the worst record in all of Major League Baseball. There is zero chance that Machado will re-sign with Baltimore.
The Baltimore Sun speculated today on the possibility of the biggest star on their local nine moving up I-95 north to Philadelphia:
"When the Orioles arrive in Philadelphia the media will be relentless speculating on the Phillies’ chances to land Machado. Talk radio is a favorite pastime in the city. Do the Phillies give up prospects now or do they wait until Machado hits free agency after the season?The Orioles have less than a month — the deadline is July 31 — to trade Machado and point the franchise toward the future. Getting the Phillies to give up some of their top prospects would be a good start."\
A third baseman for most of his big league career, Machado began a transition to his preferred position of shortstop last summer. It is the only position that he has played over 82 games thus far in 2018.
The Phillies arguably have holes at both positions right now. Maikel Franco has been the regular third baseman for most of the last four years. Now at age 25, Franco has shown no improvement on a career .249/.300/440 slash line.
At shortstop, 23-year old J.P. Crawford was supposed to be the future. In fact, he was supposed to be the present as well. But injury troubles and offensive inconsistency have stunted the development of the Phillies former top prospect. He has been on the Disabled List for the last three weeks with a broken hand, and is still not due back for a couple more.
Into the breach stepped 24-year old Scott Kingery, the presumed second baseman of the future. Kingery has been forced to substitute for both men at times. He played third base when Franco was cold earlier, and has now become the regular shortstop in Crawford's absence.
Despite showing flashes of his huge potential, Kingery has largely struggled here in his rookie campaign. He is hitting for just a .226/.275/.336 slash line, and looks for all the world like a guy who could use a few weeks back at AAA to get himself back on the right track.
Bringing in Machado would measurably improve the Phillies left-side infield production. It is presumed that he would remain at shortstop, which could allow the Phillies to get Kingery that needed time with Lehigh Valley.
Machado and his current .310/.377/.564 slash line would also fit nicely into the Phillies batting order. He would bring just the kind of quality hitter with proven pop that is needed at this time.
Stick Machado, who has averaged 35 home runs and 92 RBI the last three seasons, in between Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana, and the Phillies would have a legitimate middle-order attack.
The price for Machado would probably begin with Crawford, maybe even Crawford and Franco. You would also have to give up 2-3 valuable minor league prospects.
Whit Merrifield emerges as productive second baseman
When the Kansas City Royals opened play for the 2017 MLB season, very few prognosticators picked them to be a contender.
The Royals captured back-to-back American League pennants in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. And in 2015, they won the second-ever World Series crown in franchise history. That isn’t all that long ago.
But fortunes of big league mini-dynasties can turn around in a hurry these days. The Royals slipped to a .500 finish a year ago. With the Cleveland Indians on the rise in the AL Central Division, and with an aging homegrown core, the Royals looked like yesterday’s news.
Flash forward a few months, and here we are in the Dog Days of summer. Heading into play on Tuesday, August 8, Kansas City is tied for one of the two American League Wildcard playoff berths. The club also sits just three games behind the Indians in the division.
As the season was set to open back in late March, Royals skipper Ned Yostannounced that then 21-year old Raul Mondesi Jr had won an open battle for the team’s second base position.
Last night's first round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft was full of excitement and anticipation for the teams and families involved.
However, history shows that most of those selected will prove to be forgettable choices.
As an example, a look back at the draft from exactly a decade ago reveals such varied results. There were a couple of superstars in that 2007 MLB Draft, and a few other star-caliber players. There were also some who carved out a small niche for themselves in the big leagues.
But there were also a bunch of never-weres mixed into the selection process. Each one of those misses was considered to be a strong prospect at the time they were drafted.
The Tampa Bay Rays held the first overall pick in 2007, and there really wasn't much of a choice. Left-handed pitcher David Price from Vanderbilt had been considered a near lock for that top selection for months.
With the second pick, the Kansas City Royals chose a left-side infielder from Chatsworth High School in California. The surprise was that the Royals selection was Mike Moustakas rather than Chris Dominguez. 'Moose' had put on a big time power display that spring to pass his more heavily scouted teammate.
The Kansas City Royals and their fans suffered through nine straight losing campaigns and 17 of 18 dating back to the 1994 strike season.
Then in the early part of this decade, the club began to build up one of the top farm systems in the game.
It all came together for them at the big league level with back to back AL pennants in 2014 and 2015, and a World Series championship in 2015.
But this year the Royals slid back to the .500 mark, finishing in third place in the American League Central Division. They were 13.5 games behind the division-winning Cleveland Indians, and eight games behind the AL Wildcard pace.
It was a frustrating summer for the defending champs. But that eight game difference between themselves and the playoff teams is not insurmountable.
The Royals plan to return to that postseason contention in 2017, but is that a reasonable goal? With a few tweaks, some breaks, and not unreasonable improve performances, the club can indeed reach the postseason once again.
