High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: Should We Worry About The Bullpen?

Episode Date: August 31, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies' bullpen struggles over the past few weeks and what it could mean for the postseason. 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-star closer, Kenley Jansen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball Isn't Boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is.

Another fact, so jump aboard the B.I.B. Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. I guess my thing with the bullpen is this. Do I wish there was a guy I feel like I could turn to right now and be like, this inning's done. Like Alvarado earlier, Kimbrough for most of the season.

And I think Alvarado's on his way back to that. I do too. And Sir Anthony can get there. That's the thing. It's like the bullpen right now is probably the biggest question mark. And I said this on the air twice yesterday. And it's the only way I can compare it to the mostly everyday person is that the baseball team's like a golf game.

You know, like when your driver's great, your putter's terrible. Maybe this is just my golf game. I think that sounds, I mean, like for non-professional golfers or whatever. Yeah, like when your driver's great your putter's terrible maybe this is my golf game yeah i think that sounds i mean like for non-professional golfers or whatever yeah like when your driver's great oh my golf game is bad but i think for people who play golf i think they can relate like your short game's there so for those who don't know you never taught you you do not do a good enough job bragging about what a great golfer you are well because i'm i've now just a good golfer okay but for you you're like what are you like a plus like eight now or something like that or 10 i'm probably ten to twelve.

Okay, so that's a great golfer. Like, for the average human being, that's a badass golfer. So just credit where due. What do you use to be, like, close to a scratch back in the day, right? Or something like that? Or like five or six or something like that? I was a good six. I mean, that's freaking awesome, man.

Used to be good. And now I play once a year. Okay, well, still. I'm trying to give you a little cry here, a little hype you up a bit. Thank you. Jack's a great golfer. I shot a 90 in my first round of the year. Are you kidding me? Rolled out of bed. Okay. Well, still, I'm trying to give you a little cry here, a little hype you up a bit. Jack's a great golfer. I shot a 90 in my first round of the year. Are you kidding me? Rolled out of bed.

That's what I mean. I will never shoot a 90 in my life. Yeah, well, listening to camera, it's just so sad. I know. It's like I'm never going to do that. Like dying to crack a hundred. I would love to see if he can shoot under a hundred. I might just go play with him and see if he can. You should. You could help him. His swing is just,

it's so, it's just, it's not a bad swing. He has such little power. Well, it's the, it's almost like a sickly kind of power. So that's the funny thing with Joe

is that Joe is like, has like, he surprises you with his hand-eye coordination. Like he can swing a bat, he can hit a baseball. Like he's not like, he's not as like awkward

as you would think, but yet it looks awkward happening. You know what I mean? It's like he does it, and he hits the ball, but it's like, you don't look like you should be able to do that. Well, and there's just no power behind it. There's just no... I mean, come on. Yeah, it's just like

good mechanics. Yeah. No oomph. Yeah, he's like Yoan Rojas. Yeah. Yeah, sure. He almost hit a ball home run the i'm running i know i know um but yeah that's like the phillies right now are kind of like a golf game where it's like it's like oh you're bad off the tee but everything else and if and you just keep thinking oh if i can get all three to come together i'd have a great round like well that doesn't happen you know i just that's not how most golf works for most people um and that's kind of like this team right now you know for the first half of the year it was like bullpen is top five in

baseball and then June the starters were insane and then and then August the bats go crazy and the bats go crazy but the bullpen you know so the good part about the bullpen and the good part about the starting staff right now is that like Wheeler looks back to being the ace and Noah's close. You know what I mean? So what worried me is that if you were going to get... Yeah, those top two. You talked about it a ton.

Yeah, so that was my biggest concern. And then after that, we'll see what Ranger looks like this weekend. And I still, Ranger, again, even if he doesn't look great heading into the playoffs, I will trust that dude in big spots until he screws up. I just do.

After what we saw last year and after his career here and that we always said we thought he would be that way, I just trust him. Yeah. But the part about the bullpen heading into the postseason is that those guys all have, like, wipeout stuff. So, like, if they can just find it for a little bit, this run could be something.

Because, like, Seranthi is a concern. But, like, we know Seranthi can just... it for a little bit, this run could be something. Because, like, Saranthi is a concern. But, like, we know Saranthi can just Like that. Honestly, almost more than any other reliever I remember in recent years with the Phillies, where it's like, he can go from like, looking lost, to being the best pitcher on the team in a second. Right. So, I know it's a Harry Roseman saying,

but I've kind of stolen it from him. And I know it's tough to say hope is not a strategy. Yeah. But you're hoping that these guys can just, because there's no, outside of like finding a way to. You can't do anything, yeah. Well, they could. Reynaldo Lopez. Reynaldo, come on down.

What a dumpster fire. What an embarrassment. Like, and honestly, like in all honesty, like we should all be furious about this as Phillies fans. Like basically like they are offering Lucas Giolito to teams that are competing with us, teams that are lower us on the waiver ride. basically like they are offering Lucas Giolito to teams that are competing with us, teams that are lower us on the waiver.

They have the first chance at Giolito Lopez, a Gritchick and all these guys, like they're basically giving them away. Like it's, it's actually, we don't curse on them. I was about to say it's effed up. Like that is messed up.

Like you are, you are impacting a playoff race because you're just trying to get on a luxury tax or whatever. Like it's, it's messed up. It is. And, and I think how it works this year is like, they have to

claim all of them. It's not like a snake waiver or whatever, where it's like, you claim it. They just won't get any of them. They're not going to get any of them. The one good part would be if all these owners are still cheap and don't want to pay guys right now. Well, that's what you hope. But that's the problem is that most of the teams that are

out of it aren't going to. And thus it comes up to the Giants or the Reds or these teams that are in it and have a chance. They're like, sure, let's go for that. So it is frustrating. It is annoying. And I just, again, if it comes out the Phillies are able to claim Reynaldo, I'd be very, very happy.

It'd be amazing. Or Matt Moore. Bring him home. Sure. Honestly, yeah. Matt Moore's been insane. He's been a great reliever the last few years. And he threw a no-hitter as a Philly.

He did. Against the Reds, just like the Vettel. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers.

We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter, giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers we analyze route running target share and all the metrics that matter giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers as you prep for your draft let us give you the coverage you need follow and listen to perception perception on the free odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts um so yeah like the bullpen but again and and bullpen numbers do get inflated by just bad outings because it just... Of course. So, like, for example, Kimbrel's ERA is six something in August. But, like, if you take out yesterday, it's 3-6.

Yep. You know what I mean? And if freaking Stubbsy just blocks the baseball, who knows how that anything goes. I know. I know. And it's excuse me, can I get it? But, like, 3-6 is not terrible. You can live with that.

And he was still throwing 97, you know, so it's not like he was down to 94. And Joe made a good point on the air today that I hadn't thought about, but I should have. It was obvious. But that Bilotti almost imploding. He had to get up and work. He had to get up and get ready and get loose. And like that, you know, he was old, man.

Like it's like you do have to kind of have kid gloves with him with some of this. I wish Thompson didn't do that. Me too too Because especially Because like why It was still 12-7 It was 12-7 And like Why Kimbrel in that shot

Like just because you're closer To me has to come in In every single Like three runs Is still three runs If they got two more Like wait you really had to Like it just feels like

I'm right there with you I thought that was It was 12-7 Yeah it was 12-7 Even if it's a home run It's 12-10 Yeah I'm with you No again I'm with you I thought, again, I'm with you.

I thought that was a mistake. Like, just relax. Like, I know we want to win. You know, I get it. And it's good. Like, win games. I get it. But I thought in that spot, I 100% agree with you.

So, but, you know, and Soto, Soto is just, you have no idea. Like, he's either. He could be nasty or can't find the play. Like, it's just like. Yeah. It's, you have no idea. No idea. Yeah.

And if I was running the Phillies bullpen, I'd look to try to switch him and Strom's roles. The Phillies like Strom is earlier, but I think he just looks great. Strom looks great. Just don't bring him out for a second inning. Every time. Deep breaths. Like, that was a huge out against Otani in that game.

And then, of course, he comes out and it's like, oh, yeah, there you go. Like, that was a big out, though, you know? Yeah. So switch those two, whatever. But they do have the upside, and they do have the stuff, and that's why you go get stuff, guys, to turn around and get hot. And that's what we just, like, Alvarado, I think, looked closer to being early season Alvarado.

I think he's looking better. I think he's looking better. Gritchick took him deep, but it was a solo shot, whatever. Gritchick kills lefties and all that. Yeah. My guy, Randall. Yeah. I just, the bullpen right now is definitely a question mark, Gritchick kills lefties and all that. Yeah. My guy Randall. Yeah.

I just, the bullpen right now is definitely a question mark, but I do think that as we get in big games and it's colder out and guys throwing 99, hopefully the Indians can get it. And they also have enough guys back there. If Sir Anthony and Alvarado last year faltered at all. They had nothing. It was like, we're screwed. Nothing. Now, at least with this team.

Ranger came out to close game five at the NLCS. Like, that tells you something. And Robertson was also bad, even though he closed that game. He was bad. Yeah, close game. Without Cassiano's catch, they lose. Like, it was not clean. No, it was not.

So, at least if one of those guys faltered, they do have, like, four other guys that have stuff that can go do something. So, right now it's a concern. We just got to get through the year. Just get to the postseason and we'll see what happens. Yeah, I agree. Alright, last thing before we get to the take bag. Thompson was on with us on the morning show yesterday. Joe asked him, because they had asked him about

two weeks earlier or three weeks earlier, you know, is it basically an open competition for the playoff rotation? You know, obviously Will is your one after that. And he's like, kind of, yeah. And the answer, we'll see who pitches well, whatever. They asked him again yesterday. He said, Nola's my two. Boom.

Flat out, your thoughts. And I think that, and I had that in the take back, too. I think that motivated Nola. I think it was smart. And I think he did it on purpose. I think he is like, go earn it. And we knew they were going to put Nola in the rotation. The whole time, we're like, he could be the worst pitcher on the staff for the rest of

the season. He's going to be in the rotation. Correct. But I think it was like, all right, well, I guess I got to go earn this thing. And I mean, Howie's pitch since has been really, really good. Is it possible that Nola does respond to pressure? It's just been weird coincidences. Yeah.

He did. The way Thompson said it, he was like, I trust Aaron Nola in a big spot. There's no one else I'd rather have there. And it's coach speaking all that, but still, he's emphatic about it. He did. The way Thompson said it, he was like, I trust Aaron Nolan in a big spot. There's no one else I'd rather have there. It's coach speaking and all that, but still he's emphatic about it. He was. He was. So I think that did motivate him. And I think it got, obviously, how he's

pitched the last two outings, a better version of Aaron Nolan. You talk about managers' impact on stuff. They are more philosophical and culture setters and stuff like that than they are technicians. Big time. We talk about that' impact on stuff. They are more philosophical and culture setters and stuff like that than they are tacticians. Big time. We talk about that all the time.

Yeah, so that's an example of good management. Yeah. Well, like we talked about last time, but the answer he gave me when he was on me on the morning show last week about the analytics. Now he's like, you know, I asked him, you know, how do you manage the analytics versus the gut? And he gave a perfect example about it. The numbers say pinch hit for Johan Rojas in the fifth inning,

but that doesn't take into account Johan Rojas, the person, and how he's going to take that. And it's not. I think Thompson's pretty damn good at that in terms of understanding his guys and what they need from him and what he needs to do for them.