PhilaPhans

Ben Grimm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:51 pm

Michael Jack wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:25 pm Braves sign Colin McHugh to a two-year deal. Does anyone else think it might be a better signing than the two guys the Phils just signed?

I'll actually take the two the Phils signed. I prefer two 30- or 31- year olds over a 35 year old - regardless of position. Signing relieves is something you do en masse. Rarely does signing just one pan out. You almost need to sign 3-4 and hope one simply pans out.

I can't believe people are so over the top on a position that rarely produces the same year in - year out. Relievers (other than the super-rare) are all a crap shoot. Pay to play.

people are over the top b/c in 2020 they had the worst bullpen maybe ever and followed it up with a slightly less shitty bullpen. Likely cost them playoffs in both seasons. so yeah, people are invested.

Brad Miller to the Rangers. Should have brought him back.

Cheap pricks

bigel57 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 12:53 pmCheap pricks

Kris Bryant sucking up all of Middleton's spare change?

So, the overnight news:
-- Rizzo to the Yankees
-- Miller to the Rangers
-- Matt Chapman traded to Blue Jays
-- Suzuki to Cubs (5/70)

-- Buzz is starting to emerge that Phillies are quietly very strong on Kris Bryant, which makes sense if we want to start from the assumption that they're a real baseball franchise that cares about winning. Reported other contenders include Mariners and Rockies. I have to think the Padres are still in, too.

-- To me, Brad Miller signing elsewhere is a somewhat encouraging sign that the Phillies are focused on Bryant. Signing him would give them enough positional flexibilty at 3B to make Miller less urgent for the roster.

-- Making all these moves at the edges while keeping the budget very open for Bryant makes sense too. That said, I'm not as psyched if Bryant is the only significant bat they add. Adding Bryant means you probably still need to count on all of these things, given that there's a DH spot to fill, too:

-- Bohm improving
-- Herrera/Vierling platoon being OK
-- Stott making the team
-- Gregorious bouncing back

A quality LH bat in addition to Bryant, in a league that now has a DH, is what this team needs to be competitive in a division with with World Champions and the free-spending Mets.

Obviously, the Schwarber-Bryant duo would be fantastic, for both the lineup and positional flexibility.
But it doesn't have to be the only route.

Conforto would do the trick.
Another option would be to acquire Hosmer and move Hoskins to DH. Hosmer would not cost a lot, prospect-wise. Phillies could ask Padres to pay the bulk of Hosmer's 2022 salary, while assuming the 2023 & 2024 obligations (helping their precious budget)

C Realmuto
1B Hosmer
2B Segura
SS Gregorious/Stott
3B Bohm/Bryant
LF Bohm/Bryant
CF Herrera-Vierling platoon
RF Harper
DH Hoskins

That's a quality lineup

LOL. Of course just as finish writing all of that, we get this news from Ken Rosenthal:

The Phillies are “making progress” on a deal with free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Schwarber had recently been linked to the Blue Jays, but Shi Davidi and Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reported a few minutes ago that the team had become “pessimistic” about its chances of signing Schwarber, believing he was likely to sign elsewhere.

Obviously don't know what that deal would be, but I'm pessimistic that they'd still pursue Bryant if they add Schwarber

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Jim Salisbury
@JSalisburyNBCS
· 4m
Phillies have an agreement with Kyle Schwarber, pending all the usual stuff

Hurray and all that!
But just for fucking once I'd like to see them come out and say "We're done yet it" instead of the immediate buzzkill "With Schwarber as our big signing we believe we have our 2022 roster in a good place"

Still need another bat to move the needle.
Will be interesting to see what the Schwarber money is. Red Sox indicated that Schwarber's deal with Philly was not a place they wanted to go, money-wise.