High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: How Should The Phillies Handle the Trade Deadline?

Episode Date: June 19, 2023

Jack Fritz and James Seltzer discuss potential trade deadline targets for the Phillies including Paul Goldschmidt and Lance Lynn. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine Paul Goldschmidt in this lineup. Have we not talked about it here yet? No, because you had a wayambulance, had to go to bed on Thursday after the event, and then another wayambulance. Wayambulance? We were together at the event. It was like late at night. I was ready. They just took three or four from the Diamondbacks.

You don't, you don't, you kept me, you kept me locked up. I can't get out and do a podcast. You record every night. No, I don't. Um, but Paul Goldschmidt. So here's night. No, I don't. But, Paul Goldschmidt. So,

here's the case of Paul Goldschmidt. Is that he's Paul Goldschmidt? Yeah, he won the MVP last year. Case made. And I just like, I think we try. Cody Clemens is playing

every night. Yeah. And I think we try too hard to like, that's not the smart thing to do. Or whatever. We need pitching!

Well, it's like, yeah, just because you get Paul Goldschmidt. It doesn't mean you can't get pitching too. It's like this one or the other thing to do or whatever. We need pitching. Well, it's like, yeah, just because you get Paul Goldschmidt. It doesn't mean you can't get pitching too. It's like this one or the other thing. Well, and also like, if Nola could just figure it out. Yeah, well, they should theoretically, likely, whatever, unless they're trading for Shane Bieber, which I don't think is going to happen.

I just don't want, like I watched Shane Bieber on Saturday. Dude, so much hard contact. It's Arrieta. Yeah. It's Arrieta. He's better than that. He's better than Arrieta. But I agree. It's Arrieta. Yeah. It's Arrieta. He's better than that. He's better than Arrieta. But I agree.

It's that type of thing where he's not close to the guy he used to be. But regardless, I don't think that they're going to get a top, top-of-the-line starter. No. So the point you've made when you've talked about this before is, which of these guys are going to help you more in the playoffs? This team's going to make the playoffs. I feel super confident about that. Paul Goldschmidt can make a difference in the playoffs.

Your fifth starter isn't. How much of a difference did Kyle Gibson make last year for you in the playoffs? I know. Yeah. So he has a year left after this year. Reese, obviously, would not be coming back in that scenario. It would be so awkward if they traded for Goldschmidt. Because Reese is here.

Reese would probably never come around again. Well, how could he? But he also needs rehab. So I don't know. It would be a weird dynamic. It would be a weird one. It would be weird. Yeah.

But, like, can we just put away the prospect? And I'm a prospect hugger. I love these guys. I do. You're the top one. I don't think I'm the top one. I'm up there, though. You're up there, yeah.

But can we just dream about a team of JT, Goldschmidt, Stott, Turner, Boom, Schwarber, Marsh slash Pache, Castellanos, and Bryce Harper. What a freaking lineup. Who has stopped? I know pitching, you're only as good as the next day's starter or whatever. Who is keeping that lineup down?

Nobody. Oh, and by the way, for all the Reese stuff, Paul Goldschmidt is a brilliant defensive first baseman. He is one of the best in the sport too so you know no big deal which would be shocking it's just like can you imagine someone just a vacuum a vacuum at first base uh i know he's 36 i know he's a 22 million i get it but like just dream for one second about how good that team would be and like yeah shane beaver's fine but, I think he's on the downturn. And he would cost more than Paul Goldschmidt would cost. I think the Phillies have an Abel-slash-McGarry card to pull.

They only have one trade. Big trade. Big trade. You know? Yeah. And I think that if you can go get a Goldschmidt with, like, a Flaherty or a Jordan Montgomery who are both expiring at the end of the year, you know, that, every day, I think

makes them better than just a Shane Bieber trade. You know, just for to be a fifth star. And again, it would be cheaper. Like, Shane Bieber will cost more than Paul Goldsmoor. I would think so. And no one's a bigger sucker for believing in Lance Lynn. You mean 16 strikeout

Lance Lynn? You could trade the 20-something prospect in the system Yeah, you should be able to get him for cheaper than what we're talking about. He's the end of the year. If he can be your fifth starter. He's in the half a season on the deal. And just eat innings as your fifth guy. And look, he's arguably I mean, he's

16 strikeouts yesterday! He could definitely turn it around. And I'm sure he's made some and he's going from a dinosaur organization to an organization that – Yeah, and a losing culture to a winning culture. Totally. Yeah, never a doubt. Especially with this team.

They're the goats. I just – I'm excited about the idea of Paul Goldschmidt, and I think there's been too much of like, well, they don't need a first baseman or whatever. It's like, well – Yeah, they do. Especially with the way Edmundo has not – That's been the – that's what I was going to say. Like Edmundo has not. That's what I was going to say.

Like Edmundo has not taken the step forward that I think a lot of people have thought. Like just bad at the plate. Defense is still amazing. Yeah, but he's been bad at the plate. He's been bad. I feel like Edmundo is swinging like a tree trunk. That's the way I feel. It feels like he's like, the bat looks so heavy with the looping swing,

especially when he misses, like swings and misses, which happens all the freaking time. Yes, it feels like he's trying to wave a freaking tree trunk. It's a great call by you. It looks like the heaviest bat in the world. It does. Maybe go down a side or something. Yes.

You know what you should be doing? Poking the ball in the right and left field, getting on base, getting some hits. You should not be like this big looping swing. It looks like he's trying to get out of the park every time. Oh, yeah. Don't! I know. And I love Emundo, and it hurts to say that.

I do, too. But Emundo, we said this from the beginning. We love the guy. He is a bench player. He is as good a bench player as you're going to find. He's a perfect first guy off the bench. You know who he can replace? He's a bench player. He can replace Josh Harrison. Yes! He's who... Yes! He's Josh Harrison.. He can replace Josh Harrison. Yes! He's who... That's... Yes!

Yes! He's Josh Harrison. That's the role. Boom. So, we'll see if the Cardinals end up, you know, doing it. If they end up trading him. Because I could easily see the Cardinals being like, ah, it's down here. We'll get him next year. They've Aaron Otto under contract. Yep. You know, they have, obviously, Jordan Walker as backup now. But at the same time, like,

Jordan Walker they had in left field. He's not a good left fielder. If you just move Jordan Walker to first base, you know, which he, I mean, I think is his longterm man. I mean, I don't think he's going to stick a third.

Like he's not, I'm glad that Jordan, again, fancy wise. He's, he's, he's, he's back anyway.

Thank you. But man, it's hard. It's hard not to be excited and tantalized about the idea of trading for gold. Yeah. Again, I actually have been kind of shocked at how much pushback there has been to it. It's almost like people think it's like this crazy idea. Also, if you didn't want Flaherty, you didn't want Jordan Walker or Jordan Montgomery as a throw-in deal.

Again, we just mentioned Lance Lynn. If you want to go get an innings eater to be your five-star, like, theoretically, theoretically, Wheeler, Ranger, Nola, question mark, and Taiwan. Like, unless, and if Nola keeps struggling, like, Taiwan's been

pitching really well. Look, I feel good about those two. If you can just get a fifth starter, like, it should be fine. And I think they only need four before the,

before the trade deadline. Yeah, well, because they have no Monday games for the next month, all that stuff. Yeah, so um go get goldie yeah official high hopes position go get goldie uh ranger i thought changed up so ranger threw a lot of fastballs up which i think has been um you know a change for him for righties whatever it's one to monitor like fastball up and then if you can go uh well four seamer up And then sinkers down

Changeups down I thought his adding in Arizona Was his best of the season Oh brilliant I mean he's like He just reminds Again we've said this like Eight times on the podcast

But he reminds me so much Of Cliff Lee It's like He's like a Cliff Lee who smiles Yeah he's happy He likes playing baseball Yeah he's like a happy looking Cliff Lee And everyone loves him

You know Yeah And I will like Even more Cliff had this too But even more He Ranger Without ever worrying That he's not going to get that guy out,

because I'm never worried about it, he is the most nonchalant fielder I've ever seen. Like, I know he'll get him out so I don't freak out, but there are times where I'm like, dude, he's like a foot away from the bag, throw the freaking baseball, and then he curls it over and he always gets it. Dude, like, how can you be this calm? Speaking of throwing over to first base, this is just a message to Craig Kimbrell. You don't have to throw it 99

with rise to it. What are you doing, dude? Just throw it over there. Toss it over, man. You throw hard. If I'm Bo, I'm like, all right, man, relax. Shout out to Kimbrell, though, man.

Of all the things that have happened with the Phillies this year, the way he has looked since taking over the closer or whatever is the single most surprising thing for me. Pache.

Oh no, you're right. I guess Pache. Yeah, yeah, you're right. Pache too, being able to hit. Pache is, but even still, like, it's right there. I thought Kimber was flat out cooked and he looks awesome. Yeah. I mean that spot,

uh, uh, uh, uh, what was it? Saturday. Like that was, that was a big spot.

Josh Harrison makes the air and he battles his way through. I was just, I've been so shocked at how impressed I am with Craig Kimber. Are you, are you ready to, uh, use the L word? Do you love,

do you love Craig Kimber? I think I do. Wow. Yeah. Well he, I, you know, he gave,

but when we did the morning show when we were down in Clearwater, we interviewed him, and he was amazing as an interviewer. And that was back when I'm like, well, this guy stinks. But he blew me away with the interview. Everything he said was perfect. And he had, like, how he wants the ball on his hand.

All this just great stuff. Exactly what you want from him. And I was like, ah, if only this guy were good, that'd be cool. And now he's good. So now you can love him. I'm in. Now you can love him. I'm in. Always been a huge Craig Cameron fan.

Yep. Yep. Part of the, so they, it's fun. Part of the fun of, of, of a baseball season for me is like seeing guys figure stuff out as the season goes on.

Um, and the new thing that I'm definitely looking forward for the next, uh, like a little stretch here is the Alec Boehm pull stage. He's clearly trying to do it. So I think what they're trying to do is like, all right, man, you have a good approach. You're really good at going the opposite way.

We get that. Do that with two strikes. Everything before two strikes, freaking just try to launch. Just launch. Try to launch. Hey, do what Ed Mundo Sosa's doing. Just try to hit home runs. Yeah, so that home run he hit on Friday, I was like, wow. Just launch. Try to launch. Do what Edmundo Sosa's doing. Just try to hit home runs. Yeah.

So, like, that home run he hit on Friday, I was like, wow. And then there was a bat on Saturday where, like, he just kept pepper and he almost hit another home run that just happened to go foul. So, I think that the Boehm, like, what we saw in spring training, saw the first, like, month of the year and then, like, for some reason was like, ah, you know what? I'm going to go back to being a little slap hitter. Yeah. I think that version of Alec Boehm is back.