Phillies 2026 News and Discussion

[Philsmania]

Was this in works before or after Garcia injury I wonder. Or Rojas injury for that matter

That's what I was thinking. He sounds like an older version of Rojas.

[allentown]

He hits LHP well, but bad against RHP, so at best the short end of a platoon.

[zambonir]

All they can really do if Garcia is out for a while is bring up Rincones. If not this guy, Reyes or Kemp also not an answer to play everyday (and especially not in RF).

[andyb]

If Garcia is out they probably bring up both Rincones and Hill. Maybe Reyes too and then they decide between Berroa and Hill. Reyes has hit well after being sent down and may do better with more regular playing time. Rincones would ideally play a little more in AAA too since his season has been so abbreviated.

The Stubbs experiment will end if they actually have to throw another OF platoon out there.

[zambonir]

Hill, according to team sources, is expected to play center field and right field against left-handed pitchers. Sources indicated the Phillies had been in talks with Chicago about Hill before Adolis García’s right shoulder injury,

Phillies trade for Derek Hill from White Sox as they weigh moves to boost...

So, seems like he was already the Rojas replacement and Crawford platoon partner. But if Garcia hits the IL they need more, and if it's serious, maybe they step up their deadline shop early. Especially if they don't want Crawford facing lefties.

For sure they should probably DFA Stubbs before anything else. Berroa is a SH so he could hang around in theory (but also has options).

[Callison]

"At the plate, Hill has been effective against left-handed pitchers, posting a .245 batting average with a .789 OPS against lefties in 2026."

"effective"??? IMHO, just another reminder that the Phils can't find RH a hitter.

To replace Garcia, I'd prefer the AAA guy with the biggest upside. Looks like Reyes. Great opportunity to give him another shot.

Further IMHO, Painter may have a bright future, but he's shown he isn't ready. The Phils aren't doing him any favors keeping him in the rotation, either - looks like the Phils are just refusing to address an obvious problem.

[andyb]

Holding Rincones out of last night's game is probably a sign that he will be called up if Garcia has to go on the IL. Then Hill is added for Berroa or Stubbs. We'll see if our RF tonight can hit a 103 mph fastball tonight regardless of who it is.

[zambonir]

.789 is a solid enough OPS for a strong defensive OF platoon guy. In a perfect world Kemp would be 100 points better while being poor in the field (as Wilson previously was). The leaguewide average OPS for all right-handed hitters overall is currently .696, the lowest since '92. Not just a Phillies problem. Reyes was .421 in his previous stint.

We'll see if anyone can hit a 103mph fastball! JT sounded like he's already ready for the sombrero in his interview with Stark today.

[zambonir]

That's a whole lot of names who might have been or still could be Phillies. I believe Weston Wilson's DFA window is still not over either.

Tommy Pham To Opt Out Of Orioles Deal

Baltimore has a starting outfield of Taylor Ward, Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras. The latter was signed as a fourth or fifth outfielder but has put together a decent season, batting .258/.345/.365 in 209 plate appearances. He has handily outplayed Tyler O’Neill, who has hit .155 with one home run since returning from a concussion in mid-April. O’Neill has started to lose playing time as a result, dropping into a part-time corner outfield/designated hitter role.

[andyb]

Matt posted his thoughts here and I am pretty much in agreement. I think we see Rincones tonight if Garcia goes on the IL. I think we both want another OF in the Stubbs bench spot too, especially if we have to platoon everyone except Marsh now.

Phillies Acquire Derek Hill and Add New Piece to Outfield Mess

[biggsphils]

Nooooo ! don't need a Lh bat that never hit in the minors

[andyb]

Garcia to 60-day with a muscle tear. Rincones and Hill up. Berroa paternity leave.

[zambonir]

We're probably gonna miss him, and not just because his bat was heating up. OTOH that makes it pretty easy to chart a trade deadline course (but also easier for selling teams to ask for more).

[julio]

[Garcia's] bat was heating up...

Yeah, in the last seven days he managed an OPS+ of 74. That's better than his season (OPS+ of 63), but we'll "miss" that?

Garcia's last five games (not including last night): He was 2 for 18, with a single, a home run, and eleven strikeouts. He also walked once. BA of .111; OBP of .158; SLG of .278; OPS of .436.

I see this as an opportunity to see what some other players might be able to do. Garcia is old, he's on a one-year deal, and he wasn't getting it done. I wish him well; I also wish him a long, conservative recovery/rehab from his injury.

[Philsmania]

Is there any chance we see Garcia again this season?

It will be cool to see one of our real prospects come up in Rincones.

[zambonir]

Okay, so the hot streak was both brief and not that substantive. But I'm still seeing a .774 OPS in June with an OPS+ of 100 (versus - wait for it - 16 - in May). He was also raking LHP well enough all season (141 OPS+).

But I really mean the defense. While his dWAR is not as impressive as it was last year either, I believe he's still grading as one of the best OFs in MLB in more specific metrics (DRS and OAA).

If we had more promising players to see what they might be able to do that would be one thing. But Hill's not better and given how poorly every OF the Phillies have brought up from AAA (be they prospects or over-30 guys) has been over the past few years I doubt Rincones will be either.

The good news/bad news is the trade ramifications. If you wanted the Phillies to sell out for a Trout or Buxton this increases the likelihood of that. If you thought they could still live with a more modest deal that would simply reduce Garcia's playing time and cost fewer prospects, that is now less likely.

Of course a real cynic would predict that even if the current group does well the Phillies won't have faith in them doing so in October, and Rincones himself could be in a trade.

[julio]

Okay, so the hot streak was both brief and not that substantive. But I'm still seeing a .774 OPS in June with an OPS+ of 100 (versus - wait for it - 16 - in May). He was also raking LHP well enough all season (141 OPS+).

He was decent in June, in nine games - but awful in the last five of those nine games. Small sample size!

He's been fine against LHP - and horrible against RHP, (OPS+ of 43!) to the point that he maybe should have been in a strict platoon? But he was basically out there every day. (Veteran, big contract, "power guy.")

And for all the angst about the Phils facing LHP, Garcia had about 3 times as many PA against RHP as against LHP.

Can other guys - in a platoon - do as well as Garcia was doing on an everyday basis? I don't know, but it's not a high bar.

[EDmuch]

If it is for Buxton, I could see both Crawford and Rincones as part of that deal. And that would just be the start of it. Add in Escobar and a pitchhing prospect other than Woods.

[zambonir]

Yeah as a non-rental with a somewhat reasonable salary - albeit one the Twins would like to dump - Buxton would not be cheap, even with his injury history. But I don't think it would be that big a package either. Phillies can take on all the $.

[harrisburghusker]

We're definitely going to miss Garcia's glove and arm. For my money, probably the best Philly RF in recent memory since the Flyin Hawaiian spent time there.

I want Rincones to be good, but he's not ever really hit much in the minors and has struggled to stay healthy. Sometimes guys hit better in the Big Leagues for a myriad of reasons. Hopefully he can do the same.