Phillies 2025-2026 Hot Stove Discussion

[andyb]

My misgiving about the trade was more that we are now painfully thin with left-handed relief. Alvarado is still a question for me as to which version we will see. And Banks is coming off a year that was great, but is it really sustainable ((BABIP went from .317 to .255 last season). He is durable but the low K rate makes me think he is is still more middle relief than setup guy.

Behind that we have nothing in the minors. Walling and Garnett are the best we have in the high minors and neither projects to be more than middle relief and both have to conquer AAA. We are really thin with left-handed relief unless we add somebody.

[andyb]

Well, 10 minutes later we added a depth LH reliever for a prospect I kind of liked (Avery Owusu-Asiedu).

Phillies Acquire Kyle Backhus

Note Backhus has all 3 options remaining but will take up a 40-man spot. Backhus only throws 91 but is one of those funky submarine motion types. Maybe not quite the same as Hoby Milner but in that class of LOOGY. Big time splits. 988 OPS against right-handers and .503 against lefties.

[saycheese]

Don't like either one of these moves by Dombrowski. HIs handling of this off season has been suspect at best. His criticism of Strahm and Casty is going to cost this team 27 million dollars with only a 30 yr old 2nd year player to show for it. Sometimes it best to walk silently and carry a big stick. I can't help but think if he would have said nothing about either player he would have been able to move them and get some pieces back
The trade for Backhus is meh, I mean he will pitch at 28 next year, wasn't drafted, signed as a undrafted free agent out of Sam Houston in 2021. They traded a 22yr old right handed hitting outfielder to get him which is OK.
The thing is neither one of these guys is guaranteed to make this roster. We traded away a sure thing in Strahm for basically nothing. I don't believe in Salary dumps either. If Middleton can't afford to pay 7 million for a quality lefty relief pitcher then he has no business signing guys like Keller for 11 million who is a risk, as he only did it for one year. Oh and he is 30 also.

There is no way to say this but this team is not as good as the team that ended last year. Its really that simple. They have done nothing to help the lineup, the bullpen is a bunch of question marks beyond Duran. They don't have a catcher. They traded away a piece that could have got you a catcher.

Help talk me off the end folks. Because I am a the brink right now.

[julio]

Help talk me off the end folks. Because I am a the brink right now.

It's December 19th. Spring training starts in...two months. It's a bit early to be jumping ship.

[Austinfan]

As Branch Rickey used to say, better to trade a player a year early than a year late.
Strahm had a nice run, but you make decisions about what a player can give you going forward, and he's close to the end.
At least they're not loading up the back of the pen with Romero and Ruiz.

[Squire]

In the aggregate I really do not have a problem with these deals at all. Got younger, got more control and got a little cheaper. The outfield prospect was still a longshot (especially for an organization that still cannot figure out how to get Crawford and Rincones into the picture).

[owaistabish]

https://www.mlb.com/phillies/news/phillies-acquire-kyle-backhus-from-d-backs-for-avery-owusu-asiedu

Really liked Avery!

[EDmuch]

I fully support trading Strahm. He is sgoin down hill and the last thing I want to see (which I am sure I would see if he stayed) is him looking up at another home ball late in a playoff game. He made some solid contributions the past few eyers. But it was obvious last year that he did not have much left in the tank. The fact that all we got for him was a rehab project from the Royals suggests that the rest of baseball was no clamoring for his services. I am glad he is gone.

[RolenRules]

Both you and "O" like Avery. His stats on Baseball Reference don't seem to be those of a top prospect, but it does seem you have a good feel for minor league talent. What do you see in him that I'm not seeing in the stats?

[andyb]

AOA is still relatively young (22) and is just a big, toolsy athlete with an improving idea of the strike zone. He is 6'4" 230 and has untapped power potential with above average speed (33 SB). He probably ends up in a corner but can also play CF still. BB-K ratio went from 37-129 in 2024 to 58-102 in 2025 and he moved up a level to Jersey Shore without a huge challenge.

These are all signs of an emerging prospect even if he would still have lots of risk to get there.

[zambonir]

His criticism of Strahm and Casty is going to cost this team 27 million dollars with only a 30 yr old 2nd year player to show for it.

I think only Casty is to blame for Casty being untradable (by both his play and his behavior) and Strahm isn't costing them anything.

[fish]

At the moment Backhus is going to be a roster flexibility guy who can ride the shuttle back and forth to Lehigh Valley, which is ok because they didn't have a left handed pitcher who could fill that role. He's got great extension (7.2 ft) and his sinker plays well, but his sweeper needs refinement, righties kill it. Either something sharper with tilt, or one of those low arm slot frisbees.

Strahm was a high leverage performer, that's not going to be easy to replace, but the bullpen construction with a depth of options, including the ones who don't make the club and go to AAA make the group they've assembled this far a much better plan than what they've assembled in the past. Granted, the degree to which they'll be successful is going to depend on some refinement of their stuff that's a big unknown.

[fish]

These are all signs of an emerging prospect even if he would still have lots of risk to get there.

Definitely the kind of guy you wished they had more of in hopes that someone would pay off.

[zambonir]

I think one year of Strahm for, potentially, seven years of Bowlan, plus the fact that the $7.5 million is going to Keller, makes it a pretty good trade. Maybe a gamble Bowlan pans out but also a gamble Strahm has a good season. I guess you could say the Phillies both gave up more and got more for Soto but that's partly due to the silliness of his closer/All-Star resume rather than performance.

[saycheese]

Your right on Strahm as far salary goes, not sure why I put that in there. The cost there was they got back a AAAA player vs an actual package that could help the team. KC gets back Mears and Collins for Zerpa, who is younger and has another year of control over Strahm but you can't tell me the Phillies could not have gotten back someone like a Collins. 26 yr old switch hitting outfielder who had a solid first full season of ball. Just seems like Dombrowksi is not being creative enough. He is letting go of proven guys for unproven overaged players.

I saw Owusu-Asiedu play at JS. Held his own, probably age appropriate for there and a few years away. I had him as a B level prospect. I an not as much upset with trading him its the return. Why are we trading for a 27yr old who can't get right handers out at all. Yes he is great against lefties but with the 3 batter rule he is going to have to get right handers out in order to stick with this team.

[RolenRules]

Thank you for the reply! I hope he does well, only not against the Phillies!

[zambonir]

I believe Strahm never cared for the non-hierarchical/undefined bullpen usage the Phillies sometimes preferred, which is ironic since they now seem more committed to the traditional pecking order than ever.

Phillies lean right with new-look bullpen, still waiting on J.T. Realmuto

The Phillies fielded calls on all three of their lefty relievers — José Alvarado and Tanner Banks included — but were intent on moving Strahm, team sources said. Strahm clashed with coaches and team officials; he was never afraid to voice his opinion on how the bullpen was managed and clubhouse dynamics. A productive three-year relationship had run its course with the growing friction between the two sides.

[LoneStarPhan]

Moving Strahm saves some money and provides two bullpen spots assuming Duran, Keller, Alvarado, Kerkering, Banks and the long man/sixrh starter. This makes it easier to keep the rule 5 guy, who hopefully proves he is worthy of the spot and have a spot for the best of the other 40 man roster pitchers. There are several of that bunch with options, so roster moves for injury replacement is easier since they can be moved up and down as needed.

The Phillies might just develop a reliever or two instead of signing or trading for the 30 plus established relievers. We hope our younger guys are those established relievers in a few years.

[zambonir]

Well, they are still not developing anyone. They are trading for guys who aren't completely developed.

But they traded Strahm for a guy without options and Walker still exists, so flexibility isn't that great. The Rule 5 guy also can't be optioned of course. Johnson and Curet and Backhus can be; they will share one roster spot probably unless Walker is in the rotation and McCambley (the Rule 5 pick) doesn't make it out of camp.

Basically Duran, Keller, Alvarado, Kerkering, Banks and Bowlan are locks. That leaves one spot if Walker's the 8th, or two if he's not. If they like McCambley he will beat out all three of the guys with options probably, at least to start.

[andyb]

Starting Wheeler gradually (i.e.. May and not April) probably makes sense especially if Walker is around. That will give them a month to figure out the last spot or two in the bullpen with the inevitable other injuries as well. Hopefully Bowlan is decent because he'll take up a spot until he shows he isn't.