Phillies 2026 News and Discussion

[zambonir]

He was supposed to start for the Pigs tonight. I think he can handle it. I think this is more of a standard spot start for the best/most available AAA pitcher than a re-audition or trade showcase. Unless the Phillies come up very empty at the deadline he goes back down again until September.

[Florida_Sunshine]

His play is dictating that. I see zero chance of an extension. And I don't see him looking for a role in management/scouting/goodwill ambassador.

[Philsmania]

Gelb actually has some strong words on all of this.

Harper and Dombrowski have not repaired their relationship. That might not matter except for brief, uncomfortable moments like this. Harper is under contract through 2031. Dombrowski is signed through 2027, although the Phillies are expected to extend him in the near future while perhaps publicly disclosing a succession plan.

Neither Harper nor Dombrowski, two powerful men with huge egos, particularly cares for the other. They probably should figure it out.

The frustrating state of the Phillies as Harper-Dombrowski cold war drags on...

In the end, it's going to come down to who Middleton sides with and which guy, Harper or Dombrowski, proverbially has his ear. At varying times, it has seemed as if both guys have.

Honestly, I'm ready to move on from this era of Phillies baseball and suck up the teardown and rebuild. The sooner we get started on it the better, rather than see them spin their wheels for another two-to-four years trying to get blood from a stone.. I think this group has done all it could and it's time to turn the page. Stinks that like the Whiz Kids, the mid-'60's team and '93, it will join the ranks of good Phillies teams of the modern (post-WW2) era that had to be satisfied with just a NL pennant (at best--the mid-'60's team didn't even get that) and never got the ultimate ring but I have reached the point of acceptance with that. Heck, championship-caliber teams that never win championships are so quintessentially Philadelphia. Along with those aforementioned Phillies teams, see also the Vermeil-Jaworski Eagles, the Buddy Ryan-built Eagles, the Lindros Era Flyers, the Iverson Era Sixers, the Reid-McNabb Era Eagles...almost par for the course in this town.

And, again honestly, I am ready to move on from both these guys. The game is passing Dombrowski by and he is unfit to do what really needs to be done (rebuild the farm) while Harper will be miserable with this team in decline and he'll let everybody know it, ultimately creating a situation where we have a player-team divorce whose ugliness rivals that of Schilling's and Rolen's (and Barkley's with the Sixers, White's with the Eagles and Lindros's with the Flyers). Hence, it's probably best to move him before the relationship with the organization really takes a toxic turn. I think Harper is very tradeable with the Phillies willing to pay down his AAV by about $6 million a year.and to the right team, he would gladly waive his NTC. The Yankees may be a good team to talk to about him since they always like flashy things and will need a 1Bman to replace Goldschmidt. Harper would almost certainly drool at the chance to be a Yankee. What we get back probably won't really matter all that much--turning the page from this era will.

[julio]

Andrew Painter has been recalled; Brian Keller optioned to AAA.

[David_Criss]

Why? Is he being showcased? We keep hearing his stuff is good and lots of pitching coaches would love to have him....if that is the case why isn't our pitching coach fixing him?????? I just don't see this as helping his trade value or confidence or the team. At this point, I was hoping to see what Keller might do given he has had much better AAA success than Painter has. Why won't they give "the other Keller" a chance?

[zambonir]

I think they just like the way he's progressed and how he's thrown the last two starts to where they genuinely think he is the guy who gives them the best chance to win tonight. Keller wasn't even trusted to start either either game (though I guess we'll see if AP is).

It's hard to imagine it would really mean anything as a showcase. I still think the next time around we'll have a new 5th starter, or if not, they are ready to ride with him because it's not like Keller can come back (Rangel could, but been there done that too).

[Philsmania]

I think Painter is simply the best option we have right now. As I've said before, he's made five starts for the Pigs. One was terrible but the other four were good. HIs AAA ERA is bad because of that one game but the total body of work is actually good.

[Austinfan]

Painter has great stuff, his mechanics were off and he's still working on some of his secondary pitches.
But he's way ahead of most young pitchers with top velocity who tend to ride their FB and one secondary pitch.
He's got a full repertoire, needs some refining,
The key is spin on his 4 seamer, if it's flat it's hittable even at 97, but with movement it sets up everything else.

[zambonir]

I think it's fair to say the Phillies haven't been very well-run - or have a tendency to panic - this season. This sounds kind of similar to the convoluted and delayed decision-making process around firing Thomson.

Phillies call up Andrew Painter for start against Orioles before trade deadline

The decision to promote Painter comes with rather curious timing. The club kept 32-year-old rookie Brian Keller on its roster all week, and interim manager Don Mattingly had indicated the Phillies would use Keller in some fashion for Friday night’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.

But the team has lost seven of its last eight games. After Mattingly met on Thursday’s off day with several front-office officials who are in town this weekend, the Phillies changed course.

“We felt like he’d give us the best chance,” Mattingly said.

I think I read there are as many as a dozen front office people in Baltimore getting ready for the deadline.

[allentown]

think I read there are as many as a dozen front office people in Baltimore getting ready for the deadline.

They have a lot of minor league games to watch. I assume they previously had a lot of guys watching rookie league and DSL as well.

[zambonir]

I think it is probably more the pro scouts, to talk about who to maybe get, given how many reports there have been of seeing certain pitchers, especially. But sure, also the top dev guys to say who's worth keeping or trading.

Question is do you think there is a single high-level guy (assistant GM, Preston Mattingly) who would argue against going for it? Does out GM not want his Dad to have a better roster and a chance to keep the job? It's a position neither man should be in.

[David_Criss]

This is exactly what many of what we the fans feared would happen when they ran it back after the disastrous showing in the playoffs. I want them to win, but honestly I'm starting to think they should be sellers now and start the rebuild while they can get quality for Bohm, Wheeler (only if you get an incredible haul), Duran (ditto would only do for an incredible haul), Kerkering, Marsh, JT, etc. Turner and Harper would require the team eating some money and they are already doing enough of that with Topper, Walker, Garcia, Banks, Castellanos. Nola is the most overpaid 5th starter in either league. The overpaid bats aren't hitting, Turner remaining at SS and the "improved" bullpen is killing us.

[zambonir]

They can't get quality for Bohm.

And Nola's still the 4th starter.

These are off-season type moves. Probably bigger to decide whether Marsh and Stott are part of the future than figuring out what to do with the Big Four.

Marsh, Harper and Schwarber just put up July numbers that look like Eric Bruntlett. If you think they are still going to do that you've got big problems both this season and for the next few years. But I doubt that's the case.

Marsh is the big question mark really. He is still young and this is the first time he's had to deal with hitting higher in the order and MLB teams planning to get him out. If he can get right and Trea stays right, you assume Schwarber and Harper will get back to themselves, make a few upgrades this weekend, you're still a credible wild card team, and this post-All-Star break is no more meaningful than April was.

The "disastrous" showing in the playoffs was in 2024. If they'd lost to a bad team last year it would have been harder to justify. But they were probably legitimately the second-best team in the NL, and top four in MLB.

We're sick of some of these players, that I get. Doesn't mean they could have gotten or could get better ones (barring, y'know, an actual farm system). Think how close we came to having Bichette and starting Marchan at catcher.

[flyers19rw]

Is now the time to start a blow up or should it wait until the offseason?
Not every player is going to be moved out. Who constitutes the core that is kept?

[allentown]

Question is do you think there is a single high-level guy (assistant GM, Preston Mattingly) who would argue against going for it? Does out GM not want his Dad to have a better roster and a chance to keep the job? It's a position neither man should be in.

I think the answer is that there isn't one. DD isn't a rebuilder and is nearing retirement. For all, it would be an admission of failure and they, very naturally, want a shot at redemption. They know they won't be here for the next golden age, even if wisely marshalling and adding to what minor league resources we have, along with freeing up $, leads to a shorter dark age than the one that followed the last golden era. That era and this era rhyme thus far: upstart team reaches playoffs, wins into WS -- different result once there, but then adds more and more expensive veteran talent while doing worse and worse in playoffs, including first round exit in the season they have their best regular season record, then a collapse year. Let's start a different rhyme and not wait too long to sell or keep trying too hard against the odds.

We may very well finish the regular season below .500 this year AND miss the playoffs or half another first-round exit, even if management ownership decide to go for one last hurrah this season.

It's up to ownership to decide and to bite the bullet, if that is what's needed. Make a brutally honest decision on Sunday.

[zambonir]

DD isn't a rebuilder and is nearing retirement.

Not as near as you might think! At least as far as we know, now.

[julio]

Who constitutes the core that is kept?

Sanchez, Luzardo, Painter?

Wheeler's here for one more year - but he's too old to be part of a future core. If it's rebuild time, it would make sense to move him - he could return real value. Nola could be on the block, but given his current difficulties and the contract (four more years), probably not for a lot of future value.

Relievers? I have trouble thinking of relief pitchers as part of a "core." They're too unreliable, too variable year to year. Well, except Mariano Rivera, and... well, and nobody else, really. So none of them are long-term core pieces.

Catching? Short of High-A (Alirio Ferrebus), I don't see a catcher in the organization who can be part of the Phils' next serious "core." (And Ferrebus is certainly not a lock, either.) Anybody above Ferrebus could be moved for value.

Infield. Harper and Turner have FNTC, and contracts that extend until sometime in the next millenium (OK, I exaggerate!). They're likely to be here, unless things get so bad they actively ask to be traded. Turner will need to move to a less demanding defensive position. Bohm is a FA this winter; he's gone. Stott? One more year of arbitration, then FA, unless he's extended. Is he worth a long-term extension?

In the OF... Marsh has one more arbitration year, then FA. Same as Stott; is he worth a multi-year extension? Other than that? Crawford is so young that he might grow into something of real value. I doubt that Rincones will.

Then Kyle Schwarber. Four years, at $30k. I'd probably keep him around, as the DH. But that's not critical; in some scenarios, it might make sense to trade him (no FNTC) and move Harper to DH (assuming they obtain a better hitter for 1B).

Bench players are, by definition, not part of a core.

After that...some of the prospects on the top of everybody's lists are as likely as anybody, if they develop well. Too soon to know - but I wouldn't trade them for a 2026 band-aid.

[Philsmania]

Allentown, that's what I keep saying. It becomes obvious that the good times are over yet the Phillies always insist on trying to keep it going and put off the inevitable teardownand rebuild. In the end, instead of a 6-8 year Postseason drought, we have a 10-14 year Postseason drought Wlll Middleton be any different than Giles or Montgomery?

Personally, I think this entire front office should be ripped out root and branch. And. If Middleton won't do that, he needs to sell.

[Austinfan]

They need to bring in someone from a successful small budget team who understands scouting and player development.
And stop buying mercaneries (except to flip for assets, using money to buy assets indirectly).
Do what they did 20 something years ago, draft well, sign the best of your own (small market teams have to trade them after a couple runs).and put together a team in their mid-20s who can compete for 6-8 years.

It's not just the Phillies, Mets, Yankees, I think having too much money poisons a lot of FOs, they get sloppy because they feel they can buy their way out of bad decisions - the Dodgers are the exception, both b/c they spend like crazy but also have great scouting/player development. Phillies can't spend like that.

[zambonir]

It's definitely true that teams with less money are forced to make smarter decisions. But the concept of a teardown/rebuild is antiquated (both in the current draftt system and given the Phillies' budget compared to 2010-2012). Heck, the Phillies themselves are a team that utterly failed to "tank" and rebuild. Nola, Bohm and Stott are all they have to show for it. The teams that won 95-96 games, and this one, were built entirely on free agents and a few trades. Prospects fueled some of the trades, but they were pretty protective of the best ones, many of whom lost their value. And two years ago we probably had Crawford, Painter and Miller pencilled in for a combined 9-10 WAR this season. Rojas was said to to be good for 2.0 WAR, without ever hitting, for the years to come as well.

They might take a step back for a couple of years but there should not be a lengthy post-season drought. Trading Wheeler, Schwarber and Realmuto would certainly be the way to tank for a couple of years though.

We're still talking about a champagne problem here compared to the Red Sox, Mets, Giants. Those teams change GMs every few seasons and have in fact hired the creative thinkers from small markets (and in most cases then gone the other way after those moves failed). That's not to say I don't wish we had the amateur acquisition acumen of the Braves or Dodgers.