Phillies 2026 News and Discussion

[andyb]

You can say a lot of things that are correct, but you are just dead wrong that they are maxed out financially. The pursuit of Bichette is not that of a maxed out team. Repeat after me: it's not my money (other than ticket prices of course).

They can spend money. They just won't win regularly without spending it wisely though.

[flyers19rw]

Playing small ball when it's called for is not doing it all of the time. There are occasions when a bunt or hit and run would make a difference when a team is in a hitting slump. This club doesn' t do that. Chase rate is one thing; working a count is another. The Phillies are in the bottom tier of taking walks for the league. They'd rather slug. Still most of their HRs are with no one on base.
Amaro is right about the amount of talent on this club and its performance. The two don't connect. Either the talent isn't really there, which is doubtful, or the players are not performing at the level that they should. The manager and his staff needs to get these guys on a winning path or some of these people need new addresses.

[Philsmania]

Greg Luzinski chimes in on Kevin Long.

https://x.com/LuzinskiGreg/status/2048482198425071856

Maybe he shouldn't say anything but, at the same time, he may have a point. There's a lot of chatter that the veterans--notably Harper and Turner--are advocating on Long's behalf to management but, yeah, look at all the position players--"hitters", if you will--who seem to lose it when they get to Philadelphia.

[MichaelJackSchmidt]

Thomson has been fired

[zambonir]

I think that one gets its own thread

[zambonir]

I think DD may retire rather than preside over a 3-5 year rebuild.

His contract is up after next season, he can just hand the keys over to Mattingly if the team isn't thinking about bigger changes (which it doesn't seem like they will be unless it happens before the next permanent manager is named).

[Philsmania]

This is kind of a desperation move. I feel bad that Topper is taking the fall for the missteps of the people over him.

[zambonir]

When does it ever not go that way though? Charlie didn't deserve to be fired either. Even Sandberg, a bad manager who was brought in as the obvious heir, was not really to blame for what he inherited.

They say every GM (or PBO) should get no more than two managerial firings, but what's funny is this is the first Phillies manager Dombrowski has actually hired directly. And Gillick never hired or fired even one.

[Philsmania]

When does it ever not go that way though? Charlie didn't deserve to be fired either. Even Sandberg, a bad manager who was brought in as the obvious heir, was not really to blame for what he inherited.

They say every GM (or PBO) should get no more than two managerial firings, but what's funny is this is the first Phillies manager Dombrowski has actually hired directly. And Gillick never hired or fired even one.

I've heard the rule say that a GM in any sport (or POBO in baseball) usually only gets one chance before they end up on the hot seat themselves. Lee Thomas managed to get two hires (Leyva and Fregosi) before he ended up on the hot seat himself after hiring Francona (his third). After inheriting Francona, Wade's first hire was Bowa but then found himself on the hotseat and on the way out himself the year after he fired Bowa and hired Charlie. Gillick never made a change but don't forget how he placed three former managers--Jimy Williams, Davey Lopes and, for a couple of weeks, Art Howe--on the coaching staff in the offseason preceding 2007, a clear shot across Charlie's bow. Sandberg was Amaro's hire before he was doomed. Klentak had his hire in Kapler before he got fired a year after Kapler was.

[zambonir]

I think the idea of one chance stems from a different era in sports, when managers didn't get fired after just two or three years. Of course, now GMs also get fired after just two or three years.

Honestly I can't blame Dombrowski for much. The Phillies are historically a badly run organization, and they were especially badly run in the years between Gilick and Dombrowski, including Gillick's own brief second tenure. Monty's death was both an extenuating circumstance and inciting incident for the team to do better. Remember when they almost decided to go without a GM at all in 2020? Had DD not seen Nashville fall through, and had he not been a MacPhail crony, that might have still happened.

Also incredibly good luck that Middleton made a bad managerial hire (technically Klentak was still the GM when that happened) but Kapler's bench coach stuck around and proved to be a good one.

It would be interesting to see what Mattingly might do as his own man. Just as much risk to bring in any other candidate of similar age/experience. Hopefully they don't start thinking they need another guy with tons of experience. I'm not sure there are many viable candidates of Dombrowski's generation left at this point (let alone MacPhail or Gillick's).

[phillychuck]

This is kind of a desperation move. I feel bad that Topper is taking the fall for the missteps of the people over him.

The manager always pays the price, even if he didn’t run up the bill.

[zambonir]

Dombrowski press conference video

[andyb]

Bowlan activated. Hoffman back to Lehigh Valley.

[zambonir]

Be interesting to see how the running game does or doesn't change at 3B. Not that the opportunities have been there this year anyway.

[Taudawg]

Is it too early to start a Hot Stove thread?

The 6th Wild Card should require something like 85 wins. The Phillies would need to go 76-58 the rest of way. Even if this team clicks, that feels like a stretch. I'm with the masses on a few takes - I think Nola is toast, Bohm is broken, and JT is diminished. The other strugglers should recover, but it won't be enough. Only two teams in the 162 game era have made the playoffs after a 9-19 start.

[Callison]

Watching speed on the bases making a difference. Most knew and expected Crawford to show up with it. Maybe someday he'll be permitted to leadoff. OTOH, Dylan Moore seems too old to have great speed, but others know better. His recent steal of 2B may have won a game. Maybe he's on the team to fill the pinch runner role. Seems a luxury for a team looking for hitters, but the results speak for themselves.

[andyb]

Moore has been stealing bases at a 30+ yearly rate the last 2 seasons so he still has some speed even if baserunning knowledge is part of what he brings. He'll need to get a hit one of these days,, but we just don't need that last spot to do much. It was probably going to be Rojas' spot to lose before the suspension.

[RolenRules]

Phillies Designate Dylan Moore For Assignment

Just saw this....

[Callison]

Amazing just after Moore showed he really can contribute,,, though reminding everybody he can't hit.

IMHO, the Phils really want JT to call the game for Painter. For Painter, it's time to show he can summon his talent.

[allentown]

He has summoned his talent. This is really his true first year back from TJ and he needs to build stamina -- slowly, one of his problems was that Thomson kept him in the game too long. He does need to pitch more efficiently with fewer pitches per inning.