Phillies News and Discussion 2025 Season

[zambonir]

The Phillies still haven't really had a closer. Alvarado had 7 saves in 7 chances, Romano has 5 in 7 chances (which means it was 4 of 6 before today). And Strahm had two. Strahm will take over the role when a LHP is called for but that means Banks has to step up too. And here it was the RHP relief that looked weak a few weeks ago!

Ruiz and Hernandez are the guys who have to step up, whoever comes from AAA will still just be the 8th guy until Nola is back and Walker returns to relieving. But Lazar got some looks last year, and now Johnson is a reliever.

[dcsman]

What about Abel to the pen this year to keep him up with the big club? Is that short-sighted? How might his stuff play?

[zambonir]

They are not ruling it out, but there's really no reason to rush him or stop him from starting just yet. Just enjoy the euphoria of what he did yesterday. He could still turn out to be Mike Grace or Tyler Green (or Marty Bystrom) more than Curt Simmons. He could also end up starting again. Or being traded.

I quite like Dombrowski's comments on Alvarado. Yeah, it's a big loss. But it's just like having an injury. You get through it. If you can live with Kody Clemens as your 1B and Edmundo Sosa as your SS for several hundred innings when Bryce Harper or Trea Turner gets hurt, you can fill some relief innings for the next two months, even if it won't always be pretty.

And the plus side, if I'm not mistaken, is they will able to bank his lost salary in the CBT calculations, which may give them a little more to play with at the deadline.

[zambonir]

Phillies now just a half-game out of the NL East and a half-game up as the top wild card, in addition to having a better record than the NL Central leader. On May 1 they were 3.5 out and tied for the last WC spot.

Dodgers got swept by Anaheim this past weekend. Mets lost two to the Yankees.

[David_Criss]

With Alvarado being suspended, does that open up a 40-man spot? Do they keep the Robert carousal going and have him replace Abel and take Walkers' spot in the pen? What about Zuniga, Sweet, Padilla, Lazar, Johnson or de Geus. Who is next in line?

[zambonir]

Yes, he's off the 40 (you can see it on the roster page), but that doesn't mean they have to fill it right away. Once they do, they will also be able to move Chaice to the 60-day IL for the next one. I'm sure they will be keeping an eye on the DFAs.

I feel like we're probably going to see Johnson or Lazar if it's not Robert. We'll know in a few hours, whoever it is already got on the plane to Denver.

[EastFallowfield]

Phillies now just a half-game out of the NL East and a half-game up as the top wild card, in addition to having a better record than the NL Central leader.

Yes, and only the Tigers have fewer losses (Phils one of four teams with 18 losses, all in the NL East or NL West).

[bkeich]

It would be nice to try and fill at least one bullpen spot via trade as soon as possible. There are teams out there that are already clear “sellers” and waiting just equates to losing a few games because we have a guy like Robert out there pitching when we don’t have to.

We know we needed bullpen help before the suspension, now it is a serious weakness on the team. Why wait 50 games to start fixing it? Fix one spot now.

[zambonir]

You don't actually lose one or two games because of one reliever, it just feels that way in the moment of an inning where a reliever stinks. And even if Colorado and Oakland are clear sellers that doesn't mean you want to overpay to meet their May price. Oakland also probably won't trade Miller still.

The team is no worse than it was in April (when Romano wasn't pitching well) and no worse than it was last June (when Alvarado wasn't pitching well).

Offense and starting pitching wins you more games, which is why the Philllies supposedly had a better bullpen last August and September but were a far worse team.

They should certainly be open to getting an arm but it's just gonna be another Soto or Ruiz caliber guy. You don't trade Mick Abel instead of some kid in A ball to do better than that right now. They just need someone to be this year's Bellatti or Hoffman or Ruiz for now.

[xogfog]

I would begin the process of converting Abel to a reliever right now for this season only. Start now in AAA, in a couple months he'll be ready to contribute. We have 7 starters in the system right now, so he is the one that could most easily be converted to a reliever and his stuff might play up there.

[zambonir]

It just seems premature - and overly optimistic - to think Abel solves any kind of bullpen problem for them right now. Remember when Kerkering was the answer in 2023? And he was actually a reliever.

Leave Abel alone, leave Painter alone, leave Suarez alone and assume Walker is going to be back in the pen sooner than later and see where they are on July 1. Heck, if there's another injury, Abel (or Painter) might get the call ahead of flip-flopping Walker again.

[Austinfan]

No. Abel still needs a lot of work on his secondary pitches and command.
As a RP, he'll become a 2/3 pitch pitcher (4 seamer, 2 seamer, slider/curve?).
As a SP, he'll pitch far more innings and work on his entire repertoire. Especially his change-up.
You don't set him back as a SP to fill out the back of your bullpen.

Come September, if you need BP help, it's not hard for an AAA SP to throw 1-2 inning in relief, just fire away, especially when you're talking back of the pen.

Johnson is the one they're grooming for RP.

[owaistabish]

We might get to see some candidates in Colorado's bullpen in Jake Bird and Jimmy Herget.

[zambonir]

Phillies option Mick Abel to triple A, recall pitcher Max Lazar

[David_Criss]

Lazar and Padilla have pitched pretty well at LeHigh Valley.

[andyb]

Adding Lazar is mostly about having a deep bullpen in Colorado. Could be some high scoring games this week.

[zambonir]

I mean, they need eight relievers regardless, they just had to go with 7 yesterday given Walker was preparing to start again. I assume so long as Lazar pitches decently he'll stay for as long as Walker's in rotation. But the fact that he has options also means they could play that merry-go-round game if they want to.... even if a plane ride to Sacramento is involved.

[kmc1019]

May it continue.....

[zambonir]

Gelb pretty much confirms things shall be status quo. They will look for minor league deals. They will option and churn a bit more (having not done so barely at all so far). But Abel will stay in AAA as a starter and Painter will stay on his July schedule. If and when Painter joins rotation they might consider moving Suarez to the pen. It is probably inevitable he does in October, and he wouldn't be the only one. They talked to Robertson but not seriously.

First they gotta get Nola back of course. If Walker can still be useful in the pen and even just one of the three guys who pitched last night (albeit against a bad team) can take on more that helps.

How Phillies will navigate a bullpen without José Alvarado — in the short and...

The power of good starting pitching:

The Phillies entered Monday having used 10 different relievers, tied with the San Francisco Giants for the fewest in the majors this season. Three teams — the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels — had used 19 different relievers.

[Austinfan]

Hernandez has top level stuff, if they can "fix" him it would go a long way to helping bullpen depth.

The real problem is Kerkering seems to have screwed up his mechanics, his stuff is the same but his command is way off.