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Phillies Announce Flurry Of Roster Moves

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The Phillies have announced a wide slate of roster moves today, setting the team up for another fascinating offseason. In particular, the club has shorn a big chunk of its 2019 pitching staff from the roster in one fell swoop.

Philadelphia declined club options over righty Jared Hughes, righty Pat Neshek, and lefty Jason Vargas. Also heading to the open market are five players were outrighted: infielder Phil Gosselin and righties Jerad Eickhoff, Mike Morin, Blake Parker, and Edubray Ramos.

That’s a big chunk of innings going onto the open market despite ongoing control rights. To be exact, the Phils are kicking 219 2/3 of their frames from 2019 back into free agency. It’s hard to argue with any of the decisions.

Hughes was solid as a late-season gap-filler, but didn’t rate at a $3MM price tag for 2020. He’ll get a $250K buyout on the way out. Neshek takes $750K with him instead of pitching for $7MM. That’s no surprise after he was limited to 18 frames due to injury. Vargas is due a $2MM buyout instead of a $8MM salary; the Phils evidently feel they can do better in the rotation on the open market this winter.

The biggest departure is that of Eickhoff. The once-promising starter projected to earn only $1.5MM, with one more season of control thereafter, but the Phils decided to cut bait after watching him struggle to a 5.71 ERA over 58 1/3 innings. Eickhoff had a few encouraging outings upon his return from a long injury layoff, but struggled thereafter and was again sidelined with arm woes.

The other three were also eligible for arbitration. Morin, who has a $1.2MM projected arb salary, struggled to get strikeouts during his stint with the club. Parker surprisingly turned in 11.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 25 frames but also gave up a host of homers and earned runs. Perhaps he’d have been worth a lower-cost keeper price but the Phils weren’t biting at a projected $4.7MM. The 26-year-old Ramos entered the year as a key piece but struggled with injuries and showed a velocity decline when he was available. He projected to earn only $800K, but the team may not have been convinced of his ability to return to full health.

Meanwhile, a host of players were added back to the 40-man roster. Among the players activated from the 60-day injured list is starter Jake Arrieta, who has exercised his player option and will remain with the organization. On the heels of a messy, injury-marred campaign, that comes as no surprise. Additionally, outfielder Odubel Herrera was reinstated from the restricted list after the conclusion of his suspension for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. His future with the organization remains unclear following this procedural move.

AL East Notes: Chapman, Yankees, Liu, Edwin

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Some items from around the AL East…

  • Negotiations between Aroldis Chapman and the Yankees about the closer’s contract extension apparently came down to the final moments before the deadline for Chapman to decide whether or not to exercise his opt-out clause, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets.  Chapman was hoping to have two extra years added onto the remaining two years on his pre-existing contract, but ultimately settled for just one extra season ($18MM for the 2022 season).
  • The impact of Chapman’s new contract on the Yankees’ luxury tax situation is examined by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who observes that the extension won’t lead to any savings due to the “true-up charge” associated with the specific breakdown of how Chapman’s salaries were paid out over the first three years of his deal, largely due to a signing bonus payout.  As a result, Chapman’s new tax number is $17.5MM over the next three years, which doesn’t help alleviate the crunch for a Yankees team that Sherman figures is already approaching the $208MM threshold for 2020 just with pre-existing roster talent.  The Yankees will face tax penalties for surpassing the second level ($226MM) of the tax threshold in 2019, and it remains to be seen how far over the $208MM threshold ownership will allow the front office to go in 2020.  As Sherman notes, ownership would presumably balk at surpassing the top penalty level of $248MM, which would impact the Yankees’ chances of adding a mega-salary (i.e. for a Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg) and retaining free agents like Didi Gregorius or Dellin Betances.
  • A brief scouting report on newly-signed Red Sox right-hander Chih-Jung Liu is provided by former big leaguer Chien-Ming Wang to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, as Wang has worked with the 20-year-old prospect.  Liu “needs to improve his slider and splitter to have a good out pitch” and “needs to build up his arm strength and pitch count,” Wang said.  These aren’t unusual criticisms for any young pitcher, especially for a case like Liu, who mostly played shortstop in high school and only recently got back into pitching.  Liu is also “bright” and “seems to be able to adapt to [a] new environment quickly,” Wang said, and he also noted that Liu asked him how to throw a sinkerball, Wang’s signature pitch.  Abraham reports that the Phillies and Diamondbacks were among the other teams who had interest in Liu before the Red Sox signed him for $750K.
  • Now that Edwin Encarnacion is officially a free agent, could the slugger potentially return to the Blue Jays?  There is room on paper, as Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith notes that the Jays have a vacancy at first base/DH since Justin Smoak is also headed for free agency, and Encarnacion could likely be had on a fairly inexpensive one-year deal.  However, with the Blue Jays still in rebuild mode, Nicholson-Smith figures it probably makes more sense for the club to “find the next Encarnacion instead,” i.e. a player who can be an important contributor for several years.  Toronto GM Ross Atkins has also spoken of wanting a first baseman who can play multiple positions, while Encarnacion is limited to first base (and could best be suited for a DH role altogether).

Jake Arrieta Declines To Exercise Opt-Out Clause

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Phillies righty Jake Arrieta won’t exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, keeping him in his deal with the Phillies for the 2020 season, the Associated Press reports.  Arrieta will earn $20MM for the 2020 season, the final year of the three-year, $75MM pact he signed with Philadelphia in March 2018.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported in October that Arrieta was going to remain with the Phillies, and indeed, it became increasingly obvious throughout the veteran right-hander’s injury-marred year that the opt-out clause wouldn’t be a factor.  Arrieta revealed in July that he was trying to keep pitching despite suffering from a bone spur in his throwing elbow, and while he toughed it out as long as possible, Arrieta eventually hit the injured list in mid-August and soon underwent season-ending surgery.

The end result was a 4.64 ERA, 2.16 K/BB rate, and 7.3 K/9 over 135 2/3 innings for Arrieta, easily his least-impressive performance since his early-career struggles as a member of the Orioles in 2010-12.  Arrieta posted by far the largest hard-hit ball (38%) and home run (19.4%) percentages of his career, while his 7.1% swinging-strike rate was the third-lowest total of his career.

Arrieta’s stay in the 2017-18 free agent market was a lengthy one, as he was hampered by the qualifying offer and a feeling amongst some teams that he was beginning to a decline following a good but not great 2017 season with the Cubs.  Over two seasons with the Phillies, Arrieta has a 4.26 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 51.4% grounder rate, and 2.30 K/BB rate — decent numbers, though hardly what the Phils expected from a pitcher earning $25MM in average annual value.

The best-case scenario for Arrieta and the Phillies is that the bone spur was the root cause of his struggles, and he’ll rebound for a healthy and productive age-34 season.  That would be a welcome boost to a Phillies team that was let down by its starting pitching almost across the board last season, though Philadelphia is expected to be pursuing some upgrades this winter.  A good year from Arrieta would also increase his chances at another multi-year in free agency next offseason, as a repeat of his 2019 numbers would likely limit his market to only one-year offers.

Padres To Hire Bobby Dickerson As Bench Coach

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NOV. 1: It took a three-year pact to lure Dickerson, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Additionally, Wayne Kirby will come over from the Orioles to serve as first base coach, Joel Sherman of the New York Post first tweeted. As Heyman points out, Kirby also has ample experience with Machado.

OCT. 31: New Padres manager Jayce Tingler is set to make an important hire as he prepares for his first year as a skipper. He’s likely to hire Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson as his bench coach, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets.

Dickerson, who turned 54 in September, is a former minor league infielder who has never managed above the minors. But Dickerson has logged several years as a coach at multiple levels, and the hope for the Padres is that his vast experience will help Tingler break into his new role.

If the Padres do select Dickerson, his Philly tenure will conclude after just one season. Before joining the Phillies last winter, Dickerson worked in various coaching roles in Baltimore from 2010-18, a span in which he developed a close bond with ex-Orioles star and current Padres third baseman Manny Machado. Dickerson shared some insight into his long-running relationship with Machado with Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer last winter.

“I’ll say this: When Manny puts his mind to something, it’s just unbelievable to watch,” Dickerson told Lauber. “He’s that talented. In 2013, he was the best defensive player I’ve ever seen in my life. If he’s locked in, he can change the game with his glove. For sure, I’ve seen it. The challenge is his locked-in-ness, and that’s well-documented.”

Phillies Release Jose Pirela To Play In Japan

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The Phillies have announced the release of utilityman Jose Pirela. He intends to pursue an opportunity in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

Pirela landed with the Phils in the middle of the 2019 campaign after being designated by the Padres. He appeared briefly down the stretch but obviously did not make enough of an impression to make himself a significant part of the team’s plans in 2020.

While he had quite a productive showing in the big leagues in 2017, Pirela fell flat in a longer look the following season. He did post big numbers at Triple-A this year, with a .327/.376/.596 batting line in 372 plate appearances.

Phillies To Decline 2020 Option On Pat Neshek

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The Phillies will decline their $7MM club option on right-hander Pat Neshek, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The veteran sidearmer will instead be paid a $750K buyout and return to the free-agent market.

Neshek, 39, missed nearly a month with a shoulder strain before a hamstring tear in late June put an end to his 2019 campaign (and ultimately required surgery). That pair of injuries limited Neshek to just 18 innings of 5.00 ERA ball and capped off an injury-plagued Phillies tenure, though it’s worth noting that he was excellent when healthy in 2018. Shoulder trouble hampered him again that season, but Neshek pitched to a strong 2.59 earned run average in 24 1/3 innings when he was able to take the ball.

Broadly speaking, Neshek enjoyed a seven-year run as an outstanding setup piece and occasional closer from 2012-18. Over that span, he logged 315 1/3 innings with a 2.51 ERA (3.26 FIP), 8.3 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 0.91 HR/9. Along the way he tallied 13 saves and 106 holds while making a pair of All-Star teams and pitching in high-leverage spots for the A’s, Cardinals, Astros, Rockies and Phillies. The 2002 sixth-rounder boasts a sub-3.00 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning in 488 Major League innings.

Phillies Hire Bryan Price As Pitching Coach

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10:32am: The Phillies have formally announced the hiring.

9:22am: The Phillies have made a key hire for the staff of incoming manager Joe Girardi. As expected, the team will bring on Bryan Price as pitching coach, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’s said to have turned down offers to serve as the pitching coach with the Diamondbacks and with the Padres this month, instead opting for the Philadelphia opportunity.

Price, 57, served as the Reds manager from 2014 until his firing early in the 2018 campaign. Before that, he had a lengthy history as a pitching coach, including stints with the Mariners (2000-06), Diamondbacks (2007-09), and Reds (2010-13). He’s the first major addition to incoming manager Joe Girardi’s new-look pitching staff, and the Phillies can now shift their attention to find a replacement for interim hitting coach Charlie Manuel.

Phillies Claim Robert Stock

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The Phillies have claimed righty Robert Stock off waivers from the Padres. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the move (Twitter link), which was first aired on Twitter by Tyler Poitras.

Stock, who is closing in on his 30th birthday, finished the season on the 60-day injured list due to a biceps injury. The San Diego club faces tough decisions on several players with a rather tight 40-man roster squeeze.

Though Stock failed to follow up on his strong 2018 debut in a tepid 2019 effort, he showed the same upper-nineties heat that made him so intriguing. He also managed to rack up forty strikeouts in 28 1/3 Triple-A innings. While he has struggled throughout his professional career to stay in the zone, Stock obviously has big-time stuff.

Bryan Price Favorite To Become Phillies’ Pitching Coach

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OCT. 30: Price is indeed the favorite for the position, reports Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Rothschild is still in the mix, Breen adds, but Price is believed to be the front-runner.

OCT. 29: Former Reds manager Bryan Price is a legitimate candidate to become the Phillies’ pitching coach, Jim Salisbury and Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia report. New manager Joe Girardi revealed Monday the Phillies have already conducted “a couple of interviews” with pitching coach hopefuls, though it’s unclear if they’ve spoken with Price.

A Price hiring for the Phillies may not be imminent, but it’s worth noting he just rejected the Diamondbacks’ interest in him for their pitching coach position. Price has talked to the Red Sox in regards to their vacancy, meanwhile, but it looks as though they’ll select Dave Bush over him.

If the Phillies truly do want to hire Price, it appears the stars are aligning for that to happen. However, the Phillies could still consider other candidates – perhaps including Larry Rothschild – per Salisbury and Seidman. Rothschild came available Monday after a long run as the pitching coach for the Yankees, originally joining the team when Girardi, then New York’s manager, hired him in 2011.

The 57-year-old Price would bring extensive experience to Girardi’s staff in Philly. Before managing Cincinnati from 2014-18, Price held pitching coach roles for the Mariners (2000-06), D-backs (2007-09) and Reds (2010-13). Whether the Phillies choose Price or someone else, that individual will be taking over a pitching staff that failed in 2019 on account of a combination of subpar performances and injuries. As a result of their woes this season, the deep-pocketed Phillies seem likely to focus on giving their next pitching coach more to work with in 2020 than the ousted Chris Young had at his disposal this year.

Latest On Phillies’ Pitching Plans

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As you’d expect, it appears the deep-pocketed, starter-needy Phillies will be among the teams in pursuit of Astros superstar right-hander Gerrit Cole when free agency begins. Phillies brass is set to map out offseason scenarios in which the team does and does not reel in Cole, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

If the Phillies do get Cole, this may go down as the second straight offseason in which they secured the game’s most expensive free agent. The club signed outfielder Bryce Harper for 13 years and $330MM last offseason. Both the term and money Harper received are all-time records for a free agent. While Cole won’t do that well this winter, the 29-year-old at least seems like a strong bet to surpass David Price for the richest contract a pitcher has ever landed. Boston inked Price to a seven-year, $217MM pact entering 2016.

Signing Cole would surely mean another significant payroll hike for the Phillies, who saw their opening-day outlay climb from $95MM-plus in 2018 to upward of $140.6MM this season. But the Phillies did put $170MM-plus rosters on the field earlier this decade (albeit before owner John Middleton took control in 2015), and as Gelb notes, throwing cash at their rotation may be their best hope of improving it to a noticeable extent. Philadelphia isn’t willing to trade any of its top prospects to upgrade its iffy rotation, per Gelb, which seems to make it all the more likely the club will sign at least one of free agency’s best starters.

Cole’s in a league of his own as far as the upcoming free-agent class is concerned, but Nationals righty and playoff hero Stephen Strasburg may be a Phillies target in his own right if he opts out of the remaining four years and $100MM left on his contract. Either Cole or Strasburg would give the Phillies a much-needed front-of-the-rotation presence to join Aaron Nola.

After Cole and Strasburg, the rest of the game’s soon-to-be free-agent starters don’t look nearly as promising, though Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jake Odorizzi all seem likely to rake in guarantees worth $50MM or more. Philly could conceivably sign any of them if it doesn’t end up with Cole or Strasburg. However, as Gelb points out, a Cole pursuit might complicate matters for the team if his stay on the open market drags out. Cole’s represented by Scott Boras, whose high-profile clients (including Harper last year and Phillies righty Jake Arrieta two offseasons ago) have sometimes taken several months to ink contracts. Considering Cole’s in line for an enormous payday, a team such as Philly may be less likely to toss a substantial amount of cash to one of the aforementioned second-tier starters if it’s waiting for an answer from the Houston ace.

Whether the Phillies pick up Cole or someone else, it’s clear their rotation is in dire need of help. Nola was their only starter who offered above-average production in 2019, a season that went down as the club’s eighth in a row without a playoff berth. Now, with new manager Joe Girardi in the fold, the Phillies are feeling even greater urgency to turn around their fortunes.

“Now that our team is where it is and we’ve added through free agency and through players coming through our system, we’ve reached a place where it is time to win,” general manager Matt Klentak said this week. “No questions asked: It is time to win right now.”

It’s arguable nothing would help the Phillies “win right now” more than signing Cole. But they’re sure to face plenty of competition if they make a serious run at the potential AL Cy Young winner.

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