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Tag: Trea Turner

  • Should the Phillies Bring Back Hector Neris? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Should the Phillies Bring Back Hector Neris? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Former Phillie Hector Neris was DFA’d by the Chicago Cubs earlier this week. Neris, now 35 years old, has pitched to a 3.89 ERA in 46 games with Chicago this season before clearing waivers and subsequently released for the Cubs 18th overall prospect. Neris left Philadelphia in free agency for the Houston Astros where he would beat his former club in the 2023 World Series. In light of the Phillies recent bullpen struggles, does it make sense to bring back the former closer?

    The answer is clearly yes. The issue with Neris’ in Philadelphia was the high leverage innings. Neris isn’t the typical closer and does not have typical closer stuff. It was clear very early in a Hector Neris outing what you were getting. Most nights it was the devastating splitter with a ton of tumble but some nights it was the sinker that had little to no movement which would result in a lot of hard contact. It always seemed as if Neris was walking a tightrope which is not at all something you want in a closer.The veteran right hander could fill the Yunior Marte or Max Lazard role as a low leverage right handed option but with plenty of experience. If you replace Marte, Lazard or Jose Ruiz with a pitcher of Neris’ caliber, it makes the bullpen that much longer.While Neris’ tenure in Philadelphia was certainly a rollercoaster, it was overall a success. He pitched to a 3.44 ERA and is currently 8th in Phillies franchise history in Saves. By all accounts Neris seems to be very well-liked by players, staff, and media. It’s very likely there would be mutual interest in a reunion, so why not take a chance?

    Photo via Getty Images

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    Evan Carroll

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  • The Anniversary of the Standing Ovation – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Anniversary of the Standing Ovation – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    One year ago today the city of Philadelphia embraced their struggling superstar.

    After a horrendous start to the 2023 season, Trea Turner hit rock bottom in a game against the Miami Marlins where he went 0-5 and made an error that cost the Phillies the game. Turner walking off the field as Marlins players ran around and jumped for joy is burned in memory.

    Turner even admitted after the game “Obviously I’m the reason we lost the game.”

    Turner came to Philadelphia with a ton of hype. He had just signed a $300M contract and went berserk at the World Baseball Classic but through the Phillies first 107 games he had only hit .235 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI.

    That’s when it changed. A sold-out crowd came to their feet to show support for an underperforming player on a huge contract.

    Since the ovation, Turner has been one of the best players in baseball hitting .324 with 29 home runs and 99 RBI. He even went on a 10 game hit streak after the ovation. What happened on August 3 against the Royals was truly something special.

    The thing with Turner was that his failures through the first 107 games were not due to a lack of effort. It has been reported Turner was the first one in the cage and on the field and the last one off, the results just weren’t showing.

    Philadelphia has a reputation for being one of the toughest fan bases to play in front of, which is likely why things kept spiraling for Turner. The old adage that Philadelphia fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus is no more, Philadelphia is a city where we have our players back. If you give your all regardless of results the city will have your back and that makes Philadelphia a special place to be.

    Photo via Associated Press

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    Evan Carroll

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  • The Panic Button is Becoming a Reality for the Phillies – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Panic Button is Becoming a Reality for the Phillies – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Philadelphia Phillies have the second-best record in baseball behind the Cleveland Guardians, but it could almost be time to press the panic button.

    The Phillies have been one of the top teams all season and held the best record in the MLB for quite some time. Rob Thomson’s team hasn’t been playing good baseball recently.

    The Phillies have lost five straight series going back to before the All-Star break. They’ve lost 11 of their last 15 games.

    Fans are Getting Ready to Press the Panic Button

    The Phillies are losing a lot of games. They’re not just losing games; they’re losing games in sloppy and underperforming ways.

    The big-money players have not been producing in this 15-game stretch. Bryce Harper is batting .153 with four home runs, Trea Turner is batting .203 with four home runs, J.T. Realmuto is batting .231 with no home runs or RBI, and Kyle Schwarber is batting .220 with three home runs. Nick Castellanos is the only one playing well right now, with a .276 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBI. All-Star Alec Bohm, who was at the top of the league in RBI, only has three in this stretch of games. He now ranks No. 9 in the MLB and No. 3 in the National League in that category.

    Not only are the players not producing at the plate, but the pitching has been inconsistent as of late. The Phillies had five pitchers selected for the 2024 All-Star game because of how dominant the group was leading up to it. Prior to the All-Star break, their team ERA was 3.41, which ranked No. 2 in the MLB, only behind the Atlanta Braves, which had a 3.40 ERA. The team ERA has sat at 4.68 since the break, ranking No. 23 in the MLB in that span.

    The Phillies have 54 games left in the 2024 season. They sit 6.5 games ahead of the Braves in the NL East. The Phillies are in a good position and have a really good team. The players need to step up and get back to playing clean, winning baseball.

    If this losing trend continues, it’ll be hard not to press the panic button heading into the playoffs.

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    Mike Hennelly

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  • What Should the Phillies Do with Whit Merrifield? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    What Should the Phillies Do with Whit Merrifield? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Whit Merrifield signed a one year $8M deal with the Phillies late this off-season despite reportedly looking for a two year deal. Bryce Harper was a key recruiter in bringing him to sign in Philadelphia. It’s clear Harper’s word held a lot of water in both Philadelphia and Merrifield’s camp. Merrifield was signed to play the super utility role while providing some much needed contact from the right side of the plate. Merrifield can play all three outfield positions, second base, third base, and even has appeared at first base three times all while boasting a career .281 batting average.

    The only issue has been that Merrifield’s bat has been abysmal through the team’s first 84 games. In 138 at-bats this year for the Phillies the veteran has only 26 hits for an average of .188. “Two-Hit Whit” has now become No-Hit Whit.

    The 35 year old has been relatively consistent throughout his career batting over .300 twice and the All-Star team three times but just has not been able to adjust to a new role of limited playing time.

    The team is now over halfway through the season and it’s very likely that Merrifield would not make the post-season roster at this moment in time. The question now becomes, what should the Phillies do with Whit Merrifield?

    The least likely scenario would be that the Phillies would DFA Merrifield to open a roster spot. While this is very unlikely, we have seen the team move on from veterans who were owed money if it makes sense, Didi Gregorious and Jeurys Familia to be exact. Although he has not lived up to the $8M contract, eating the money just doesn’t seem likely given the back of the baseball card.

    The Phillies could try to trade Merrifield somewhere looking for a utility man to play every day. There is no question about it, he has not been good at the plate but the Phillies don’t really have a spot for Merrifield to get the reps that he needs to be the hitter he has been. Merrifield and the Phillies both took a risk and it just has not paid off, if Merrifield can find consistent playing time with another team, he might be a good fit for a team on the bubble.

    The most likely option is that the Phillies just continue being patient with him. While this certainly will not be perceived well by the fans, Merrfieild was an All-Star just last year with the Blue Jays. While it’s hard to imagine after watching his at-bats with the Phillies so far, he has a strong track record of hitting major league pitching. We have seen plenty of players get off to slow starts and figure it out after the All-Star break, maybe the time off will help. The truth of the matter is that the Phillies are 26 games above .500 heading into July with this version of Merrifield, it makes sense to bank him to figure things out before the playoffs.

    Whatever the Phillies decide to do, the trade deadline is just one month away now. It’s very likely Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies front office are exploring all options of upgrading one of the best teams in Phillies history.

    Photo via AP Photo

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    Evan Carroll

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  • Instant observations: Phillies fall short after Taijuan Walker’s poor outing on Cole Hamels retirement night

    Instant observations: Phillies fall short after Taijuan Walker’s poor outing on Cole Hamels retirement night

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    After returning home and nabbing a series victory over the San Diego Padres, the Phillies began a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks on what was Cole Hamels’ retirement night Friday. It was the first time the teams faced off since the Diamondbacks won two straight games on the very same field to win the 2023 National League Championship Series and send the Phillies home. After the Phillies received a shaky start from Taijuan Walker and squandered a few key opportunities, they fell to Arizona, 5-4. Here is what jumped out from the series opener:

    Cole Hamels honored in pregame ceremony

    Phillies icon Cole Hamels finally held his retirement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park before Friday night’s first pitch. Several former teammates and coaches of his — including Charlie Manuel, Carlos Ruiz, Jamie Moyer, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton — were present for the ceremony. 

    Hamels, who famously threw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in his final start with the Phillies, was given the pitching rubber and lineup card from that game by Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, who briefly teamed with Hamels and started for the Phillies the day after the no-hitter, and Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who was on the Cubs at the time.

    Hamels delivered a speech in which he thanked the organization for taking a chance on him and the fans for believing in him. He recalled memories of the team’s glory days, particularly their World Series victory in 2008.

    Before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch — fittingly, the pitch was caught by Ruiz — Hamels turned toward the home team’s dugout on the first base line and said “now, it’s this team’s turn.”

    Taijuan Walker crashes back down to earth

    Walker missed the first month of the season due to an injury, and many were upset when his return to action sent Spencer Turnbull — who had starred in Walker’s absence — to the bullpen on a permanent basis. Walker’s first seven starts of the season only added fuel to that fire, as he posted a 5.73 ERA and allowed opposing hitters to slash .302/.371/.517 while failing to miss bats or induce weak contact.

    In his two most recent starts, though, Walker did show some progress. In the team’s London series against the New York Mets, he only allowed two hits across 5.2 innings, striking out six batters. He was charged with two earned runs, but they were runners who he left on base and reliever Gregory Soto allowed to score. Last week in Baltimore, Walker pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs against an extremely dangerous Orioles lineup. These were not exactly earth-shattering starts, but after looking incompetent for many of his outings in 2024, he at least started to look like a competent No. 5 starter.

    Against the Diamondbacks — the team Walker was upset he was never utilized against in October last year — boos rained down on the Phillies’ right-hander. He struggled mightily with command, and when his pitches were the strike zone, they looked to be right over the heart of the plate. Walker allowed three home runs in the first three innings of the game, and none of them were cheap shots.

    Walker’s final line Friday: 4.0 innings, five hits, four runs (all earned), three strikeouts and three walks on 77 pitches (42 strikes). His season-long ERA is now 5.60.

    Even before this game, Walker’s numbers — while accounting for his progress over his prior two starts — were jarring. His front-facing and underlying metrics told the same story: he entered the game with a 5.33 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, and the frequency with which he allowed hard contact indicated that these numbers were not the product of bad luck.

    Walker’s percentile ranks in various stats on Baseball Savant entering Friday night’s start:

    Stat Walker percentile
    Fastball velocity 10th
    Average exit velocity 1st
    Chase percentage 17th
    Whiff percentage 5th
    Strikeout percentage 29th
    Walk percentage 45th
    Barrel percentage 2nd
    Hard-hit percentage 1st

    These numbers are only going to get worse after Walker’s short but eventful start against the Diamondbacks. Some would argue that the Phillies have banked enough wins that it is tenable for them to put Walker on the mound every fifth day because he is still in just the second season of a four-year, $72 million contract. Others may claim that the time to pull the plug on Walker as a member of an otherwise-dominant starting rotation has already past.

    Trea Turner swats no-doubter for first home run since return from injury

    Turner was activated from the Injured List on Monday after missing nearly six weeks of action due to a hamstring strain. In the third inning on Friday, he obliterated a baseball into the left field seats; his third home run of the season and his first since returning to play.

    Turner’s two-run shot traveled 429 feet, and its exit velocity of 110.6 miles per hour represented his hardest-hit ball of the season — nearly topping his hardest-hit ball as a member of the Phillies (110.8 miles per hour). Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not even move:

    Turner’s on-base skills have been terrific in 2024; he entered Friday’s game with a .340 batting average and .386 on-base percentage. (It is a much smaller sample size than most players have at this point of the season, but Turner’s batting average would easily lead all major-league players if he qualified for league leaderboards and his on-base percentage would be tied for 10th-best among all hitters.) But the Phillies’ lineup would become considerably more dangerous if its two-hole hitter could tap into the power that helps make him unique at the shortstop position and allowed him to have a torrid end to last season.

    Phillies fall short, lose 5-4

    The Phillies’ best chance to take control of the game came in the seventh inning. Trailing 4-2, they were handed a rally: Arizona reliever Kevin Ginkel walked David Dahl and Rafael Marchán in consecutive plate appearances, so the Diamondbacks brought in left-hander Joe Mantiply, who promptly walked Kyle Schwarber on four pitches — loading the bases for Turner with one out. Turner legged out a run-scoring infield single after the ball was bobbled by Arizona second baseman Blaze Alexander, and the sellout crowd was deafening as Bryce Harper came to the plate.

    On the first pitch of the at-bat, Harper poked a ground ball right back to Mantiply, who seamlessly started an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play. Just like that, all of the juice had been sucked out of the stadium.

    Nick Castellanos hit a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, but only after Seranthony Domínguez had allowed the Diamondbacks to score an insurance run on a run-scoring single from shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.

    Ultimately, the Phillies’ offense did not have enough to overcome Walker’s poor start. Dating back to October of 2023, they have lost three consecutive home games to these Diamondbacks.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Phillies quick hits: Return home is a success with series win over Padres

    Phillies quick hits: Return home is a success with series win over Padres

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    After 13 long days on the road, the Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park on Monday to play a six-game homestand, beginning with a three-game set against the San Diego Padres. After a disappointing 3-5 road trip, the Phillies rebounded with a blowout victory in the series opener before putting together a thrilling come-from-behind win and ultimately dropping the final game of the series. Here is what jumped out from their series win:

    Cristopher Sánchez gets back on track with seven strong innings

    I wrote about Sánchez’s outstanding season to date before his start in Boston last week; naturally, that day he turned in his worst start in a while. He was on the bump for the Phillies on Monday against a San Diego lineup that has struggled against left-handed pitching all season, and looked fantastic.

    Sánchez’s line Monday night: seven innings pitched, six hits, two runs, one earned run, one walk, five strikeouts.

    Sánchez, whose season-long ERA is now at 2.91, has made a good living forcing ground balls and limiting hard-hit fly balls. He has now faced 325 batters in 2024, and the Phillies’ lanky southpaw has only allowed one home run. He has induced ground balls at a higher rate than any starting pitcher in baseball this season.

    Sánchez’s initial breakout happened thanks in large part to the development of his changeup — which has quickly become one of the best in all of baseball — and reduced velocity that led to much better command. But the Phillies gambled this year that he could dial up his velocity again while maintaining his improve precision, and their bet has paid off. Sánchez looks like the best fourth starter in baseball right now.

    Kyle Schwarber, Rafael Marchán lead offensive masterclass behind Sánchez

    After slowing down for most of the road trip, the Phillies’ lineup got right back to its peak form in their return home, swatting 18 hits on Monday. 

    The Padres sent struggling starter Randy Vásquez to the mound, and the Phillies punished him: San Diego’s right-hander allowed a dozen hits in 4.1 innings.

    Nearly every member of the Phillies’ lineup contributed to this offensive outburst, but there were two stars — one the average fan would expect given the calendar, and one who is not exactly counted on for consistent production at the plate.

    It took a handful of days, but June Schwarber has arrived. The Phillies’ leadoff hitter crushed two home runs Monday — his second multi-homer game in less than a week — and all of a sudden is near the top of the homer leaderboard in the National League. Schwarber’s power had been lacking this season — relatively speaking — despite an uptick in on-base skills. If he can maintain his improved contact while continuing to unleash the power he has long been known for, 2024 will become his most well-rounded season at the plate since he joined the Phillies.

    Marchán — called up last week following J.T. Realmuto’s knee surgery — continued to make the most of his opportunities. The young backstop collected the first four-hit game of his major-league career.

    According to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Phillies manager Rob Thomson indicated Tuesday afternoon that the plan is for Marchán to catch starts made by Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, while Garrett Stubbs will be behind home plate when Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola or Taijuan Walker is on the mound.

    Trea Turner makes return

    The Phillies activated Turner from the Injured List on Monday, ending a six-week absence for the team’s star shortstop. Turner had been on fire before his injury, slashing .397/.427/.564 in his last 18 games before being placed on the shelf with a hamstring strain. 

    Turner slashed .343/.392/.460 on the season prior to his injury, teaming with Schwarber to set the table beautifully for run producers like Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm. While Turner has not always been as aggressive on the bases as many expected since signing in Philadelphia, the threats presented to opposing pitchers, catchers and fielders by his speed are palpable.

    Turner expressed confidence that his swing was in a good place entering his return to play — despite declining to go on a minor-league rehab assignment — and backed it up Monday with two hits. For what it’s worth, throughout the first two games of the series it did not appear as if Turner was running at anything resembling his typical top speed — and he received a scheduled day off on Wednesday. None of these are shocking developments, but it’s worth keeping an eye on how Turner looks as the team ramps up his workload in the near future.

    Phillies mount impressive comeback against one of baseball’s best

    After Schwarber obliterated another baseball, the Phillies trailed San Diego 3-2 in the eighth inning Tuesday night after starting pitcher Aaron Nola surrendered three runs in the top of the sixth. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, San Diego brought closer Robert Suarez into the game for a four-out save opportunity. 

    If that name sounds familiar, there is a good reason: Suarez is the pitcher who famously allowed Harper’s signature home run in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS that sent the Phillies to the World Series.

    Suarez — who has been unhittable for much of 2024 — was able to retire Trea Turner to end the eighth inning, but things unraveled quickly for him in the ninth. Harper led off the inning with a single in his first plate appearance against Suarez since that rainy October afternoon in 2022. Bohm followed it up with a single of his own that moved Harper to third, Bryson Stott singled in Harper to tie the game, and Nick Castellanos delivered his third walk-off hit of the season — and his fourth hit of the game — with a bloop-shot down the right field line.

    Just like that, a Phillies offense that looked lifeless for the better part of seven innings erupted — just in time to win a ballgame.

    Phillies fail to complete sweep in loss Wednesday despite multi-homer game for Bryce Harper

    Ranger Suárez threw six innings of one-run ball for the Phillies in the series finale, but after Orion Kerkering, Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto had some trouble in the following two innings — without much help from the defense behind them — the Phillies’ offense did not have enough to make up what became a four-run deficit.

    The Phillies only scored two runs, and those came on solo homers from Harper — one of which came against San Diego’s starting pitcher, right-handed knuckleballer Matt Waldron, and the other came against a powerful reliever in Jeremiah Estrada.

    This was Harper’s second multi-homer game of the season — he hit three home runs in a game back in April — and it marked the third time a Phillies hitter had collected multiple homers in a game in just the last eight days.

    The dagger was placed in the Phillies’ hearts in the top of the eighth inning. An error by Bohm gave the Padres an extra chance to break the game open, Soto came into the game with one out and the bases loaded. He got Padres rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill — who homered off Suárez in his first at-bat — to pop out to shortstop Edmundo Sosa. San Diego catcher Kyle Higashioka — very much a defensive-oriented player — came up next, and hit a sinking line drive towards center field. Brandon Marsh charged as hard as he could and dove for the ball, but it got by him and rolled into center field. Higashioka ended up at third base with a three-run triple. It is hard not to wonder if Johan Rojas would have made the play had he been in center field.

    The Phillies have a day off on Thursday before beginning a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks — their first time seeing the 2024 version of the team that eliminated them in Game 7 of the NLCS last season.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Is Kody Clemens Here to Stay for the Phillies? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Is Kody Clemens Here to Stay for the Phillies? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    If you haven’t heard, Roger Clemens’ son has been playing a key role for the Phillies since Trea Turner was placed on the Injured List.
    The son of the 11-time All-Star and 7-time Cy Young award winner is on a pretty nice heater right now and is making a name for himself independently of his father.

    In 10 games this season with the Phillies, Kody Clemens is batting over .300, slugging .826, and has an OPS of 1.159, all while providing some flexibility all over the infield. Clemens’ highlight of the season and perhaps his career came last night when he hit a game-tying home run against the Nationals with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Phillies would go on to win the game in the 10th on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Harper, something that would’ve never happened if Clemens didn’t bat in the ninth.

    The 28-year-old utility man came over in the Gregory Soto deal going into 2023 and has floated between Triple-A and the majors with the Tigers and now with the Phillies. Clemens came very close to making the Opening Day roster this year after a hot spring training but ultimately was sent down late in the Spring.

    Clemens seems like he could be a nice spark off the bench if a situation presents itself late in games.

    After Saturday night’s heroics, he is almost certainly gaining popularity among the fan base, but Turner is not going to be out forever.

    Clemens has a spot on the team right now because Edmundo Sosa has gotten the bulk of the time at shortstop after Turner went on the IL.

    The lefty is basically filling the utility infield spot that was Sosa’s.

    It’s going to be interesting to see what the Phillies decide to do when Turner returns, but what Clemens is doing should absolutely not be overlooked.

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    Evan Carroll

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  • For the 30-win Phillies, the Best is Yet to Come – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    For the 30-win Phillies, the Best is Yet to Come – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Zach Wheeler isn’t happy.
    The Phillies ace, who ranks second in the N.L. in strikeouts, had his worst start of the season on Sunday against the Marlins, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks over just four innings.

    He’s admitted over the first month and a half of the regular season that he hasn’t had his “best stuff.” He’s been battling through some things, often unseen, as his command hasn’t been quite as sharp as it usually is. The catch? He’s currently in the lead for the N.L. Cy Young award, perhaps only rivaled by his battery mate Ranger Suarez, with a 2.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, and a .190 BAA. 

    Wheeler’s dominance, in spite of not living up to his own performance standards, is a microcosm of how the Phillies have played this season. Yes, entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Mets, the Phillies have the best record in MLB, up 2.0 games on Atlanta with a gaudy 29-13 start to the regular season.

    And while some degree of regression is to be expected, there is evidence to support the theory that the best is yet to come for this talented Phillies roster. 

    Trea Turner’s Absence

    Since the Phillies star shortstop left May 3rd’s matchup against San Francisco with a hamstring strain–the first victory in a four-game sweep of the Giants–the Phillies have gone 7-2, splitting a two-game set against the Blue Jays and winning three out of four in Miami. Turner’s absence has paved the way for some of the team’s utility players to get extended reps. Edmundo Sosa has taken the opportunity in full stride–entering Tuesday’s matchup, Sosa had made six straight starts at shortstop, hitting .375 (6 for 16) with two triples, two doubles, three RBIs, and most notably, five walks. In 2023, Sosa had a walk rate of just 2.7% in 300 plate appearances. In 2024, he has a walk rate of 11.1% in just 54 plate appearances. 

    Kody Clemens has become the utility man extraordinaire since his call-up to the big leagues on April 22. He has five hits in 15 plate appearances, many of them clutch, including a pinch-hit single in the 9th inning to invigorate a rally against Mets closer Edwin Diaz. He added to his night with a heroic leaping catch at second base in the bottom of the 9th.

    An Opening in the Outfield

    Turner’s absence, combined with a lingering back injury that took Kyle Schwarber out of much of the series against Miami, has shifted the lineup enough to where another young, promising utility man has had a chance to shine: outfielder Cristian Pache. The 25-year-old from the Dominican Republic has seen limited playing time in 2024–in 42 games, Pache has made only 10 starts with just 30 at-bats.

    The rise of Johan Rojas, combined with the presence of Whit Merrifield and starting left fielder Brandon Marsh, has made it difficult for Pache to stand out. However, in the last seven days, Pache has made three starts, hitting .385 with two RBIs in 13 plate appearances. Pache’s physical tools in the outfield, he ranked in the 94th percentile of arm strength in 2023, paired with Marsh’s continued inability to hit left-handed pitching, could pave the way for more playing time in the coming weeks. 

    Bryson Stott’s Resurgence

    Middle infielder Bryson Stott had a tough start to the 2024 season. A strong 2023 campaign had left expectations higher than ever for Stott in his third year with the big league club. Pre-season polls had him ranked amongst the 10 best second basemen in the sport, and his Gold Glove-level defense, combined with his power at the plate and speed on the base paths, primed the 26-year-old for a breakout in 2024. However, things didn’t go as planned. Stott entered the month of May hitting just .225, with more strikeouts (17) than walks (11). He was more of a burden than a contributor, unable to be the power bat in the middle of the lineup that the team envisioned him as. 

    Despite his poor start to the year, Stott remained confident in his abilities and the results have started to show. Along with playing excellent defense at both second base and shortstop, Stott has been on fire as of late, hitting .433 and slugging .700 in the month of May. His emergence into the player he is capable of being will be key to the team’s continued success.

    In the face of adversity, the Phillies have continued to find ways to win.
    With a roster as deep as any in the sport, they’ve proven that they can add to their win total in any way–from bottom-of-the-order contributions against Miami to late-inning heroics in the Big Apple, their depth and tenacity are why the best may still be yet to come for this Phillies squad. 

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    Dylan Campbell

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  • Revisiting the Brandon Marsh Trade – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Revisiting the Brandon Marsh Trade – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Despite missing the bulk of spring training with unexpected arthroscopic surgery on his knee, Brandon Marsh has been the Phillies’ best and most consistent hitter through the team’s first 16 games.

    Marsh is batting over .300, leads the team in home runs, and is touting an OPS of just under 1 to start the year. Although Marsh was viewed as a platoon piece in left field, set to split time with the newly added Whit Merrifield, he has seemingly taken over the job for the time being. Marsh has proved thus far that he can indeed hit lefties while Merrifield has struggled to find his footing yet offensively. 

    There was a ton of skepticism when the Phillies traded their top prospect, catcher Logan O’Hoppe, to the Angels for Marsh at the 2022 trade deadline. O’Hoppe was highly regarded by the Phillies but the team lacked leverage because O’Hoppe’s path to the majors was blocked by JT Realmuto who was already considered by many as the best catcher in baseball and already signed to a big contract. 

    Marsh was still a great prospect though. Before reaching the majors in 2021, Marsh was ranked as the 53rd best prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. His success in the minors had not translated to the majors however as he struggled to put the bat on the ball during his time with the Angels. 

    The trade made sense from a fit perspective as the Phillies had no real options in centerfield. Odubel Herrera’s career had fallen off a cliff at the time and Marsh was under team control until his age 30 season in 2028. 

    Although Marsh isn’t necessarily considered the centerfielder of the future just yet for the Phillies, the conversation is not dead. Johan Rojas’ bat has shown signs of life over the last week, but if Rojas can’t get it together offensively Marsh could very well work his way back into centerfield, and given his start to the season, it wouldn’t be surprising if he never gives it back. 

    Looking back almost two years later, this trade seems like a win-win for both clubs as Marsh has come into his own in Philadelphia after a very good 2023 season and a great start to 2024 while O’Hoppe seems to have a very bright future as the franchise catcher in Anaheim. 

    Photo via Yahoo! Sports

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    Evan Carroll

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  • EXPLAINER: Why are baseball teams spending so much money?

    EXPLAINER: Why are baseball teams spending so much money?

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    Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner combined for almost $1 billion in contracts. Xander Bogaerts, Jacob deGrom, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Rodón, Brandon Nimmo and Willson Contreras added up to another billion.

    And that’s just nine players. Just one lucrative slice of baseball’s December spending spree.

    What a difference a year makes.

    It has been an epic holiday season already for several teams and players — a year after Major League Baseball locked out its players in an ugly labor dispute that delayed spring training.

    Judge decided to stay with the New York Yankees for baseball’s biggest free agent deal ever, a $360 million, nine-year contract. Correa has a pending $315 million, 12-year agreement to join the New York Mets, and Turner signed a $300 million, 11-year contract with Philadelphia.

    Including Wednesday’s transactions, big league teams have handed out more than $2.8 billion in finalized contracts to major league free agents this offseason. That dwarfs the winter spending at this point in each of the last five years.

    Through Dec. 20, 2021, that number was $1.9 billion. It was $187.4 million in 2020 — when teams were coming off the abbreviated season caused by the coronavirus pandemic — $1.6 billion in 2019, $655.95 million in 2018 and $413.25 million in 2017.

    “Whether it’s ownership, whether it’s teams that fell short in the playoffs, teams that did well in the playoffs, teams that are ready to take a step from maybe a three-, four- or five-year rebuild, you look up and there’s few teams that are taking a step back,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said during baseball’s winter meetings.

    “Almost everybody (is) looking to advance forward. And that, along with some really quality players, is why it’s a very aggressive market.”

    HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

    The March labor agreement that set industry rules through 2026 is one factor behind the increased spending, but there are several more forces at play.

    The labor deal included an expanded playoff format, leading to more TV money for owners, and cleared the way for advertising on uniforms and helmets for the first time.

    Under the five-year agreement, the luxury tax threshold rises to $244 million by the final season and tax rates remain unchanged at the initial, second and third thresholds. A new fourth threshold was added — supposedly aimed at Mets owner Steve Cohen — but it looks as if the billionaire views that hefty tax bill more like a nuisance as he pushes his team’s payroll to near $400 million.

    If a more punitive threshold system, like a salary cap, had been instituted — almost certainly a popular concept among some owners — the spending likely would have been more muted this offseason.

    Labor peace, of course, is good for business in general, but MLB also is in the process of dispersing the $900 million it received from The Walt Disney Co. for its remaining share of a streaming service technology company. That money is expected to go out to clubs before the end of the year.

    MLB had new streaming network packages on Apple TV+ and Peacock last season, and it announced in October that fans watched more than 11.5 billion minutes of game action on MLB.TV during the regular season, a record for the streaming package.

    This year’s World Series had lackluster TV ratings, and in a cord-cutting era, there are major questions about the viability of the regional sports networks that carry baseball games. Attendance was down 5% from its pre-pandemic level, but the spending indicates at least some optimism about baseball’s health.

    It’s also reflective of an unusually deep free agent class. Judge is the reigning AL MVP, and Turner, Correa, Bogaerts and Swanson are All-Star shortstops. Justin Verlander won the AL Cy Young Award with Houston last season, and then signed an $86.7 million, two-year contract with the Mets.

    WHAT’S NEXT?

    Looming over all this spending is Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who can become a free agent after the 2023 season. If Ohtani gets to free agency, he likely would smash each of baseball’s financial records for player contracts.

    Ohtani, who turns 29 in July, hit .273 with 34 homers and 95 RBIs this year. He also went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts.

    San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado can opt out of his $300 million, 10-year deal after the upcoming season, giving up $150 million over the final five seasons, and he almost certainly is monitoring all the money being handed out this offseason.

    “People are discussing who are the free agents in ’24 and ’25 now because it’s like all a big puzzle,” San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler said. “So what happens this offseason is definitely going to impact what happens two offseasons from now.”

    Machado’s decision is likely one reason why San Diego gave Bogaerts a $280 million, 11-year contract.

    Also worth watching are baseball’s small-market owners, most of whom have been standing quietly off to the side since the end of the season. There is undoubtedly some private grousing going on behind the scenes, especially over some of the longer deals that dilute the intended effect of the sport’s tax system.

    “We have a level of revenue disparity in this sport that makes it impossible for some of our markets to compete at some of the numbers we’ve seen,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said during the winter meetings.

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    Lisa Lorey in New York contributed to this story.

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    Follow Jay Cohen at https://twitter.com/jcohenap

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Dominant Dodgers, hot Padres bring SoCal rivalry to NLDS

    Dominant Dodgers, hot Padres bring SoCal rivalry to NLDS

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    LOS ANGELES — The San Diego Padres knocked off the 101-win New York Mets in the National League wild-card series.

    Awaiting them in the NL Division Series is an even bigger challenge: the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.

    “They’re hot and we’ve been hot for seven months,” a smiling — or was it smirking? — Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman said Monday.

    Call it a postseason Freeway Series.

    “It’s going to be a very intense series,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

    Unlike the regular season.

    The Southern California rivals were separated by a whopping 22 games in the NL West, with the Dodgers controlling first place for much of the time and the Padres finishing second.

    “They handed it to us pretty good this year, so we realize what we’re up against,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “It feels a little bit better now that we’re not looking at the standings.”

    That’s not the only way in which the Dodgers dominated the Padres. Los Angeles went 15-4 against them, never lost a series and outscored them 109-47.

    As a result, the Dodgers are solid favorites coming into the best-of-five NLDS that begins Tuesday night in Los Angeles. In Game 1, right-hander Mike Clevinger takes the mound for the Padres against left-hander Julio Urías, a 17-game winner for the Dodgers.

    Right-hander Yu Darvish, a 16-game winner, starts for the Padres in Game 2 on Wednesday against left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner.

    The Dodgers are well-rested, having been been off since closing out the regular season a week ago. While the Padres flew cross-country to outscore the Mets 16-8 in winning the wild-card series in three games, the Dodgers played simulated games in their empty stadium.

    They gathered at a high-end steakhouse on Sunday night for a team dinner with the decisive Padres-Mets game on in the background. Watching Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove getting his ears checked for illegal substances by the umpire, “it got a little louder in the room,” Freeman said.

    BOLSTERING THE RANKS

    San Diego got better at the trade deadline by adding closer Josh Hader and two-time All-Star Juan Soto, who was a teammate of current Dodger Trea Turner on the Washington Nationals.

    Hader closed out Game 3 against the Mets and Soto went 2 for 4 with two RBIs in the clincher.

    The Dodgers signed Freeman in March, adding offensive punch to an already potent lineup. Freeman hit .325 and finished .001 points behind the Mets’ Jeff McNeil for the NL batting title.

    ALMOST LIKE HOME

    The last time the Padres were in the playoffs in a full season in front of fans in 2006, Roberts was their leadoff hitter and left fielder. He’ll be able to sleep in his own bed during the NLDS since he lives in the San Diego area.

    BUEHLER’S NIGHT OUT

    Walker Buehler will be on the mound for Game 2 on Wednesday — to toss out the ceremonial first pitch. The two-time All-Star who helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series had his second career Tommy John surgery in August. He’s not expected back until the 2024 season. Buehler was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts this season before having surgery.

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    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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