High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: How Will the Bullpen Look without Jose Alvarado?

Episode Date: May 11, 2023

Jack Fritz and James Seltzer look at who needs to step up in the Phillies bullpen with Jose Alvarado currently sitting on the Injured List. 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

All of a sudden, everyone's back to... That's a really good point. That's a really good point. Like, Kimbrel the other night, it was like, hold on. Who is that? Yeah. He looked amazing. 2016 Kimbrel?

He looked amazing last night. Like, he was in a big spot, you know, like, or was it two nights ago? No, it was last night. It was in extra innings. He was, I mean, dotting. Like, he looked like... Cayman just blew those guys away. At first, he just blew them away, came in and blew those guys away.

First, he just blew them away and then gets the weak ground out. Like, he was awesome. I couldn't believe it. The ultimate test of this. And really two outings in a row he's been solid. The ultimate test of this is going to be Garrett Cole. If Garrett Cole is throwing 100 with like, maybe Spudder attacks back. Ooh, that could be a two.

But no, like, yeah, Kimbrel, what he did in the 10th yesterday, I feel like it's borderline impossible. These guys to not allow a run in extra innings. Dude, I was shocked. I was like, dude, I was just expecting runs. Yeah. I was expecting it. So, yeah, Kimbrell, I feel like is going to, like, so we've been anti-Kimbrell in a way.

In a way, no, you could just say it. We've been anti-Kimbrell. Yeah. But he, for two weeks, three weeks, made us, like, he was pitching well. And I was like, like okay maybe Kimbrel can do something I think there was a little overreaction

to the Dodgers thing like the Dodgers thing was bad I agree but he's been mostly more good than bad and also it just is one of those ones

that is ultimately not look he gave like he's going to give up a lot more the ERA goes up way more than it actually was

like he gave up a walk off Grand Slam but like any hit in that spot wins a game. The fact that he was hitting 99 and his fastball looked it. It's

the best he's looked, personally, I think. In a Phillies uniform, that might be the best. Not that I watch every Craig Kimball outing, but we watch a lot of baseball. I've seen him pitch with the Dodgers. That's the best inning I've seen Craig Kimball pitch in, but we watch a lot of baseball. I've seen him pitch with the Dodgers. That's the best inning I've seen Craig Kimball pitch in years, man. Personally.

It was a lot. He's even good at his slider over for a strike. It was everything. He was locked in. That was a good sign. And if Alvarado's going to miss time, it's going to be Kimball. I think they like having Soto and Sir Anthony be more rotating. Kimball's closed out a million games in this league.

Fourth most in the history, I believe. Although him and Jansen. No, seventh most or something like that. He's up there, though. He's in the top ten. Jansen passed him yesterday. Did he really? Jansen has that many?

Well, he got the 400 yesterday. Wow. I didn't realize. No, Kimbrell's at 400. No, he's not. He's at 398, I think. Really? They're both going for it at the same time.

I didn't. So, wow. Jansen. I didn't. So, wow. Jansen, I didn't realize Jansen had that many. It's because he's on all those Dodgers teams for so long. But still, I didn't realize he had that many. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, he's at 397.

Jansen's at 400. So, Jansen will lap him, obviously. Well, yeah, probably. But, yeah. So, I think Kimball's going to close now for a little bit here until Alvarado's back. And then they can kind of put Soto and Sir Anthony as the firemen. And then Strom, I guess, steps into that role too. He becomes more not middle inning guy, but big spot guy.

I'm surprised by his strikeout rate. He's been phenomenal Striking out a ton of guys So those two are there And then it's like Brogdon is kind of like the keep it close guy A lot of him back with Alvarado injury they brought him back

Although Brogdon was really good in the 8th the other night He was And then Nick Nelson's on his way back to do something We'll see what Nick Nelson does Can't wait for that then Nick Nelson's on his way back to do something. We'll see what Nick Nelson does. Can't wait for that. I do want... Is Nick Nelson going to be on the roster? Do you really think he'll be on the roster?

Well, it could come down to Billy Fulcher's start on Monday. That's a really good point. So let's talk about Fulcher there in this context. Do you think Fulcher is pitching for his rotation spot right now? Yes. So what's the plan? Because they're putting Strom in the pen. He's in the pen. So what's the plan? Because they're putting Strom in the pen. He's in the pen.

So what's the plan? You think they start Nick Nelson? Start Nick Nelson. Really, though? I don't know. I don't know. All right, well, let's let... I would let Falter go.

I would just see what he... I would bank on... Him figuring it out. Him figuring it out. And being solid. Their whole idea, I i guess of pushing him back was they want to see an uptick in velocity which is interesting um but i just i don't get this well it's not very it's easy to make this case but i don't get the sense they're thrilled with

what he's done this year i would doubt they are yeah i would say that they're not like hey pretty hard to be thrilled with what the man has done this year. So maybe it's a Nelson opener-ish kind of thing. The thing about Nelson is that he generally has no idea where the baseball is going. He's not good as the takeaway for Nick Nelson. But dominating in Reading and AAA. Has he been great? He's been fine. He's been good.

I don't know. I don't know. There's no one. Sanchez, I guess. Sure. I mean. Not great options. No.

I mean, for what it's worth, I would take Christopher Sanchez over Nick Nelson. Okay. I mean, I'm not happy about it. I'm not happy about any of it. Like if I had to choose between, who would you choose between those two? Sanchez. Yeah. I think, you know, but again, like.

Seems like a fun place to be in. And it's so funny. How about Bailey? You two? Sanchez. Yeah. But again, like- Seems like a fun place to be in. And it's so funny. How about Bailey you just figured out? Yeah. How about when we were like, oh, they don't even need Andrew Painter. I know. I know. It's okay. Andrew Painter throwing from 120 feet, though?

And he's doing flat grounds, which means that he should be on a mound soon. I mean, there was palpable excitement, it seemed like, around the clubhouse when he was there that day. Oh, he's back. You know, let's go. It is. Let's get Andrew Painter out there. Can we win a World Series, please? What's the goal this season?

Well, the goal right now is to get over 500 and back into the playoff race. Well, we can do that in the next couple days, buddy. I know. I mean, hold up. They're a game out of the wild card. They're in the playoff race. You know what's funny? I never look at any of the standings.

I know you don't. I don't care. I'm such a blinders guy. You should be. It's smart. I don't look at the standings. I look at them just to have general ideas, and I like to know stuff and whatever. But I always say I don't take them at all seriously until June 1st.

And even then, July 1st is when it's like, all right, we're eight games out on July 1st. I'm like, all right, this is not good. It's like, I wait that long, though. That's what I do. I assume the Braves are like 15 games up. They're seven games up right now. Only seven. Only seven.

We're coming. We're coming. We're going to catch those second-place Marlins soon, though. Don't worry. By the way, cute little start, Braves, but we're coming. You're only seven games up on the Philips. Look, the Braves have some injuries. Like Max Fried, hurt again.

This could be a lost year for Max Fried. Started the year on the I.L. I.L. again. Who knows the way that goes? You know, could break the Phillies way a little bit. Well, the last time they lost a major star, they won the World Series. No, stop. I don't need to hear that.

But that is funny that the Braves have been the best team in baseball. Well, they haven't. Whatever. The Rays. Close enough. Remember them? Ever heard of them? We were never at one't. Whatever. The Rays. Close enough. Remember them? Ever heard of them? We were never at one point going to be a Rays bucket.

No. But the best team in the- Like Eric Neander just keeps getting it done. The best team in the NL or whatever. Yes. And I'm just saying, like, if all the buzz is that you're the best team in the NL, the fact that you haven't buried the Phils yet is embarrassing. Great point.

It's a great point. The Phils are under 500. It is pretty funny that I'd look at the standings and I just pulled them up and the Dodgers are just 23 and 15 all of a sudden. Really? Tough start. Now they're 23 and 15. Well, that's because Mookie just started.

Second best record in the National League. They're back. They are a machine. I know. They're not even that good this year. I know. I know. I mean, they're starting like Miguel Rojas at shortstop.

Dude, they got dudes like, and I know James Altman now because I haven't been fantasy, so I knew. Doesn't get out, man. That's good. That's good. That was good work by you, man. Wow, you're not the best in the business for nothing. They got dudes like Vargas, pitting bombs for him. He's one of their top prospects.

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying, my point is they bring dudes up and it's like, okay, I guess that guy's good now. James Altman, sure, I guess that guy's good now. Yeah, I know. Yeah. Pretty good player development. Yeah, organizational, strong organizational development by them.

Yes, in the race too. But you know what? Got to win in the postseason, Jack. Exactly. Is there any podcast better at general baseball talk than us? No. This is just off the cuff. We broke down the Angels last decade, last podcast.

I know. Talked about, you know, some Dodgers today. Yeah, there's nothing. We might as well just be an all baseball podcast at this point. We could be if we wanted to. But who would that be for, Jack? It would be for no one. The shame of it is there are very few national baseball fans.

No, no, no. The baseball fans care about their team and nothing. Correct. Like us. Honestly, people might have just skipped the last two minutes. What are they doing? Why are they wasting our time? I'm sorry for wasting your time. I apologize. Let's get to Bryce Harper.

Okay. I thought last night it was just such a sign of why having that dude back is so important. You know, he's the one who steps up to the plate in the ninth. He gets that hit. He scores. Like, it does feel like since Harper's come back And by the way we talked about it last time But still just so impressed with how quick his timing is That ball hit was destroyed

He just crushed it He doesn't look hurt He doesn't look like he missed any time He looks like he's had spring training He just stepped into a baseball game He looks like playoff prize How impressed have you been? I can't He just stepped into a baseball game, man. He looks like playoff price. He looks like playoff price. How impressed have you been?

I can't. Again, I said this last podcast. The first game he came back, I was like, ah, they should definitely set him seven. He's a black hole batting third right now. A terrible idea. And then five for five. It's like, okay, he's just back.

He is the best.