The Phillies have outrighted relievers Heath Hembree and Adam Morgan, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Both were arbitration-eligible, and both have the service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, which is a mere formality at this point. Hembree was one of the team’s August trade pickups from the Red Sox. Morgan has been a longtime member of the bullpen but recently underwent flexor tendon surgery that is expected to sideline him for six to nine months.
Hembree, 31, was a stable member of the Boston bullpen for years but got out to an ugly start in 2020 and saw things get worse after the trade. From 2016-19, the right-hander notched a solid 3.60 ERA with 10.1 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 212 2/3 innings of work — plus 4 2/3 shutout frames in the 2018 postseason. He allowed six runs in 9 2/3 frames with the Red Sox prior to the swap, although nearly all of the damage against him came in one nightmare outing (four runs and zero outs recorded).
With the Phils, however, Hembree uncharacteristically yielded runs in eight of his 11 appearances on the mound, including a four-run drubbing in his final outing of the year. All told, he served up 13 runs on 17 hits — a staggering seven of which were home runs — and five walks with 10 strikeouts in just 9 1/3 innings. His struggles made him a clear non-tender candidate, and the Phillies opted to act early rather than prolong the decision.
Morgan, a 30-year-old lefty, was tagged for eight runs in 13 frames during an injury-shortened 2020 season. He broke into the Majors as a rotation hopeful with the Phillies, starting 36 games for the club from 2015-16, but struggled to find success in that role. Upon a full-time move to the ’pen in 2017, though, Morgan found a home as a regular member of the staff. From 2017-19, he tallied 133 2/3 frames with a 3.97 ERA and 4.08 FIP, averaging 9.6 strikeouts and 3.4 walks per nine innings pitched while also recording a solid 47.8 percent grounder rate.
The bullpen figures to be among the Phillies’ top priorities this winter — a new deal with J.T. Realmuto is surely their No. 1 goal — and moving on from Hembree and Morgan now gives them a bit more flexibility as they pursue those goals.
yep
I get dropping Morgan but why Hembree? Yeah he wasn’t great but he’s had success in the past and that bullpen is god awful. I don’t see anyone else much better
because he was that bad
Huh.
Wonder what happened there? Seven jacks allowed in ten innings qualifies as “that bad”.
He was always pretty good with the red sox. So there’s that.
Hembree hasn’t been the same since he suffered an arm injury, either 2019 or 2018. It was some sort of strain.
Hembree was one of my favorite middle guys with the Sox, used correctly, then his velocity dropped from mid 90’s, touching 97 to lower 90’s and only touching 94-5 with his normal having problems vs lefties made for bigger issues.
Believe he’s now someone who gets an invite to camp on a MiLB, or make good deal, or lot less than what he’s made.. like 1m 1y.
My guess is that a lot of teams are expecting prices to drop as other teams try to cope with their finances. After the season he had, he might grab the first $1M offer he sees.
The problem I see is that you don’t want to be starting a BP from scratch, and they are close to that.
And I am not sure the price drops will be quite as high as some teams are expecting. The prices will drop, but all you need is to have the RS, NYY, LAD, etc., grab a few of the better FAs cheap, and the other 27 teams will panic and crack like an egg.
If nothing else, a minor league invite from Boston seems likely for Hembree.
He was absolutely disgusting for the Phillies.
Hembree gets right handed batters out, but he has trouble getting left handlers. He was an up/down pitcher while he had options, but the three batter limit exposes him even more to lefties. He also made $1,300,000 and is arbitration eligible, so there are cheaper options for similar results, and yes, bad 2020 revenues should cause prices to drop if some team still wants him. MLB league minimum is still around $560,000, so it might not sound like a lot of, but with arbitration he could be a million over minimum.
He wasn’t getting right-handed batters out last year either, but you have a real good point about the 3-better limit. It exposed a lot of relievers this year.
Hembree was always borderline…. there was talk last off-season that he might be non-tendered a contract because of the $1,300,000 being more than right handers that gave similar results and i would be a little surprised if the Red Sox resign him. Bloom like players who can be optioned to AAA if needed and Hembree has none.
Sox bring back Workman and Hembree, then deal them again at trade deadline! Bwah ha ha ha hah!
I was thinking the same thing. Most of the guys we dealt were due to see some regression, but they mostly performed horribly. Workman and Pillar are FAs, Osich & Hembree were outrighted, and I am guessing that Moreland’s option will not be picked up.
And all five of those guys still fit the RS. We could use a lefty 1B, and a righty #4 OF, and 1-2 mediocre RPs.
And all 5 might like a one-year resting spot until the market improves, and Boston’s been good for their careers.
And the Sox still don’t have their PTBNL for Osich!
I kind of like that. it’s like I am going to get a Christmas present.
Funny, but I liked Osich long before he came to the RS. The RS then got him for absolutely nothing (and Pillar & Moreland for close to nothing), and flipped him for a prospect.
This reminds me of the good old days, when the RS and TB specialized in picking up Type A and Type B free agents on the cheap.
Bloom and Tampa have been very good at picking up veterans cheap on one year deals and flipping them for prospects at the trade deadline. Eovaldi signed in 2018 for $1.8 million and was flipped to the RS 4 months later for Jalen Beeks a nice bullpen lefty. It is one of the ways they always come up with so many young controllable players.
I loved the Pham deals. They got for almost nothing. They traded him for & C-worth for Renfroe and a top-100, and got a good 1.2 years out of him before he got expensive.
It’s like printing money.
I assume you are a Rays fan. The first Pham deal was awesome for the Rays. You bought low on him, and he gave you crazy good production. But the second deal? I don’t see how that worked well for the Rays. Renfroe struggled this year, and Edwards looks like a slap-hitting second baseman. And the Padres got Pham, who was injured this year, plus Cronenworth, who looks like a really good second baseman. I think the Padres clearly won this trade.
To be fair, I thought the Rays won the trade when it initially happened. Only with hindsight do I think the Padres won.
I’m a fan of the Rays management, not the Rays.
Pham was hurt, but Renfroe had similar results in similar PAs. that alone makes it a positive for the Rays.. The Rays have 3 years left of Renfroe, while SD has one year left of Pham, and the Rays save money. And Edwards lack of power has not prevented him from being ranked in the top-100.
At the end of every Rays’ trade, they usually get similar results, with more control, and less money. In another year, when Adames & Lowe get expensive, they will trade them for value, and plug in Franco & Edwards.
Another day, more cuts.
True, but this happens every year with fringe guys. The days/weeks after the WS ends are always a huge 40-man maintenance period.
Outside of the Cards declining Wong’s option, none of the buyouts or outrights have come as a surprise.
I still expect a brutal winter for free agents and lots of non-tenders, but to this point at least, there’s been very little that differs from a traditional offseason.
What is the trade rule for non-tenders going into 2021? If a club signs a non-tender can they be dealt at any point in the season?
Yes they can be dealt at any time. They are basically treated like free agents, but the new club that signs them would still retain any service time they have left (and option rights too).
For Philly fans, what is the general impression of Rhy Hoskins’s defensive ability at 1B and 3B?
you mean Bohm, right? Hoskins only plays 1B.
I would give him a 3 on a scale of 1-10.
I would give him a 3 on a scale of 1-10.
I wouldn’t call him a liability as he’s made strides at 1B, and surprised with some good plays, but he’ll never be a really good fielder.
4 out of 10 from me, but giving him a 3 isn’t outrageous.
I believe his advanced defensive metrics show that he is better than the eye test would leave one to believe.
No surprise with either one….I feel like a dog with his head out the window on this one, but I really hope to see some of the Phils farmhands throw their hats in the ring for the 2021 bullpen. Especially if Middleton doesn’t call his bluff on tightening the pursestrings.
JoJo is gonna stick
De Los Santos has great stuff, I still kind of believe in him as a RP
Christopher Sanchez is a LHP with good stuff/control
Erik Miller (22) and Damon Jones (26) are a couple of LHP’s that should be given a look as well and they are certainly mature enough to be considered
Heck, why not fastrack Francisco Morales?? His control needs work and he could/should be a starter…but the Phils need to consider internal options to get this bullpen going again.
Call it reckless “throwing spaghetti against a wall to see what sticks” mentality or try to rationalize it under “we’re tired of seeing young Phils languishing in the minors”….either way? Business as usual has NOT been working, re-treads have NOT been working…..and with the Rule V draft upcoming?? Time to fish or cut bait on some of these names.
there is no need to rush Morales and Miller who are probably not ready and you’d rather develop as SP. heck, Jojo really would be best suited to head back to LHV and try to start some more.
I would honestly say this is their bullpen right now:
Jojo Romero
Ranger Saurez
Connor Brogdon
*Victor Arano (if he ever recovers from injury)
I doubt Neris or Hale are retained and Alvarez and Parker are the only vets I could see potentially returning.
One month of Workman and one year of Hembree for Pivetta and Seabold was a steal for the Red Sox.
Workman 2019 – (IN 71 2/3 – hits 29) was never going to be repeated and Hembree was always one of the last couple guys in the bullpen (never stuck with the Red Sox until he ran out of options and could not be sent back to AAA).
Pivetta and Seabold are both starting pitchers, so that at least fills a need the RS have.
95 percent of all arbitration eligible players will sign for less than their arbitration figure due to declining revenues. Now is a good time to clean house. Should have never left Kranitz go.