8:04PM: “I’m going to play [Moniak] a lot” in center field, Phillies manager Joe Girardi told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters, adding that Herrera could get some corner-outfield duty.
1:28PM: The Phillies have activated outfielder Mickey Moniak from the 10-day IL, the team announced today. The move follows an announcement that left-hander Bailey Falter was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following last night’s game against the Mets.
Moniak has yet to make his season debut after suffering a fracture in his right hand in the Phillies’ final game of the spring. The top overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft has struggled to match the expectations placed on a 1-1, logging a relatively pedestrian triple-slash of .255/.303/.406 in parts of six minor league seasons and a meager .128/.241/.192 across 55 plate appearances in the bigs, but he was the front-runner to take over the everyday center field job prior to the injury.
That job, covered thus far by a rotating cast that includes Odubel Herrera, Roman Quinn, Matt Vierling, and Simon Muzziotti, could still be his for the taking, though a recent hot streak from Herrera has pushed his season line (.270/.298/.494) much further into playable territory. Still, even with that recent boost, Phillies center fielders boast a combined wRC+ of only 73 — sixth-worst in the majors — and a combined batting line of only .218/.272/.346.
Even with Herrera proving capable cover in center of late, the injury woes of right fielder-turned-DH Bryce Harper have placed manager Joe Girardi in something of a bind. Due to a tear in his UCL that precludes him from throwing but not swinging a bat, the 2015 and 2021 NL MVP has been relegated to DH duties, forcing both of the Phillies’ defensively limited offseason outfield acquisitions — Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber — to play the field, a major contributing factor to the Phils’ worst-in-the-majors rankings in both outs above average (-20) and runs above average (-16).
Both Castellanos and Schwarber have contributed with the bat in Philadelphia, though neither has set the world on fire. Schwarber, who’s .181/.301/.398 batting line showcases an abysmal batting average offset by strong power and on-base skills, could be a candidate to take an occasional seat should Moniak prove himself capable at the plate. Moniak could also be used a defensive replacement in late-inning situations. Whether he’s deployed in this fashion or given a real chance to dislodge Herrera will likely go a long way toward showing the extent to which Phillies brass still view him as a serious prospect.
Falter, who’s posted a 4.20 ERA in 15 innings across six games (two starts), will likely be given the chance to stretch out as a starter in the minors. While he’s had mixed results in the bigs, the 25-year-old has been lights out in parts of two seasons in Triple-A, logging a 1.32 ERA while striking out 39.6% of the batters he’s faced across 41 innings.
Image thinking u had a great off season and 59 games in u are relying on Moniak to help save the season. Welcome to the Phillies.
As a fan for my entire life, I’ve never felt so deflated about my team before June. The same issues still exist. Bad defense, bad bullpen, gigantic hole in CF. I’m honestly open to the idea of a Mariners style retool at this point. It almost feels necessary.
With all that being said, I’m pulling for Mickey. I hope despite all of this BS he finally breaks out.
Worse off it all was this was the front office’ answer to bad pitching, defense and hitting! They are clueless in building a good team
I actually don’t really blame the FO for this year in particular. They took what the market offered. It may have made more sense to go after Correa or something, but instead they filled two needs. Unfortunately, the big bats they signed aren’t really hitting, Schwarber in particularly took a shocking turn backwards. Harper’s arm injury forced the Phillies to play 2 bad outfielders on the regular. Realmuto has severely regressed. Hoskins, prone to slumps and hotstreaks, hasn’t had a single hotstreak yet…just 1 big slump, and the bullpen pieces they acquired to improve the pen haven’t panned out. The FO went all-in on offense because that’s what was available. I can’t fault them for that. Now if we want to talk about the decades of poor drafting, developing and scouting, then yes…I blame everyone in the Phillies organization for that.
Right now the Phillies stars stink (outside of Harper). Their starting pitching is actually very good. Their bullpen stinks. Their defense stinks. Their manager stinks. There’s really not a lot to look forward to. I don’t see a way out of this mess, but the first step needs to be to fire Girardi. Change the culture. Get a new leader.
Speaking of Phillies, Kapler is now saying he may not protest the flag or anthem prior to today’s game in Philadelphia. I guess all of a sudden he’s “feeling better about the country”.
Are you feeling good about the direction of the country? I’m certainly not feeling that great about it. Protesting the flag however does nothing for me. It’s exactly the type of virtue signaling I could see someone like Kapler doing.
It’s official, Kapler will honor the anthem and flag today. And he wouldn’t say his “protest” will resume tomorrow or any other day.
That’s a clown protest, bro.
Meh, these protests are generally misdirected. As horrific as it was, there are 6 dead and another 38 wounded in Chicago this weekend. And no one even raises an eyebrow.
What about
What about what about
Their parents
Their friends
Did you look at their eyebrows ?
Were they unmoved?
FPG: Seems he’s trying to walk the line between winning fans, and on a day like today, not losing too many, perhaps?
It is a bit confounding, but today is a day to honor our fallen. Happy Memorial Day, FPG.
God bless, brother.
Joe – Great post, I totally agree. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday today.
Clip – Great post, I totally agree. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday.
God Bless you as well my friend.
He did it once, drew some attention. Why does he need to do it forever for it to be legit?
Cosmo – Maybe I’m just old school, but I was raised to think carefully before making a decision and then sticking with your decision. When you say you’re gonna do something, and then change your mind a short time later, it means that:
1) You didn’t think carefully about your initial decision
2) You lack credibility because you’re not a man of your word
I mean the whole thing was just so stupid to begin with, did anybody really believe he would continue to protest until there are no more mass shootings?
He made the same BS promise a couple years ago, kneeling during the anthem until he felt there was no longer anymore “systemic racism” in the country. Guess how long he kept THAT promise?
Sorry, I guess words and promises mean more to me than they do to Kapler.
“Exactly!
It’s not a real protest unless you build a gallows and taze some cops!”
Real protesters bring their own lumber. And hockey sticks.
Were they unmoved?
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Sure, everyone is moved. But nobody does anything. Has anything changed in Chicago politics in the past 20 years? How about Baltimore? St. Louis?
There is apparently no level of crime that will cause the voters of those cities to try something new.
Joe, I am sincerely abhorred at that number. What a shame. How humans can be so…inhuman to each other, to that level, is so disheartening.
I know it’s only getting worse, and will continue to do so, but as I get older and approach middle-age, it is just so sad. What’s worse is that the numbers you posted probably aren’t news because it’s more common than not in those areas. Just so tragic, man, what all those families endure on a daily basis.
probably aren’t news because it’s more common than not in those areas.
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That’s absolutely correct, and the real tragedy of the situation. Dystopian films like The Running Man, showing folks killing each other, are sci-fi. But we actually have websites devoted to how many people are shot and killed in Chicago each week. What should be a source of horror has become a source of amusement, or maybe bemusement.
And no one does anything. It’s like the urban public school system. Democrats simply vote for the democrat, and since republicans don’t live in these areas, or they live in the rich parts, they don’t care either.
What does that have to do with what happened in Texas. False equivalency. What are they going to try that is new? What would be different with conservative politics? The culture won’t change. Everyone is a good guy with a gun until they aren’t
Its culture not politics
Joe – Excellent post!!! So many other cities I’d add to your list, such as Detroit and Philly and LA. Let’s not forget Washington DC either.
The people in charge of those cities haven’t a clue, or a desire, to address the worst violence and highest murder rates in the country.
If only there was some sort of organization that was doing something to, I dunno, show that all those lives being lost in those cities matter?
Option Girardi please.
DFA Girardi
I never understood the appeal of Joe G. I was hoping he’d manage the Yankees forever.
What was the reason for pulling Castellanos last night?
I get it. You want better D, but you take Schwarber out then. Schwarber hasn’t even sniffed a hit. Nick just hit a 3 run bomb. Joe G is completely lost out there. Phillies defense and manager is costing them runs. I expected the bad D. Shocked at how bad Girardi has been.
I mean, the defense didn’t blow the save last night.
The defense gave the Mets 3 of their 5 runs. Not sure what your point is. The bullpen sucks too. We know this.
Joe – In terms of Yankee managers, I always liked Girardi. Sure he made some bad decisions, but he was a stand-up guy and somebody who I would want to sit down and have a beer with.
I think he’s still the only manager to win Manager of the Year the same year he got fired?
Could be. I’m thinking Whitey Herzog might have with the Royals.
Defense, obviously. He wasn’t expecting another bullpen meltdown
@Phills why not take out Schwarber who hasn’t gotten a hit in what feels like a month?
Defense w a lead — pretty common to pull one of your worst defenders w a lead late in the game
@Out_of_Line 2 The issue is there’s a worse defender who also can’t hit to pull.
Imagine spending $220M+ and this is the team you have to show for it ?
This is what happens when you can’t develop any homegrown talent. Also Schwarber came to Philly and regressed to his worst form ever. Disaster. It won’t end for a long time either. I actually give the FO some credit for spending money, but this team, outside of a select few, is pure trash. These big bats are having career lows.
It’s the same Schwarber that had been non-tendered by the Cubs one year ago. He got on a hot streak, which he is prone to do, during the short time he was not on the IL with Boston. Buyer Beware.
Yup. Hated the Schwarber signing. Was very vocal about it. Sucks I was correct. Dude blows.
Ummm … Schwarber had a .910 OPS in twice as many games with Washington last year.
Just sayin’ ….
Schwarber had a .910 OPS
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But his history doesn’t suggest that. I loved the trade that brought him to the RS, but was adamant against re-signing him. Before last year, Schwarber had a career 113 OPS+. I think that’s a reasonable projection for him. But he also can’t field. How much is a 113+ worth with a bad glove? Do you know who has a 113 this year? Story.
Joe – I was addressing just the part where he said last year Schwarber hit well only during a hot streak with the Red Sox. His statement is 100% false, Schwarber was the hottest hitter on the planet toward the end of his tenure in Washington.
He had to be one of the best hitters in all MLB in June.
This ‘team’ is a Frankenstein monster gone very wrong.
Any team’s worst nightmare would be to have mediocre at best coverage in Center Field having to flank Schwarber/Castellanos on the corners. It’s not all on Girardi as he didn’t sign the statues in the OF while not upgrading CF. Defensively all around we knew this team would be bad. Realmuto and Segura are the only real defensive players on the field most games
And Realmuto has actually been bad defensively. His name still carries a lot of weight, but he’s been real bad this season.
It’s not all on Girardi as he didn’t sign the statues in the OF while not upgrading CF.
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I’ve been saying this for centuries, but this is what happens when a team is thin. When a guy like Harper goes down, you scramble to cover his absence, and you can’t.
That said, a few things went wrong. Stott started his career off really badly. I like the guy, but that meant you lost a good defensive player up the middle. And then they lost MM in CF. And having spent so much money elsewhere, so had to gamble with a couple of minimum wage players.
Here’s the deal though…it’s not just the defense. We get that. It stinks. The offense sucks too. How do you figure that one?
Unfortunately it is possible to have too much power in a lineup. Good example is the 2000 Devil Rays who signed Vinny Castilla and Greg Vaughn to go with Fred McGriff and Jose Canseco. All 4 had monster 1999 seasons McGriff 32 HR’s, Canseco 34, Vaughn 45, Castilla 33) and all drastically tailed off in ’00 (McGriff 27, Vaughn 28, Canseco 9 then traded to the Yankees mid-season, and Castilla 6 while missing half the season)
It’s more prevalent now because of the “three true outcomes” game that Baseball has become and it’s more amplified with a terrible defense and a typical Dave Dombrowski bullpen
Look on the bright side. They are ahead of the curve if the three true outcomes thing keeps going. Won’t need defense if everyone else is striking out or hitting dingers. Trust the process??
To quote from war hero John Winger, “…and then depression sets in….”
Have been a phan since I was in kindergarten…clearly the emotional input has not equaled their output…Still I soldier on…..Moniak was a 1/1 for a reason, Phils took him to save $ in other rounds, but looking back he was top 5 in most reports……
Won’t make excuses, but won’t abandon my first love either…..
History of 1/1 is all over the place. Some years the draft doesn’t hardly have a 1st rounder that would have made it in a stronger season. Weird game when you’re projecting 17-18 year old individuals. I’m trying to imagine the NFL doing that with QBs.
As a Met fan I suspect the signing of Schwarber, an all-time Met killer, was so he could DH 19 games against the Mets and hit about 47 more homers against them. So I was not happy when Philadelphia signed him, but I misjudged how far he has fallen.
Jeff – Way too soon to write him off. He’s always been a streaky hitter, give it time.
Only fans think like that. Teams don’t care about just 1 team. The Mets needed outfielders. They signed the two best hitting OFs because that’s what the market had. FWIW they went hard after Marte, but the Mets outbid them.
*The Phillies needed OFs.
Here’s my long-winded opinion, and I root for them because my best friend is a Phanatic.
This is not a 2022 problem. It’s been building for years. They have a good rotation, but with only 5 SPs. And Harper, Realmuto, Hoskins and Segura are all good to outstanding.
But that left them needing a closer, probably a setup, 2 outfielders, a DH, probably a SS, and maybe a 3B. That’s maybe as many as 7 additions on a budget that is already stretched. So you can’t afford everyone you need, but if stuck with the status quo, you’d have been better off trading everyone.
I didn’t like either Castellanos or Schwarber, but I also didn’t like Bryant Avasail, Marte, etc. From a generic perspective, I like Story, Baez, and Correa at their various pricetags a lot more than any of the outfielders available. But the Phillies had Segura, Stott and Didi, so they really needed to sign outfielders. So I didn’t like either signing, but I can also recognize that the Phillies didn’t really have a lot of options.
Weren’t the Phillies good 42 years ago or something like that
2007-2011 5 straight division titles. 1 world series championship. 2 NL pennants. 1993 NL pennant. And 42 years ago, 1980, another world series championship. To your point, 2012-2021 not 1 single post season. That streak will certainly continue this year as well. I think the Nats may pass them, especially if the Phillies stick with Girardi.
I know they had a pretty good run a few years ago it just seems like forever now. I was being sarcastic and I failed. It doesn’t look like the front office had a definite plan here recently. Throw money at the best available players. Just sad to see nothing working out for them.
You didn’t fail. My sarcasm meter is aways off on this site. So my bad.
Yay, another black hole in the lineup!
This idea that Moniak will be some kind of savior is ridiculous. And quite frankly, Herrera has performed better than some of the huge FA acquisitions which is just sad. I honestly can’t even imagine a scenario where the Phillies are competitive in the next 3 years.
Remember, Moniak’s “breakthrough “ came in a shortened spring training, with pitchers throwing at half speed and most players trying to avoid injury. Fittingly that little tease came to an end with the kind of hand injury whose effects will linger long after the x rays are clear. So don’t expect from Moniak. Now or anytime soon.
He still goes down as a failed draft pick on most experts’ books.
See now, if Al Avila had any sense, he would be on the phone, trading his manager. But Al Avila really has no sense at all. Possibly the worst GM who ever walked the face of the plant……
I’m glad Moniak is going to get his shot at an everyday role, or at least as the strong side of a platoon with Quinn. Frankly, I like both of those players more than Herrera. Odubal is a flawed baseball player., bot at the plate and in the outfield.
As for the Phillies as a whole, I’m still holding out hope, hope that admittedly is thinning each day, that they are gonna put up a run where then win, say, 15 of 20 games and get right back in the NL East race.
But the Mets look super strong. No deGrom. No Scherzer. Nimmo dinged, and zero offense from the C position. and not much better from 3B.
Yet, they keep rolling out one W after another. Gonna be very tough to catch unless the Injury Gods zap them like they have in the past.
In the meantime, all we can do in Philly is hope that Dombro is working the phones trying to get us some bullpen help. JMHO, but gotta be a few of the rebuilding teams willing to trade a bullpen piece or two.
One of the worst 1-1 picks
Pretty serious risk when you’re picking to leave money for the rest of the draft pool. There’s always no-shows in the Top 10 on draft day.
Pull up a list of #1 picks since Rick Monday……it really is a crapshoot….
Hopefully Moniak can carve out a career where he won’t be “one of the worst”…. I really do wonder how much the Phils have messed him up before Long got here…
The few times I watched him he looked really over matched. You think he is major league ready? Same with jo adell they seem to be really rushed.
He’s definitely not rushed. He had plenty of time in the minors, but he’s also not very ready, and may never be. It is what it is.
It’s the same as trading a high pick in the NFL. If Fields works out, the Bears are a genius. If not, they get hurt bad. As a Raiders fan, who should’ve traded away a lot of their high picks, I’d prefer the gamble.
Most picks don’t work out. That and they get balanced by lower picks outplaying projections. Russell Martin just officially retired…17th round pick. One of the best catchers of his generation. Taken with a minor league roster fill pick.
Nothing has changed since Charlie Manual was deservedly discharged. They don’t make contact, foul off pitcher mistakes, poor base running when they do get on… they have not bred a relief pitcher since Ken Giles.
The Rollins, Utley, Hamels deals were supposed to kick start the rebuild.
Nothing…
The Rollins, Utley, Hamels deals were all terrible, and far too late.
You still have Eflin, which I would say is unusual to still have an asset from such a long ago trade. Maybe not that unusual. But, yea, Phillies waited way too long to start the sell off.
The Phillies have the most blown saves the last three years, have 5 DH’s and the lead off hitter is batting in the .180’s. No disasters here….
I was expecting a disaster, but a fun one. Like hitting 5 homers in a game but having fly balls bounce off defenders’ faces. Instead they’re just boring and terrible.