Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - 299 | Philadelphia Phillies | Profile & Projection

Episode Date: March 12, 2021

You guys ranked the Philadelphia Phillies the #14 team in MLB! Jomboy, Jake, & Plouffe are previewing their 2021 season Presented by DraftKings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fell in my seat. Welcome to Talking Baseball. Team profile and projections brought to you by Draft Kings. And today we are doing the Philadelphia Phillies. How about that? Our audience ranked them as the 14th ranked team, which puts them in the upper half of MLB. Last year they finished with a losing record for the eighth season in a row.

They had seven hitters with, with above average stats. They had three starting pitchers with above average stats, but they had the worst bullpen in organized baseball. Jake, did they change anything? Eight years in a row with a losing record. Phillies, let's go. Jim, they lost Jake Arrieta to the Cubs.

They lost Brandon Workman to the Cubs. David Phelps, Victor Arano, Jay Bruce, trying out for the Yankees. David Robinson and Jose Alvarez still unsigned as we record this, I should say. They did add Archie Bradley to help with some of those bullpen clowns. That's not right. Host of a Jamar Media podcast. Jose Alvarado, he'll be back there to Chase Anderson and Matt Moore.

A couple interesting ads to help with the pitching. Of course, Real Mudo came back in Free Agency. That was kind of the big question mark for them. Don't sleep on Brandon Kinsler. and Tony Watson, too, a couple veterans that can still get you out. So, again, the reworked bullpen. What does that mean, Trev? I know it still means they got a nice lineup, though.

You know I love this lineup. I've had a lot of beers with this lineup, so they do hold a special place in my heart. Sign JT, sign JT. That's all we heard coming out of Philly from Bryce and everybody else. Me included. I consider myself a Philly guy still. They got their guy.

as we're recording this, he's hurt. But he'll be there for the season. He'll be behind the plate. Catching everybody. First base, we got our guy, Reese Hoskins. Top five prettiest swings in baseball, in my opinion. Second base, Gene Seguera, shortstop, D.D. Gregorius. Third base, young, stud, Alec, Alec, Baum, left field, Andrew McCutchen, him and I shared Halloween costumes one year back in 2007. No big deal. So Centerfield, this is where we don't know.

They got Roman Quinn, they got Housley, and they got... Kinger. Kingery. Yeah. So we're going to see how this all works out. And then in Wrightfield, of course, we got the man who got paid. Bryce with the Y, Roman Wrightfield out there. He can be himself in Philly, he said.

Jim, what is going on with that rotation? It's a little bit more of the same. You have Nola, you have Wheeler, you have Eflin. They had those three guys last year. Vince Velasquez comes back. He's been there for a while. They picked up Matt Moore, who was pitching over in Japan. Is that Tampa Bay Reyes, Matt Moore?

How old is he? I think he's early 30s. He, uh, injury riddled career and he kind of, like, found it last year. So he's coming back. He's come back, yeah. Wow. Be a lefty, kids. Uh, they got Chase Anderson, Spencer Howard, who they're excited about.

In the bullpen, Jake said a lot of this. Archie Bradley, he's good. Hector Nerris, Jose Alvarado, Brandon Kinsler. They needed bullpen help. This lineup's good. I mean, I think that's where we start. The lineup is really good. I like it.

I want to stop doing this, but it's in my head. It's in my head. Are these the Cubs just with one more starting pitcher? I think they're a more complete team. Yeah. Okay. I like that. Yeah, I like them.

The lineups are similar. I could see how you could make that jump line up to lineup, but I think this is a little bit more complete team. team. Okay. The vibe's much different. Vives different. I came out and said,

this team is a serious contender. They can be a serious contender. Am I going to walk that back on this episode? Maybe a little bit, a tad bit. I think they're close. Like you said, Jim, everything was good last year, except for the bullpen. I think they've addressed it enough where it's not going to be

like the biggest pitfall like it was last year. I mean, it was historically bad last year. is not going to be that this year. It was very bad. Their top three had good years last year. I mean, Nola had a 3-2 ERA. He's really good. Zach Wheeler,

he had a 292 ERA. They paid him big money to do good things. And EFlin had a 397 ERA. That's a good top three. And that's way better than the Cubs top three. I think it's one pitcher away, right? I mean, Zach Wheeler is, Hendricks.

Eflin, I think, is probably comparable to Zach Davies, but they have Aeronola. And Aranola, yeah. So I think. But it's the one pitcher on the other side. Yes. Yeah. That's what I was trying to say.

They picked up. I think the other thing that jumps out where I have them above the Cubs is there is a little bit of depth and flexibility, Trev. I don't know if you saw this, but on their bench currently is a guy that's been on the bench in your backyard, Brad Miller, who can do some things in this league. And like you said, between Haysley, Roman Quinn, and Scott Kingery, you've got some young options there that one of those guys probably clicks this year. And that's going to be someone who gets some run for them. So when you factor that in with the guys that you can write with Penn, Bryce, McCutcheon, Real Mudo, Hoskins, Dedy, like that's, this lineup is going to be there.

Also, I think another, and this kind of ties into what you said about the Cubs and also what I said about the vibe. we were like, are the Cubs going to go pick up guys at the deadline to help this team out? And you're like, well, they have to really force the hand. The East is going to be a bloodbath. And they brought in Dombrowski and they went and got Dedi and they went and got Real Mudo. And they got Wheeler the year before that and Harper the year before that and all this stuff. They are going to pick guys up at the deadline. And I don't, I think they won't be shy to do that at all.

Like I think when you get Dombrowski, you know that you're hammering a window. So I think that's where I say the vibes will be better about this Phyllis team where I think it's like we're going after it. Bryce Harper said I went from scared to woe in the offseason following all the moves. I love that. We talked about the Cubs having a potential sell-off. I don't think really any of those guys fits on this team. Could you make a fit somewhere for them? What do you think?

Right now you're trading Cubs to the Phillies. Yeah. I'm just saying if they have a sell-off and these guys are buyers, I don't know if any of those gets fit. The Cubs could be in first place and the Phillies could be in fourth pretty easily. 100%. That's a possibility. Any of these Phillies fit on the Cubs? We're speaking hypothetically here, man. We're speaking hypothetically here. I'm just saying that's the team we said they have the most to sell. And I don't think any of them fit on this team.

Unless there's an injury and then you replace it with the Cubby. That's kind of trades happen. Both teams are hitting heavy. You guys believe in Spencer Howard? Are you excited about them? I like the Phillies fans believe Okay I like when teammates

Rally around a guy and come out and say Man this guy's nasty like everyone you ask Like who's the guy to watch over there They always talk about Spencer Howard So you gotta have Lend some credence to that But yeah they They have some depth here

They have a little bit of everything Kind of a complete team On paper And now they just got to go out and do it They need that Joe Girardi magic What's going on guys Well, you got some bullpen pieces. We'll see.

I like Bome. Is it Bome? Bomm? Alec Bomm. I can double check. I want to say, I want to say it's a hard O. Bome? I think it's a hard o.

You don't have it. Don't give it. First round pick from Wichita State. How about that? He had a breakout year. So that's a fun storyline. He finished second in the rookie of the year voting. 136 OPS plus.

He had an 881 OPS, a 330. 38 batting average in 44 games, a short in season. That'd be cool if he became a mainstay and continued that. That'd be huge for them. The offense isn't there. The offense is there. The pitching, I don't know, like if Spencer Howard can become a middle of the rotation guy this year for them, and the other three guys above him are doing what they do,

and they become four deep, I like that. but I don't know who else they have in the wing starting in case there's an injury or not do they have any other guys down there? Not a ton of names you're familiar with looks like Adonis Medina might get the shot this year. Ivan Nova Jim, your guy, non-raster invite

so maybe he can crack camp they might keep Spencer Howard down to start the year a little minute. Yeah, have Nova stay up. So yeah, they'll be doing that dance. Brian Mitchell. Yo, Gerardi's just getting all of his Yankee names.

I mean, he's got Tereus, Brian Mitchell, Ivan Nova. Dedy. Dedy. That's kind of funny. Disco Neil get invited back. Not yet. Yeah, he knows what he knows. Guys he's familiar with.

Man, this division's so tough. I know we're trying to talk about the Phillies, but you can't get past it without saying there's still going to be three teams that we have. haven't done yet. The Braves are going to be one of the top teams we do. Mets. The Mets. Everyone gets excited about the Mets.

The Nationals might be coming up soon. Wink, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. I don't know, man. I don't know. That bullpen has to get better, so you like that. I don't know. Who's getting the center field job? They're all kind of poor bats between or have been. poor bats, Quinn, Kingery, and how do you say, Hazley? Sorry, Philly's fans. Hazley. I think it's Hazley. Super nice guy.

I think they all offer different things, so it kind of could depend on where you're at in the season. No, Roman Quinn is one of the fastest players. Led all of baseball, an average home to first speed in 2020. You can really go get it out there in center field. Also, I mean, look, we know some of these teams

when you need a runner late in the game, he can do that. So is he a better bench piece for them, go in defensively? Hazley can hit a little bit. He's got a nice little stroke. And Kingree, I feel like kind of is the most or can be the more dynamic player in all facets of the game. But he's got to prove it, you know. He hits what judge.

Hopefully some of that rubs off on him. But they do have three really good options when you're talking about rotating in outfield position. I'm going to buy a little kingery stock. His 2019 was a pretty nice season. I mean, his age 25 season, 126 games. He had a 788 OPS 19 home runs while playing all over the field. Last year, brutal season.

Phillies fans, I mean, let me know, was it, did something happen? Did the year get to him? I'm not fully sure. But I'll buy some king or stock. This is a guy they believed in enough to give him a contract, you know, kind of before he got to the show pretty much. And he can play all around. I don't know if he locks in at center field or maybe there's an injury or whatever it is. But give me king or at bats over a full season.

I think he's got the hit tool and that's something. If you've got that in this sport, I think you find a way. He's also wiped up now. I don't know. Huge. He could be a completely different player this year. huge Nola was so good

Remember when he just dominated the Yankees last year Nola's underrated on the MLB map man that guy is a stud So what do you think their ceiling is Like do you think that they can win the division No I have to say yes But man that Braves team

I just have above everybody else in division Like I think they can finish second I think they can be better than the Mets. I've got second. Second's attainable. I mean, the ceiling, I mean, if you're going to go by 1% like you've been doing, there's a chance they win the division. Everything has to click.

They have to add. Dombrowski has to Dombrowski. Bryce has to be MVP. Riumudo's got to stay healthy the entire year. Kingery or somebody's got to take over the center field spot. Spencer, I mean, all these things have to happen. So there is a chance, but I mean, I think realistic ceiling is probably second in the division. And then is it enough to get a wild card?

I don't know. Nola's had a rough last five starts. Just looked at that and didn't saw that for the first time. I'm bored. Yeah. 19 runs, 14 earned runs and his last five starts. I think that, I agree with that, like, if you're going like, do they have a chance, chance?

But I do, I hope they're in the mix. I hope that this division stays in there in the mix. They have the talent. I think they have, some of the best watchability. Just a really fun club between Didi, Reese, Harper, Cutch,

Nola, Ramudo. I just think like you're getting a really good product of just watching games every day. And that's something that doesn't count for anything, but I think I'm saying. I love their depth too. We really do. We talked about the Cubs and they have a lot of sell pieces.

So that's partially why we're ruined for that. The only guy who's got a club option next year is McCutch. Saying Mick Cutch was weird. Either say McCutche and her cuch. So if they are out of it, I mean, that's the only guy that's like hard on the block for them. I mean, Real Mudo just got the bag. Kingery's got it. Reeser is in ARP.

Harper's got the bag. D-D signed a two year. Cigura's getting paid. That's why I was saying the vibes. Like, there's a little window here. And if Dumbra, if they can get to a hot start in April and May and force Dombrovsky's hand, like, hey, go get us help quick. And maybe he can pull some trades before, like, you know, every now and then we see like early July trades happen. If they just, and that keeps put, puts more pressure on the division.

So I think a hot start's key to this squad. And it's tied into that, but you also can't let two teams run away. If the Braves are going to be the Braves and they start racking up wins, that is what it is. I mean, they're the daddies of that division right now. If the Mets have it, or if the Nats found it again, like if you're the Phillies, it's go time. It's go time all season. And that's kind of tough for an MLB team.

They open up against the Braves and the Mets and then the Braves and then the Mets. Jesus, dude, you have a bad two weeks out of the gates. How crazy is that? That's incredible. They go three games against the Braves, three games against the Mets, then three games against the Braves, then four games against the Mets. Show me what you're made of.

Yeah. Their first 13 games are just kind of a gauntlet. You're going to find out in the first two weeks is this team's fighting this year. Then they go Cardinals after that. So the best team in the Central. So their first 16 games, their first 16 games are playoff hopefuls. Then they get the Giants and the Rockies. Dude, then they get four against the Cardinals.

And one more against the Mets in April. They got 21 games against a contender in April. So let's see where they are at the end of that. I think you'll have a pretty good feel. That's that. That sucks. If there's a clubhouse in the big leagues that wants that, it's this clubhouse.

Very, very confident clubhouse. They did lose one of their main guys in Jake Areietta, who was steering the ship a little bit over there. but you got a guy like Bryce Rio Muto Reese is a confident dude It doesn't stop They ooze confidence

So I love it It doesn't stop In May after the Mets They get four against Milwaukee Then they see the Braves again Then three against Washington Then the Blue Jays Then they get an off day

And then they get a stretch Like a nice stretch Three against the Marlins Three against Boston Four against the Marlins And then Sincy Like put that first It doesn't even sound that good Jim

Stay alive. Stay alive, Phillies. That April gauntlet's going to be a wild for him. And I know we want to be positive, but also this, we're talked about this with a couple teams. If something does happen with Nola or Wheeler, this team's outlook changes instantly. Say that a lot about a lot of things, but yeah. If I said about the other teams, I should say it here. Some guy I want to give some love.

I don't know if you guys have heard of him, Bryce Harper. Bryce, if you guys remember, going back about three years or so, Bryce kind of had a stereotype that he was injury prone. He did? Yeah, I mean, out of his first like six years, I think four of them he got banged up at a certain point. The past three seasons, he's played 374 out of 384 games. He's missed 10 games in the past three season.

So Bryce has been out there. And, you know, he's had some hot and colds. Last year he was actually pretty nasty. Led the NL in walks, 962 OPS. Still team Bryce. This is going to be his age 28 season. That's insane. 10th year, age 28 season.

Sounds nice. God. Golly. Fun fact, I was the one who alerted the team in spring training when Bryce got signed. What do you mean? Well, I was at the field, not playing. So I went back into the clubhouse because my career was basically over and I just wanted to get a cold beverage to watch the game. And as I was in there, it got reported. And so I was like, okay, I went back out into the dugout and I was like, hey guys, we just signed Bryce Harper.

And everyone kind of started seeing around the stadium. People checking their phone, you heard some claps around and everyone kind of found out about the news. and who is the one person who is the one person that you told on the Phillies that they signed Bryce Harper who's still on the Phillies today that was pissed off about it whoa fuck that guy I remember the first the first I kind of thought about it was like

holy shit that's a long contract 13 years yeah but hey man yeah about putting roots down somewhere. MVP, we're in the joggers. All right, we like Nola, we like Wheeler. Eflin got to keep doing the damn thing. The lineup, we think bangs. It's the bullpen, you know what?

You know what's going to be the key right now? That April stretch, if the bullpen blows games to the Mets and the Braves, I think the fan base starts pulling their hair out immediately. Let's get, let's go through, like, let's get through. that April, like 500 with no bullpen collapses, and I think you've got a winning, you've got a winning April. Set up nice to keep going, at least. It's a gauntlet, man.

It's a gauntlet. What strange is, you know, they had to address their bullpen, so they brought an Archie Bradley. That was a big move. Then, you know, Jose Alvarado, we know about it's like electricity. But the sneaky pickup on a minor league deal, Brandon Kinster, and I'm not a huge Brandon Kinster fan. I think I've mentioned that in the pod before,

but he gets the job done. I mean, even last year, 2-2. He's closing for the fish in the playoffs. So this, what a sneaky little pickup. I don't understand it. I don't understand how a guy like that doesn't command one year, three or four million dollars. I have no idea how that happens.

But look, if this guy can go and put up ground balls like he always does, kind of find some stability in the pen gym, like you're saying. The lineup has the potential. The starting pitching has the potential. And I think, again, this is going to be the test for them is how that bullpen does hold up to that stretch you're talking about.

Check you back in with us on May 1st and let's see what we're saying. I'm excited about that. All right. They're also, as I record this, Jake is Oteresey's still out there and they have been one of the teams that have been in contact. That would change things for significantly. Yeah, I like that a lot. I like that a lot. That would change things significantly.

Draft King says the over under is at 80.5. 500 if you didn't come and tell me their schedule like that I would say over but you're scaring me now but then I think every NL East team

is going to have a schedule that looks like that because you play that tough division and you play the ALE East as well I'll go first this time I have no idea I'm flipping the crush

my voice are you kidding me that's on you look how I landed Trev that's on real I'm choosing to push

can't it's on a half Well, the one game will get rained out. It'll be a tied game and they won't redo it. Still doesn't work. It still doesn't work that way. Over. Hey, go. Make Jimmy the bad guy.

Come on. Trev? I said over. I flipped the can. I landed over. Oh. They win 81 games. Jake?

I'm under, man. Jake's under. Unless they sign Oda Rizzy, which would change their number a little bit. But without Odo, I'm under. Trev? Okay. What did Trev choose? I miss it?

I said over. He went first. He's in bed. He's in bed with these Phillies. They're a former employer of his. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I know.

I am. I have a little bit of bias there, but... All right. Go get Odo. Otrizi.