- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Cody Stavenhagen) that he will give first baseman Tommy Joseph more starts against right-handed pitching. “We brought Joseph up here for a reason, to get a look at him, and I can’t let him stagnate on the bench…so he’s going to face some right-handed pitchers to keep his timing,” Mackanin said. Of course, this would cut into the playing time for veteran Ryan Howard, who said he hadn’t been consulted about sitting against righties. Joseph has hit well in his first taste of the majors while Howard has struggled mightily (a .564 OPS in 151 PA). The first base situation has been the subject of much debate in Philadelphia, as while logic would dictate that the younger and better-performing Joseph would get more starts, Howard is a franchise legend likely in his final year as a Phillie.
Phillies Rumors
Pete Mackanin Frustrated With Phillies' Offense
- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has “been conscious of” the team’s offensive shortcomings all season, he said after their 4-1 loss to the Cubs on Saturday (via Cody Stavenhagen of MLB.com). “You look at the Cubs, the Tigers, they’ve got the home run. They’ve got power. They have threats to do damage. We haven’t been able to do that,” he stated. Only the Braves have hit fewer home runs than the Phillies, whose team ISO is also second from the bottom (again, only Atlanta’s is worse). The Phillies are also 29th in runs scored (take a wild guess who’s last), but Mackanin is nonetheless confident they can continue staying in games because of their pitching. Thanks to their rotation and late-game relievers like Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris and David Hernandez, the Phillies are a respectable 26-23 and have gone a terrific 14-4 in one-run games. Having such resounding success in close affairs will only become more difficult without improved offensive production, however.
Odubel Herrera Highlights Changes In Rule 5 Draft
Odubel Herrera’s brilliance has been a key to the Phillies’ surprising success so far this season, and his emergence since being selected in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft highlights the way the Rule 5 has changed in recent years, Matthew Trueblood of Baseball Prospectus writes. One reason players like Herrera, Delino DeShields and Ender Inciarte have been available in the Rule 5 in recent years is that teams seem to prefer protecting players who have power, making low-power but potentially high-OBP players available. Also, the emergences of players like those listed above (as well as Hector Rondon, Mark Canha, Logan Verrett and so on) suggests there’s enough talent in the game for MLB to withstand expansion without significantly diluting its talent level — leaving aside the complex question of what markets the league should expand to. Here’s more from the East divisions.
NL East Notes: Howard, Harvey, Mets, Prospects
Ryan Howard’s spot on the Phillies’ roster has been a consistent source of speculation for the past three to four seasons, but despite the fact that he’s having a career-worst year in the final season of his contract, GM Matt Klentak implied in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link) that Howard isn’t in danger of losing that spot. “He’s a threat to change the game with a home run every time he steps in the box,” said Klentak to hosts Jody McDonald and Cliff Floyd. “As long as that’s the case, he’ll be in there.” Howard is batting just .160/.226/.359 in 146 plate appearances, though he does have eight homers on the year.
A couple more from the NL East…
- Mets assistant GM John Ricco was also a guest on MLB Network Radio recently (audio link), where he discussed Matt Harvey’s status in the rotation. “We have a team that’s built to go to the World Series, and we have to think about what’s best for the team,” said Ricco. “But right now, we believe the best thing for the team is getting Matt back on track, and the best way to do that is to keep him in the big leagues working with [pitching coach] Dan Warthen. We saw some positive signs the other night, in terms of the metrics we look at.” Asked specifically which metrics that statement referenced, Ricco explained that in addition to the traditional eye test from the coaching staff, technology provides quantifiable data on Harvey’s arm angle, arm extension, release point and other mechanically inclined metrics, which give the Mets confidence that he’s making some strides.
- Newsday’s Marc Carig writes that with the struggles of Kevin Plawecki and injury to Travis d’Arnaud, the Mets could eventually be forced into looking for catching help on the summer trade market. Ricco spoke to Carig and defended both backstops, asserting that both have proven to be above-average offensive players in the past. Plawecki, however, has batted just .210/.282/.288 in 356 big league plate appearances — a far cry from his .262/.318/.392 batting line in 260 Triple-A plate appearances. And d’Arnaud, of course, has consistently struggled to stay off the disabled list throughout his big league tenure. Carig speculates that Jonathan Lucroy would be a strong fit for the Mets, and it’s hard to argue with the logic. Lucroy could even help out at first base in the absence of Lucas Duda, as he has appeared in 43 games there across the past four seasons.
- Phillies right-hander Mark Appel has been placed on the minor league disabled list with a strained right shoulder, tweets Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Appel, the former No. 1 overall pick acquired by the Phillies in this offseason’s Ken Giles blockbuster, has been experiencing diminished velocity of late, Breen notes. The extent of the injury is unclear, but it appears possible that the shoulder has been bother Appel for a few starts; he’s allowed 15 earned runs in his past 16 1/3 innings after getting off to a nice start with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate.
- ESPN’s Keith Law has published an updated list of the game’s Top 25 prospects (Insider subscription required and recommended), and it’s headlined by a pair of NL East prospects: Nationals right-hander Lucas Giolito (No. 1) and Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford (No. 2). Law provides some insight into each of the 25 names on his ranking and also lists five honorable mentions that narrowly missed the cut.
Phillies Release Alfredo Marte, Sign Osmel Aguila
- The Phillies released outfielder Alfredo Marte, Eddy reports. Hes seen minimal action in parts of three MLB seasons, and was acquired by the Phils as the team sought to build out its outfield depth. But Marte has recorded just five hits and a single walk over 37 plate appearances on the year at the highest level of the minors.
- The Phillies have announced the signing of Cuban outfielder Osmel Aguila to a minor league deal, the club announced. The 27-year-old hasn’t played in the Serie Nacional since 2014. Overall, he owns a .280/.384/.447 batting line over 1,310 in the top Cuban domestic league.
- The Phillies released outfielder Alfredo Marte, Eddy reports. Hes seen minimal action in parts of three MLB seasons, and was acquired by the Phils as the team sought to build out its outfield depth. But Marte has recorded just five hits and a single walk over 37 plate appearances on the year at the highest level of the minors.
Phillies Notes: Howard, Blanco
- Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to Phillies manager Pete Mackanin about the importance of utility infielder Andres Blanco to the club. “There might be guys that are better, but as far as all-around defense, hitting, clubhouse character, this guy has been a special player for us,” said Mackanin. “It’s a tough role. It’s tough to find.” Blanco keeps four gloves — infield, outfield, first base mitt and catcher’s mitt — in his locker in order to be ready in any role and draws rave reviews from his teammates for his attitude and his production in his role. The 32-year-old has batted .286/.351/.491 in 372 plate appearances as a part-time player with the Phils dating back to 2014 and is earning his first seven-figure salary this season after agreeing to a $1.45MM deal this winter. As Breen notes, it’s a considerable bump up from the $3,000 signing bonus he took as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela when the Royals were the lone Major League club to make him an offer at all.
In light of the Phillies’ surprising start to the season, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports kicks off his latest 10 Degrees column by writing that the Phillies can ill afford to continue carrying Ryan Howard and his .161/.233/.381 batting line. The “loyalty-vs.-pragmatism” battle which the Phillies currently face would be easier to ignore if the Phillies were toiling in or near the cellar of the NL East as many anticipated, but the club has other options at first base and is no longer playing Howard regularly. Even against right-handed pitching, Howard is hitting just .163/.246/.385 in 118 plate appearances, making it fair to question his viability even as a platoon option. Passan also revisits the Phillies’ puzzling decision to sign Howard to a five-year, $125MM extension in the first place despite the fact that he was already under control for two more seasons (and his age-31 campaign).
Phillies Looking At Nick Markakis
- The Royals and Phillies are among the teams looking at Braves outfielder Nick Markakis. “The money is an issue there, especially with the Royals,” Cafardo writes; Markakis is owed $10.5MM in each of the next two seasons and roughly $7.25MM remaining on his 2016 salary. Markakis entered Sunday hitting .252/.362/.348 in 185 PA, and his near-total power dropoff over the last two seasons has surely hurt his trade value, as MLBTR’s Connor Byrne pointed out earlier today. While both K.C. and the Phils could use help in right field, Markakis has delivered only replacement-level production this season, with an even 0.0 fWAR.
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- The Royals and Phillies are among the teams looking at Braves outfielder Nick Markakis. “The money is an issue there, especially with the Royals,” Cafardo writes; Markakis is owed $10.5MM in each of the next two seasons and roughly $7.25MM remaining on his 2016 salary. Markakis entered Sunday hitting .252/.362/.348 in 185 PA, and his near-total power dropoff over the last two seasons has surely hurt his trade value, as MLBTR’s Connor Byrne pointed out earlier today. While both K.C. and the Phils could use help in right field, Markakis has delivered only replacement-level production this season, with an even 0.0 fWAR.
Pete Mackanin Reluctant To Bench Ryan Howard
- The Phillies’ front office has put Pete Mackanin in a tough position with first baseman Ryan Howard, whom the manager is hesitant to bench, opines Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice. Howard is hitting a paltry .161/.233/.381 in 133 plate appearances, but he’s a popular figure in the clubhouse and Mackanin doesn’t want to send the wrong message by removing him from the lineup in favor of recent call-up and platoon mate Tommy Joseph. Thus, writes Lawrence, the front office should step in and handle it for Mackanin. Howard, 36, has long been in decline and is likely in his last year with the Phillies, who will buy him out for $10MM at season’s end in lieu of paying him $23MM to remain on the team in 2017. Considering both that and Howard’s weak output, it would make sense for the Phillies to give Joseph the lion’s share of time at first.
Rosenthal: Jeremy Hellickson Could Be On The Move
- The Phillies are prepared to deal right-hander Jeremy Hellickson if a solid offer comes along, though they’re also focused on limiting the innings thrown by some of the younger members of their rotation. Thanks to Charlie Morton’s season-ending injury, the 28-year-old Hellickson is now the elder statesman of a Phillies rotation that has been among baseball’s best in 2016. Hellickson, who’s on a $7MM salary and is scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, has put up a 3.99 ERA to accompany significantly improved strikeout and walk rates (9.06 and 2.36, respectively) in 49 2/3 innings this year.
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Bullpen A Pleasant Surprise For Phillies
The Phillies have been lucky to get solid work from a cheap bullpen this season, Matt Gelb of Philly.com writes. Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon are now gone, but journeyman Jeanmar Gomez has been effective in the closer’s role, and Hector Neris and David Hernandez have also been terrific. The team could also soon receive reinforcements, with Michael Mariot and Mario Hollands perhaps joining the bullpen after returning from injury. Another possibility, Gelb suggests, might be Edubray Ramos, a 23-year-old who now has a 1.54 ERA, 24 strikeouts and just one walk in 23 1/3 innings split between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. Here’s more from the National League.
