A shortened 2020 season would make Spencer Howard a larger factor in the Phillies’ plans, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Since Howard threw only 71 minor league innings in 2019 due to shoulder problems and was shut down at midseason, the Phils were going to ease him back into action this year under an innings limit at both the minor league and (if all things progressed well) Major League levels. If the 2020 season ends up being something of an abbreviated sprint, however, the right-handed prospect could end up pitching for Philadelphia as early as the new Opening Day, working in a starting or relief role and still potentially not approaching an innings cap that Lauber estimates could be around 130 frames of work.
A few more items as we kick off Sunday…
- Baseball America’s Ben Badler (subscription required) looks at five prospects who are lined up to join Major League teams when the international signing window opens on July 2. The Padres, Brewers, Braves, Indians, and Rangers have already been respectively connected to each of the five youngsters, with Atlanta and Cleveland each prepared to give out bonuses in the $1MM range.
- Fraidel Liriano, another shortstop from the Dominican Republic, is expected to land the largest bonus of the quintet, as Badler writes that the Rangers will give Liriano around $1.5MM. Liriano could eventually wind up at third base or second base rather than shortstop, though some scouts were intrigued by his hitting potential, with Liriano’s “strong hands and quick wrists, producing whippy bat speed.”
- Twelve teams contacted Kevan Smith during the catcher’s free agent stint this winter, Smith tells John Perrotto of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, though he was surprised to be on the open market at all. The Angels non-tendered Smith rather than go through the arbitration process with him (MLBTR projected Smith to earn a $1.3MM salary in 2020), a decision that left Smith feeling “pretty stunned…I thought I was on solid footing there.” Smith ended up signing a minor league deal with the Rays after surveying his options, saying, “You start looking around and see what’s going to be your best opportunity and what team you’re most comfortable with. You pick and choose, and it comes down to who’s the most interested. I definitely felt the Rays wanted me to be here.” Playing in Tampa Bay also brings Smith to the East Coast and at least a bit closer to his home in Pennsylvania, though the Pittsburgh native said he didn’t hear from the Pirates this winter, despite the Bucs’ need for catching.
Smith looked like a good option for the Angels moving forward because of his offense, but his defense has kept him back. He’s never been a decent fielder and doesn’t deny many stolen bases. I think he was around 50% under the league average last season.
A guy who has only thrown 30 AA innings and 0 AAA innings would’ve been an easy call to start in the minors. But now the season is going to be significantly shorter—that really makes this a different call for Philly.
The Phillies are such a fringe playoff contender that they probably can’t afford to keep Howard off the big league club for a couple weeks to gain the extra year. If they think he’s as much of a bullpen asset as most do. But ya know this is the kind of problem you face when you try to buy your way into contention before allowing your team to naturally get there.
Crazy how time flys….. Philly had the books clean enough to eat off (even in todays state!!) JUST 2 years ago…… then came Odubel ….then the spiral cont……..
Fear theres a mini sitch brewing in Cin too….. The pitching has developed there but man they had years to find some Ofers and nada……..Nows when that really comes to hurt in the wallet
Minny is providing a nice blueprint imo on how to re-build the org/ books ,….
Easier said than done thats for sure
This all seems so pointless right now…..
Go sit in the corner and we will come get you when its safe. Seriously man the world has to keep spinning and these note articles are great to have in a time like this
Shut up
he’s right though. the world needs to and will keep spinning. if we never looked towards the future we’d certainly not be where we are today.
Be that as it may, there’s ways to annunciate that without being condescending and prickly.
This guy comments that on every sport on this rumors site. This is not the place to be if you want to live with a doom and gloom mindset.
A cubs fan who quotes a brewers announcer, playing a Cleveland announcer. Dynamite drop dips#%!
What?
Jorge78, I understand what you are saying. I’m reading MLBTR as a way to cope, but the feelings you’re expressing here are valid.
I think we should all try to be a bit less snarky, and a bit more compassionate—and that should probably apply all the time, not just during a crisis.
What is pointless to you is not necessarily pointless to others.
But, past that, what would be the point for you? I have to stay in the house for the next two weeks. But I am going to keep planning for my life post-two weeks.
If Howard starting means Velasquez (VV) and Pivetta are bullpen arms, I’m on board with that. VV can be a big asset in the pen. Pivetta? Not sure. He didn’t really do very well in either role last year. Could be a change of scenery is what he needs.
But, yes, the Phillies are a fringe playoff contender. I don’t think they can win the NL East, so the best they can do is a wild-card. And they’ll have a lot of competition there from Arizona, two or three teams from the NL Central and, of course, from within the NL East itself.
Not gonna sniff a division title as long as Klentak is the GM. The guy is in way over his head.. The sooner Cigar Guy sends him packing, the better.
Last year they could of had another pitcher , The reds basically gave up nothing to get Sonny Gray, he would of been a good asset in the rotation.
Gray was a pretty risky bet.
He did pretty good with the reds, and before the season they gave him a 3 year extension.
…yeah, keyward “before”
“could of” lol
Sad that so many people whine about Klentak, like another GM could or could have done so much better. What would another GM do differently? Make the luxury tax disappear? Wave his hand and magically heal all injured players? Trade all the top prospects for 1 or 2 year rentals and have nothing when they walk away? Ignore Middleton and pay the luxury tax after signing more washed up injury prone 30 something year old pitchers to bad contracts and have a staff full of Ariettas with no money to extend Realmuto?
I think that Klentak is on the hot seat because the Phils have not progressed all that much and he backed his new age manager way too long.
Some of the trades and signings were questionable also
I do not think that all in all he has done poorly but owners like this one do not have much patience especially when they see the strides that teams like the Flyers can make with changes in management and leadership.
I didn’t think Atlanta was allowed to sign these guys. Or is that punishment over now?
Spending pool cut by 50% – thanks Coppy/Hart.
Braves have Acuna Albies Pache Riley Camargo Anderson Fried plus. Thanks to Coppy/Hart. Did nothing Yankees Bosox Dodgers Cards did not do as well. Yankee commissioner office just cam down on southern red state team.
Absolutely. I think the damn lib commie office was really punishing the South for the institution of slavery. Will they ever just get over it. Lol.
Acuna, Albies, Camargo was Wren. Sure, Coppy didn’t trade them away. I appreciate what he did, but think it could have been done in spite of and not because what got him dismissed, but sure, he got caught with how blatant and careless he became.
The problem with Coppy is that he didn’t cooperate with MLB and tried to hide his wrongdoings. Had he been more accommodating to their investigation, the Braves wouldn’t have had such a harsh punishment and he wouldn’t have been permanently banned.
…as evidenced by John Hart getting away scott-free and obtaining a job with MLB (MLB Network) only 3 months later and the Braves issuing a statement that they were fully in cooperation with MLB during the investigation.
Current IFA period prevents any signing over $10k (only signings exempt from bonus pool), and this coming IFA period the bonus pool is halved. Also, Smith and Ozuna signings take away another $1m total from the pool.
Good to see Atlanta in the international news again. Coppy had goos success finding the right guys, then some in a frowned upon way lol. Needless to say, hope we can repeat bringing the in the international prospects in a legal way
It’s still early but in 2019 Kevin Maitan was a 3B at mid-A ball who struck out once every three AB with a .601 OPS and middling defense. MLB did us a favor taking him away from us.
Well, Maitan just turn 20 last month, so I wouldn’t give up on him just yet. I’m pretty sure that when he was signed, he wasn’t expected to be ready for the majors until 2022 or 2023.
Maitan isn’t much of a prospect. He’s an overweight 3B now. Can’t hit, cant really run and about all he can do as a plus tool is throw. Not much of a prospect anymore.
How is have Maitan cut loose “a favor” to the Braves?
The team didn’t get back the $8M they paid to sign Maitan.
Where the hell do you get 8 million bucks? His signing bonus was roughly half that. No player is getting a signing bonus that fat under the new rules. And Maitan was signed under the new rules.
The Braves aren’t better off losing Maitan for nothing. But it doesn’t appear that they’ve lost much of anything.
Maitan was NOT signed under the new rules at all.
I don’t think it did is a favor just because we spent a lot of money on him and rather he’s worth that money or not, we should have the ability to train him and let him fail in our system, or better yet, use him as chips in a trade package. We also lost Soto who has turned into a nice prospect at only 19 years old. I’d trade them before simply letting them go.
that is certainly something of note with this shorter season. it could help keep some arms more healthy over time.
Imma play some Destiny until they figure out how to play games again.
Agentp me too dawg
I am waiting for those Pirates fans to chime in at any moment saying they should have signed Smith. Also waiting to hear how cheap the owner is and how that effected the Pirates from signing Smith. lol
Just so you know Pirates fans, Smith was a defensive reliability. And the catching position has to have a guy with good (or better) defense. Elias Diaz was let go this offseason because his defensive metrics weren’t that good. Pirates should have traded him years ago when Russell Martin was behind the dish.
he’s still lightyears better than Luke Maile
Shoulda coulda woulda.Diaz had a couple of good years and got off to a bad start last year because of his mother being abducted and held for ransom.He was very bad as a catcher last year but still has a cannon for an arm and may be able to come back and hit.
I am not impressed with his replacements which is the only thing done by BC except trading his best player and getting two mediocre at best replacements for him.
I think the phillies can win the east if the season is delayed into june , everyone coming back healthy, they can win it
Spencer Howard is a lemon. He will be having Tommy John surgery. If you’re a Philly fan then you need to contain yourself and don’t get too pumped up about Spencer Howard because he will be a non-factor as soon as he has his Tommy John surgery. Advice my goats! don’t get excited, just relax and move on.
ah, the profit.
Angels have long placed an emphasis on defense at catcher. Smith’s value is primarily on the offensive side. This years catchers, Castro and Stassi, are both outstanding defensively. Castro adds some pop. If Castro can catch 120 games, assuming a 162 game season which will not happen in 2020, and hit to a .750ish OPS, he will be a huge pick up for the Angels.
Stassi is unplayable with his offensive numbers. if Castro gets injured they’ll have no production from the C spot.
Tru dat. Stassi adds little value offensively… and I mean very, very little value offensively. Despite that Angels choose his defense over Smith’s offense.
I dont believe Smith has Napoli type plate discipline and pop, but releasing Smith is reminiscent of the Angels trading Napoli because of his defensive shortcomings.
Short season should help Angels maximize Castro behind the plate and minimize Stassi’s ABs.
NL just say NO to DH ! Leave it in beer league softball were it belongs !
I’m a purest in most ways when it comes to Baseball. But I’m fully in favor of the NL adopting the DH. It’s long overdue.