Phillies 2026 News and Discussion

[BostonRoss]

I see what you are saying about stripping the farm system. I wouldn't say the Phillies traded long term prospect value because to date, what they traded has almost no value. The Phillies traded "potential" value for some actual real value. It's likely that some of the prospects they traded will have some major league value, but most prospects that are not elite never become stars.

I disagree that the Phillies have not won anything since they started trading the guys you mentioned. They went to the World Series after trading some of those guys and to the NLCS a year later. If the measure is winning the World Series, then most trades in MLB are useless since most teams aren't world champions.

While some trades like this are bad from the start (trading top prospects for marginal help now), most don't end up hurting the team who trades the prospects. No outcome is guaranteed, but if you have a shot at winning it all, increasing your chances by trading some potential future value can make sense. I would say that the trades for Lee and Halladay, which did not generate championships, were good for the Phillies, and some of the traded prospects were a lot better than the recent ones we've traded. As it turns out, the best players the Phillies traded in those deals were Carlos Carrasco and Travis D'Arnaud, but I'd much rather have the memory of enjoying the non-championship teams of 2009-2011 than having those guys for years later.

I guess we will not agree on this because we have different perspectives.

[zambonir]

Meanwhile, we used to repeatedly lament the Mead/Sanchez trade (a much different version of future vs. present) as well as Marsh/O'Hoppe and while I always figured the Phillies might "lose" both of those trades in the long run, that may yet not be the case. Ironically I think you could even go so far as to wonder if those two players would have been developed better by the Phillies.

[andyb]

We actually do agree on most. One can think the trades were worth doing and recognize the consequence that the trades have left us with a really weak farm system and little depth. Abel is doing pretty well and guys like Klassen and Hao Yu Lee are getting called up, so there are some guys out there who could have helped this team today.

I just see nothing in AAA or AA that will make a difference this year other than Miller and maybe McFarlane in the bullpen. And those two are big questions. Felix Reyes was not really a solution to anything. Nice story. Seems to be a good kid. But really he is about the same as Kemp both offensively and defensively. Garcia probably back to cleanup tomorrow. That was a really weird move by Thomson that had little chance of success.

[Ryles]

My take is that Topper will be let go when back in Philly on the Monday off day. Guessing the Green/Owens method will be put into effect with a front office person becoming manager to get a pulse on this under-performing veteran team. Preston Mattingly, Sam Fuld or Jorge Valendia could be candidates.

[zambonir]

It's funny that the Baumann Fangraphs article mentions the possible "curse" of Harry the K's as a sign that the Phillies are hard up for cash, when they plainly aren't. Just thinking like a business.

He notes that while the Phillies should be able to turn things around, they now have to play at a 92-win pace (having been projected at 87.5) just to get to 86, the likely bare minimum for a WC.

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The Phillies Need Help. Jesús Luzardo Needs an Exorcism.

[zambonir]

Fuld is neither available (still in school for another month) nor would it makes sense for him to trade being President of the entire Phillies organization for a managing job (though I imagine the latter would be more fun). The only Mattingly who would do it is Don, and that has its own issues. Velandia has always struck me as an intriguing option. It's very different from the Green/Owens era because the front office guys are much closer in age (ish) as the players and would not be an authority figure like Green was (to say the least).

[allentown]

nimum for a WC.

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blogs.fangraphs.com

The Phillies Need Help. Jesús Luz

Any fan or writer as old as, or really half my age, grew up in an environment when the Phillies were always hard up for cash. The Carpenters had a main-line view of how much the players should be played and were very upset at the rising salaries. They sold to a management group they appointed Bill Giles, he of little $, to assemble and serve as managing partner, in large measure because they knew they could count on him to join the Commissioner in opposing greater player salaries, signing bonuses, and rights generally. Ruly Carpenter strongly supported the farm, but still seemed to view the players as the modern equivalent of serfs. Giles needed his draw from the team to live the life he wanted so, in addition to stripping the farm system, he had a very tight budget. The budget situation has drastically changed but the memory of good players jettisoned and good draft picks avoided to save $ made an indelible impression, as did the whiteness of the Giles era Phillies minor league system.

DD has been spectacularly bad at signing supporting players to support his stars and has yet to make the farm productive. He has proven the consensus take on his performance that he could push a team to (almost) the top but would leave it troubled. He seems to still not be the guy to build and maintain a sustained winner.

[Philsmania]

That's why if this team ends up somewhere from 78-82 wins, I would like to see a teardown of the ML team with building the farm system the #1 priority for 2-3 years.

Because it worked so well the first time right?

No, it did not, but the time before that (1997-2000), it worked very well--laid the foundation for the a golden age. They embarked on that rebuild despite the fact that the rebuild before that one (1989-92) didn't work. And before that, the 1971-74 rebuild worked out big time.

[Philsmania]

It's very different from the Green/Owens era because the front office guys are much closer in age (ish) as the players and would not be an authority figure like Green was (to say the least).

As alluring as a Marine drill sargeant-style manager is to the fans, today's Millenial and Gen Z players simply don't respond well to them (while Boomer players thrived under them because the conflict with authority motivated them). The only possible Marine drill sargeant manager out there for the Phillies--a guy who would make the paint peel on the clubhouse walls on a nightly basis--is Ricky Bottalico in the NBCSN studio. And, full disclosure, i never served in the military, so it is possible that what Hollywood portrays in terms of Marine drill sargeants is BS.

[zambonir]

haha me neither but I think Ricky is just a TV cartoon character. You may as well make Michael Barkann the manager.

[Austinfan]

The drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket was a real Marine sergeant.
He ad libbed most of his material and was so impressive Kubrick kept it.

R. Lee Ermey

[Callison]

IMHO, Walker might have found a role in the pen in long relief. Not what the Phils wanted/expected of him though and they insisted on making him a starter which resulted in his release. Sorry to see it cause Walker is a likeable player in his interviews.

OTOH, getting the Phils to admit they made a mistake takes a long time, but the "Casty Moment" finally arrived.

Paying 2 players $38 M that are not on the team has got to be a record that will never be equalled.

Att'n DD: the only reason the Phils don't have a cleanup hitter is Rob. Schwarber belongs there. Instead of Harper backing up Schwarber, it could be Schwarber backing up Harper. But noooooooooooooooo ... let's keep running with the lineup that isn't working. Rob needs some assistance with the lineup.

[zambonir]

Schwarber hit 4th 37 games last year. But he's still better off getting more ABs higher in the line-up. In any case the "cleanup hitter" as the topic is a complete red herring. What's missing is a RHB, both to produce in the middle of the order in general and to split up Schwarber and Harper. Turner, Bohm and Garcia all aren't good enough. Reyes is probably not the answer either. Hopefully Turner gets back to being his 2025 self.

If they did move Crawford to lead-off and had Turner bat second I think I'd still go Schwarber-Harper 3-4, but Harper prefers 3.

[andyb]

Some interesting comparisons here for the Phillies compared to league averages. Hitters are slightly more aggressive than average but the big change is really in the number of innings we are getting out of the starters.

And we have regressed defensively. Crawford has been pretty bad. Garcia might be better than Castellanos but still grades below average. Turner and Stott are average at best along with Bohm and Harper has actually been our worst fielder. With no plus defensive players we probably have the worst defense in the league.

4/24/26 : Did Ya Know 🤔

[andyb]

Well I mused yesterday about the only real difference-making prospects for 2026 being Miller and McFarlane, but I was not really thinking today.

Phillies Recall Alex McFarlane For MLB Debut

Could be a 1-day thing with Wheeler coming up but one never really knows. McFarlane is on the 40 already so the option has already been used.

[Philsmania]

Paying 2 players $38 M that are not on the team has got to be a record that will never be equalled.

Not close to a record, actually. The Red Sox owed Pablo Sandoval $48 million when they cut him in 2017 (Dombrowski cut him but didn't sign him), the Orioles owed Chris Davis $46 million when they restructured his deal and convinced him to retire (O's will be paying him deferred money through 2037) and the Angels ended up having to pay $63 million of the $83 million that was owed to Josh Hamilton when they traded him to Texas in 2015.

[zambonir]

I forgot they still had the spot open. Could just be they send back whomever has to pitch tonight of the guys with options. But maybe they'll throw him right into a game with a lead, if that actually happens.

[andyb]

He or Hoffman probably go back tomorrow but both plus someone like Shugart go back when Duran, Pop, and Bowlan come back which could all be pretty soon. Not much 40-man depth any more. Johnson and Rangel can't be recalled yet. Cabrera and Chace are not ready. They would not have done this if McFarlane was pitching poorly, but this is just the reality of the 40-man roster in the days of 26-man rosters and needed bullpen churn.

We'll probably use most of their 5 potential recalls. Especially someone like Rangel when we have a bullpen game. This is a bullpen without obvious long relievers now. They still have a Chace to the 60 move they can probably make though he would need to go back on the 40 when his rehab ended (and it has not begun yet). Guessing they don't want to start his service time clock unless they have to.

[RTaylor]

McFarlane has 12 innings above A ball.

[bkox]

Paying 2 players $38 M that are not on the team has got to be a record that will never be equalled.

Anthony Rendon is getting 38M just himself this year from the Angels.