GDT 9/3/25 Philadelphia Phillies (Nola, A) @ Milwaukee Brewers (Quintana)

[zambonir]

Obviously, none of us want Luzardo or Suarez in the pen, but someone needs to be there unless you leave them off the playoff roster entirely or they pitch only in that 4th starter or pen game in a 7 game series.

"Someone" is probably going to be Nola though. You won't leave him off the roster but it's possible he never pitches in the NLDS. Walker neither. Whether because they don't need him or because it's a long series and the "4th" starter is actually the Game 1 NLCS starter.

I would expect we will see Duran enter a game with men on or pitch multiple innings if he has to. Everything change in October.

If Nola does end up as one of three starting pitchers, then sure, maybe Luzardo doesn't throw a pitch in that series a third LH reliever isn't called for. But he could also just be scripted to come in right after Nola.

All of Luzardo's flaws as a reliever still apply to him as a starter. Either way, Ranger is our second-best starting pitcher.

Not sure about Kerkering being good with inherited runners. What is it, 14 out of 30? But he's been asked to do it a lot.

[andyb]

FWIW we won't need the 4th starter until the championship round with the extra off day early in the NLDS.

But there is also the reality of having both Nola and Walker on the roster and rarely using them. Not to mention Buehler. Probably only 2 of those 3 are on the playoff roster but we really don't want to limit the manager too much.

A planned tandem start going L/R or R/L might actually be a good strategy.

[zambonir]

Yeah for sure they only need three traditional starters in the DS round. But if it looks like it's going to be a five-game series, the "fourth starter" would pitch Game 1 or 2, assuming he wasn't drafted into relief on more of an emergency basis. And of course it's also possible Phillies have to play the WC round.

In 2023 both Sanchez and Walker weren't on the roster in the NLDS. Difference is Nola and Luzardo are of a different caliber. Ideally. But in the end we know what happened to Walker that year, and he was a well-paid respected veteran with a track record. Not quite Nola, but not nobody.

Unsurprisingly, Thomson does sound like he's expecting Nola to make the rotation. Expects him to get better, expects the light to turn on in October. But we'll see when we get there.

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

What are the odds that, with Nola's history with the team, the new contract, they demote him to 4th starter for the postseason?