The Phillies will soon face a decision with regard to their outfield when Roman Quinn returns from the injured list, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. Quinn, who played nine innings in a rehab game yesterday, is out of minor league options and will need to be added to the active roster. Given his speed and ability to play all three outfield slots, the organization will retain the soon-to-be 26-year-old. That means either optioning Nick Williams to Triple-A Lehigh Valley or designating fellow out-of-options outfielder Aaron Altherr for assignment. Parting ways with Altherr is the “most likely scenario,” per Breen, though the organization seemingly would prefer to find a way to keep him. As Breen further notes, losing Altherr on waivers and the seeing Quinn go down with another injury would leave the Phils without a backup center fielder on the 40-man roster. Between non-roster journeyman Lane Adams starting the season in Triple-A for the Phils and the number of outfielders designated by other organizations over the course of a season, though, a short-term injury to Quinn could probably be patched over.
Some more from the division…
- The Mets have continued to keep tabs on Dallas Keuchel’s market, SNY’s Andy Martino writes, though at this point it’s still more due diligence than anything else. Fifth starter Jason Vargas still has supporters within the organization, and any move to add a starter would require pushing him out of the rotation and possibly off the roster in the second season of a two-year, $16MM deal. Vargas posted a 4.50 ERA with a more solid 15-to-6 K/BB ratio in 18 spring innings. He allowed a pair of runs on eight hits and a walk with just two strikeouts across five innings in his season debut earlier this week.
- It hasn’t taken long for young Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson to look to veteran Curtis Granderson as a mentor, as David Wilson of the Miami Herald explains. Coming out of Spring Training, Brinson requested that his locker in the Marlins’ clubhouse be adjacent to Granderson, and the two have quickly formed a bond. “I pick Curtis’ brain,” says Brinson. “I asked if I could be next to him in the locker room just so if I have a question on anything that crosses my mind, I can ask him and if he has anything to ask me, if he wants to go over anything with me we’re right next to each other.” The 38-year-old Granderson is among the game’s most respected and popular players, and beyond the fact that he remains a productive bat against right-handed pitching, the Marlins surely saw appeal in adding this exact type of leadership to a young, developing club when signing him.
I always love the older guys grooming the next guy story. so the question is, has Granderson embraced the role?
I think Granderson’s embraced that role for like four years now lol
Signing Granderson was definitely one of the smartest moves pulled off by Miami this off season. He is a class act and still an above average hitter if platooned. I’m quite sure he’d be an excellent mentor to any of the young players who are willing to listen.
He might also be an all-star by default, if it’s not Sergio Romo
There was something about Lewis Brinson that turned off fans, and it is showing. The amount of strikeouts he accumulates is alarming. Hoping he turns out to be a good player. So far, the marlins look awful on that Yelich trade
I’d like to think Brinson and/or the club asked Granderson if he was cool with being locker buds before forcing it on him.
Just send Vargas with a prospect or pay all of his contract and send him to a rebuilding team. Pretty easy fix for a pretty large upgrade.
Sounds good!
Pay $7M to Vargas not to play. Add $75M to get Keuchel.
Whaaalaaaa! Upgrade!!
Hey – instead of replacing the fuse when your cars speedometer backlight dims, I assume you buy a new dashboard.
I can guarantee you GM’s don’t operate their teams like they service their vehicles. You see this all the time in sports.
The Mets need offense, not a starter. The rotation is their greatest strength. It would be better to have at least tried for an A.J. Pollock type then to get Keuchel.
@JDGoat The dude is being sarcastic…
The GM’s in here do that all the time.
Mets are scoring 5.38 runs per game – 8th highest in the MLB and over a run more than the Yankees at 4.25. Offense hasn’t been the Mets problem at all so far.
They should sign Kuechel and put Vargas in the pen. I think he can get us through an inning or two but now way can he face the same batter twice in the lineup. For a starter they’re expected to go through at least twice. We’re stuck with him so may as well use him.
Vargas as long man out the ‘pen is not terrible. The weak link in this scenario is still Matz. He has zero ability to throw to the catcher’s target with ANY pitch. If opposing hitting coaches ever figure this out, they will sit on his fastball every pitch. If a batter takes 5 pitches, he is probably walking to first base, that’s how bad Matz is.
He was terrible today, unbecoming stat line for a 4
The young Marlins? Miami probably has the oldest roster in baseball.
In the NL the Giants are oldest (30.2).. Marlins rank 8th oldest (28.6).
LAA are the oldest overall (30.8)
Cat how about a trade with the Yankees for Quinn or Williams?
Cereal …..
I doubt the FO will trade Quinn. He has a lot of promise if he can stay on the field and that is the frustration of it all…..he can’t. He has plenty of talent, unfortunately one of them is his ability to get hurt….often.
Williams ,and Altherr for that matter, are capable of .275/.340/.470. Altherr has a touch more power,
I would be all for a trade especially for a ready or near ready arm.
As Dads pointed out below re: Altherr (and it goes for Williams as well) they both need to play everyday to be effective. Rust is the enemy, especially for them.
@Cat… Pujols skews the overall number.
Skews? He is on the team (and playing even.)
I’m saying he’s really old
Joe Says….
Having 9 players 31+ does that…not just Albert.
The Angels haven’t been relevant for a while regardless of age
That is for hitters. Angels pitching averages 29.0.
Koamalu
I stand corrected. I used the “league Register” function on BBRef , forgetting that it is seperate for hitting/pitching.
The Giants have the oldest team and the Padres the youngest per the commissioner’s office
Marlins pitching averages 26.7 years old.
But those are MLB averages, the Marlins are AAAA
I’ve been reading MLBTR for a year now and you seem to constantly have something to say about the Marlins. They seem to be always on your mind since you keep saying these terrible takes on them.
Agreed. Every time it’s rumored the Marlins are going to make a trade he pulls out the Jeter is gonna send him to the Yankees for nobody schtick. Even though they have made 1 trade and so far that trade has been better than the Yelich and Ozuna trades.
I never say anything about Jeter trading somebody to the Yankees for nobody, never!
Thanks for being my stalker, I mean fan. That’s almost as many fans as the Marlins have…
2 or 3 older vets doesn’t mean they have the oldest roster. Outside of Prado, Walker, and Granderson, they’re a very young team
When you don’t count a bunch of old players on the team, the team is all young players.
Just offer up the median age as opposed to the mean and you can make your point while sounding less silly.
They’re not old they’re just cheap…
If they were really cheap they would call up minor leaguers not sign vets
Granderon is 38, Romo is 36, Prado is 35 (and showing signs of life). I’m convinced PolishHammer is just an idiot.
Young cheap players and three old players that come cheap…so yup, right again about them being cheap. Thanks GOofAndDykes…
With the 3rd youngest Rotation
Altherr for Blach or Beede?
Giants should try and get him. He would be their OF for a few years instead of all these cast offs besides Duggard.
Duggard won’t be a giant very long, who want a no hit outfielder
Just defense only maybe 5th outfielder.
Roman Quinn for Shane Greene
Philly has a pen full of on again/off again arms like Shane Greene.
Shame Greene is doing pretty welll this year. If he keeps going, he WILL be highly sought after .
Philly needs either Kimbrel or Keuchel right now
Looks like GMs are waiting, on two fronts, the compensatory picks that go with signing either k&k, and just how expensive players are going to be on the trade front without a loaded FA class lurking in the next 3+ years
I’m not wild about Keuchel or his 107 ERA+ from 2016-18. Nobody’s going to give Kimbrel a 5-6 contract but he’s worth more than a one-year pillow contract. A three year deal sounds fair for both parties. I’d like to see the Phils sign him and get away from their closer by committee.
trade harper! it fills good trolling phyillis after so many ‘trade trout’ banter!
You leave Mrs. Diller out of this!
yes, clifford!
Ha, Silly rabbit, Phillies Phans can’t be trolled!
Admit it, if your an Angels fan, tell us you weren’t worried that the Phillies could lure him back home? They would’ve topped whatever deal he got in FA.
1-6 to start his extension. Tough to see, tell arte to beef that team up.
It’s coming as soon as 2020, with several young studs in the minors about to burst onto the scene. The Angels now have a top 10 farm system according baseball perspective. Jo Adell will be patrolling the OF along side Trout as early as August this year, Thais will be taking over 1B next year at the latest, with others to follow after that. Barria, Canning, and Suarez are ready to make their mark on the Angel’s rotation the next time a starter struggles are is injured.
In 2020 Ohtani will be back on the mound and the batters box, Canning, and Barria will make the rotation young and affordable for years to come. Jo Adell is the best prospect the Angels have seen since Trout, a true 5 tool player.
I know you are just being silly, but teams can’t trade a player who just signed a contract until June.
Quinn is better than Herrera and should be the starting CF
I’m in that camp….However, Roman just can’t stay on the field..
Hi Dads. This is Rcfielder26 from the old Phillies boards. How are you? Funny reading and talking baseball as it’s snowing like crazy. Hope you are well and enjoying the new look Phillies, minus the bullpen
Greets from sunny warm South Florida…I hate that MLB took away the threads…I have had conversations with Todd Zolecki and he claims he didn’t know they ended. He works for them. Difficult to believe.
Sadly I’d say Altherr is the odd man out here. I don’t see him making it through waivers. Too solid of a player and too professional to not take a chance on. I’m a fan of the guy, I wish him well wherever he goes.
Very good D, and has everything except a bat..funny, two years ago, he did hit and was considered a 5 tool player…he needs to play every day..just no room in the inn..good luck Aaron
Altherr seems to have trouble with the philosophies of the hitting coach. He may be a bounce back candidate somewhere else. His time in Philly is coming to a close. This would have happened sooner without a Quinn injury but Quinn gets injured as much as Lenny Dykstra gets in trouble.
lol
Now that is saying something, and unfortunately it is true.
Big nails fan back in 93, lol, not sooo much these days.
If Roman is put on waivers, he gets grabbed before the ink dries…
I for one would not be surprised if a trade goes down in the next day or two to fix the problem..
Tells you a lot about not only Granderson but Brinson too.
Altherr to Indians for whatever they can get.
Grandy is going to great on MLB Network in a couple years. I’ve really enjoyed his career. Seems very genuine to me.
wonder how serious the brewers are on Kimbrel,
Worked out this morning with a friend that works for the Astros and he claims that Kuechel took insurance on signing a new contract (like those a team gets for injuries) because he felt the draft pick(s) attached to him would dampen his value. If he signs a long term deal in June after the draft so that no draft pick is attached, he is getting paid even though he hasn’t signed yet. To me that is brilliant. I wonder how much that cost him?
That’s interesting……
An insurance company pays a policyholder for refusing to sign a contract for a lower amount then he’s willing to accept?
A franchise that refuses to give a 4-5 year contract with an AAV around $15M will suddenly change their stance because they won’t have to give up a comp pick?
Proposal: claiming to have “a friend who works for [insert MLB team]” = automatic ban from MLBTR
Little harsh
It’s Koamalu/PF. He does this all the time.
Just option Williams- that’s what minor league options are for
im ok with dumping Altherr somewhere like SF but demoting Williams to give him regular at bats seems like the reasonable stall move, as Quinn is likely to hurt himself on his rehab assignment, or within 10 days of rejoining the squad.
Adam Haseley could be an option for a callup in second half if they had a centerfield problem.