Bye Bye, Bader: Is the Phillies outfield really set?

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Rob Thompson and welcome to The Philly Show.

00:00:07
Speaker 2: Ruben Amorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd Zelecki.

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Speaker 1: It is the Philly Show.

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Speaker 2: It is Tuesday, January twenty seventh, twenty twenty six. Hope everybody has survived the snow and shovel themselves out while you were shoveling at yourselves out. On Monday, the news broke that Harrison Bader signed a two year, twenty point five million dollar contract with the San Francisco Giants. Agreed to the deal pending physical YadA, YadA. He's going to pass the physical. We've been saying for weeks, guys, that Harrison Bader was not going to be back.

00:00:46
Speaker 1: We said last week he was not going to be back.

00:00:48
Speaker 3: Rubin.

00:00:48
Speaker 2: You explained why you don't wouldn't want him back.

00:00:51
Speaker 1: Very clearly last week.

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Speaker 2: What do we think about this deal is now knowing what the final number was, does it change.

00:00:59
Speaker 1: Your opinion on any of this?

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Speaker 4: Your opinion?

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Speaker 3: Recency bias on mister batter.

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Speaker 5: Is the thing that people are are probably like upset that they you know, that's the reason why they didn't sign him back.

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Speaker 3: Here's the deal. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

00:01:23
Speaker 5: If you want young players to come to the organization and to try to help this team. They have one coming in, justin Crawford, and you have to give him an opportunity to do it. Now, if they felt like they would rather have Baiter instead of a guy like marsh or something like that, and maybe put the guy well, marsha I ended up having a really good last half of the year last year, pretty darn good corner outfielder, probably more of a platoon player.

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Speaker 3: And I think Harrison Beater was a.

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Speaker 5: Guy that, while he played very well for the Phillies, gave him some energy, was a solid center fielder.

00:02:06
Speaker 3: They're going to find out about Crawford and center and they have to do it. They have to infuse some youth, you know.

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Speaker 5: Would I'd like to have had Bader back, maybe as a fringe player, but you can't count on a guy that didn't know he may have had clearly had the best career, you know, season of his career.

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Speaker 3: Is that going to happen again, I don't know.

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Speaker 5: But you got to give other people an opportunity to play, especially when you're trying to get younger and you have one of the older.

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Speaker 3: Teams, you know, in all of baseball, as simple as that.

00:02:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, I would have been okay with it earlier in the winter on a one year deal. He had that option for ten million. He didn't take it, and he he was right to bet on himself. He got a twenty million dollar deal in Francisco. Good fun place to play. But you know, he did have a good year, but he was a below average player the previous three years offensively. And you know, I'm with you on Justin Crawford. I want to see what he can do. And I would just you know, remind all of us that last two in July. A lot of us were ready to see Crawford then, and we thought he was going to come, and they were thinking about it and they were planning on it, and then marsh sort of got going and took off a little bit and they decided not to do it. But I just I remember a lot of folks wanted to see Justin Crawford, media, fan base organization, and in a couple of weeks in clear Water, we're going to get to see him.

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Speaker 2: So you thought so, And this is what a lot of people forget because again you said recency bias, Ruben. It's true. He was great for the Phillies. I mean he hit over three hundred. Tremendous defensive centerfielder, he was. He was great out there, brought a lot of energy on the field into the clubhouse. I think his teammates liked him, you know, as far as I know. He got along great with everybody.

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Speaker 1: Last season. I just want to run through these numbers. Three point nine.

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Speaker 2: War betted two seventy seven seven ninety six ops one seventeen ops plus.

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Speaker 1: That means he was seventeen percent.

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Speaker 2: Better than the and then the league average hitter the last the previous three years combined two point seven War Okay, so he was. You know, he wasn't as good as he was last year. All the three previous years combined betted two thirty nine six forty four ops eighty ops plus. So the previous three seasons, he was twenty percent worse than a league average offensive player. So from my mind, I told anybody this had asked me this off season about him, I said, I would like Harrison Vader back, But god, he scares me on a two year deal. He really scares me on a three year deal. I'm sure early in the offseason he was looking for a three year deal.

00:05:11
Speaker 1: That would have scared the hell out of me.

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Speaker 2: He's thirty one, What are the odds he repeats that season, just like you guys said. And so for that reason, uh yeah, one year deal. I would have brought him back if I think they would have been thrilled if he would accepted the.

00:05:24
Speaker 1: Mutual option, they would have they would have loved that.

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Speaker 2: He basically only got what a two hundred and fifty thousand dollars raised next season by with the deal with the with the Giants. So but I'm wondering, so because I've heard some people, yeah, so let me let me let me just say if I may cut you off, and I apologize for that.

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Speaker 3: There's people out there.

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Speaker 5: Saying, oh, well, why would you give JT real mutual three years at you know, in his mid thirties and not two years.

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Speaker 3: But let me just say it again.

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Speaker 5: The catching position is the most important position on the field, particularly for the Phillies, whose strength is pitching.

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Speaker 3: And while they do have power.

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Speaker 6: At the top of their lineup, the reason why they've had success over the last few years it's because of their starting pitching and who manages that starting pitching the starting catcher who catches one hundred and thirty games a year. So you know, that's that's that's I'm just trying to have folks sort of understand and give my opinion about the difference between. You know, even though a centerfielder is an important position, they have somebody to play center field and they don't have somebody to catch.

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Speaker 3: So that's my that's my soapbox move discussion on that.

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Speaker 4: J T Rail Mudo and Harrison Vader. That's not even an apples and oranges comparison. That's like apples and a and a buickless saber comparison.

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Speaker 5: But there are people out there who comparison because they feel like you know, were JT offensively is declined and this that okay, But you're right, Jim, right, you're spot on.

00:07:19
Speaker 1: But here's another hypothetical.

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Speaker 2: You know, if you could have on December fifteenth, I think that's when the Phillies signed a Doley Scarcia to a one year, ten million dollar deal, If on December fifteenth you could have taken Bader two years twenty and a half million or Garcia one year, ten million, what do you guys do put on your Dave Dombrowski.

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Speaker 4: Hat if Bater would have taken the ten.

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Speaker 1: Million one year, no, no, no no.

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Speaker 2: If Baiter would have on December fifteenth, you have two choices. Garcia one year, ten million, Baiter two years, twenty and a half million. What do you just signed with the Giants? You say, and both guys goes. You offer me this, I'm signed player, I'm coming to the Phillies in twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 1: What would you do?

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Speaker 4: I would have held firm on Beta, you know, one year deal, so I would have I would I guess I would have opted for I would have liked better back on a one year deal. I think it would have made some sense. And now you can look at Crawford and left field. But I'm fine with the way it's shaken out. I mean, go to see Crawford what he can do in center field. Let's see if you can play that spot and you can adjust from there.

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Speaker 5: I would take a dollars Garcia for the one year deal over Beta for two.

00:08:30
Speaker 4: There you go.

00:08:31
Speaker 1: Pack of the baseball card.

00:08:33
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00:08:41
Speaker 3: Get up.

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Speaker 1: We gotta get over the hump.

00:08:43
Speaker 2: Let's get over the hump before spring training. So I hit the subscribe button. If you're watching us on YouTube, that would be great, and then go to the Phillyshowshop dot com to pick up some giaport, right.

00:08:56
Speaker 4: James, Yeah, we forgot to have our.

00:09:03
Speaker 1: Oh, Ruben, you're off.

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Speaker 4: We know that you're you have a moment of silence, Ruben. Well for your Twitter account.

00:09:14
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, my.

00:09:15
Speaker 3: Twitter account done out done. You know, you know, and you know why, honestly, and it really wasn't because I had anything to do with Like, you know, people get trolled all the time. I'm not the only human being to get trolled.

00:09:29
Speaker 5: Got to the point where negativity I don't need to have it anymore.

00:09:33
Speaker 3: Man, I'm too old for it. I'm on the other side of the slope. It's time to enjoy life. It's accessful at times.

00:09:40
Speaker 4: You need to be positive.

00:09:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I mean realistic. Realistic and negative are two totally different things.

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Speaker 5: And and I think it's just there's just so so much negativity out there for everything. I'm talking from politics to sports to everything. Like, dude, enjoy lighte folks enjoyed, and uh, I'm not doing it with Twitter anymore.

00:10:07
Speaker 1: It's it's rough. It is a rough place.

00:10:10
Speaker 3: Man.

00:10:10
Speaker 2: You have some stuff said about you, I mean not you, but me.

00:10:13
Speaker 3: You know. Uh.

00:10:14
Speaker 2: I actually screened grabbed one from several years ago that was like so wildly over the top hoods the luck he is a bleep and imbecile. I hope he gets an incurable disease.

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Speaker 4: Die.

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Speaker 2: I mean.

00:10:30
Speaker 5: You imagine how fed up you have to be to like want to write those and key strut that.

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Speaker 3: People are weird.

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Speaker 4: I'm gonna miss you on the old twit Rubin.

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Speaker 3: Appreciate that.

00:10:47
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. All right, well so let's get back.

00:10:50
Speaker 2: Let's get back to the twenty twenty six Phillies. So okay, So now Harrison Bader's in San Francisco. You've got a Duley scarc in right field. You got Justin Craft and center field. You have Brandon marsh probably Auto Kemp in left field.

00:11:05
Speaker 1: I mean, you guys don't see any changes on that.

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Speaker 2: A lot of people are concerned about the outfield, and I get it right, I mean, Justin Crawford, as much as we want to see him as as talented he is, you don't know what you're gonna get from him Garcia coming off two down years, Marsh had a really good second half, you know, but he's been up and down. There's a lot of concerns about the outfield. How do you guys feel about the outfield right now?

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Speaker 3: Should be concerned about the outfield.

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Speaker 5: It's not a great I mean, listen, Uh, it's not the greatest, uh, But I will say that defensively, particularly on the corners. If you just look at Crawford and center, Marshen left, and the Dolls Garcian right, that's a damn good defensive outfield, uh. With Dotto Kemp not as good when he's out there playing against lefties. As it stands today, you're sort of hoping that Crawford, it plays a solid enough center field to make that outfield even better.

00:12:05
Speaker 3: But I love the corner outfield piece pieces of this. But it's not just about the defense, obviously.

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Speaker 5: It's more about the offense and can these guys produce. You know, Brandon Marsh, you know, plays closer to what he did in the second half as opposed to the first month. For during good in the second half the latter four or five months of the season, and a Dolls Garcia can get some of that magic back with the contact, you know, and you know Crawford just gonna be a wild card. You just have no idea I was gonna handle it offensive offensively, but you know he's gonna be hitting, likely in the ninth hole, and you hope that he can contribute.

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Speaker 3: Someone will see how it shakes out.

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Speaker 4: It's it's the weak area of the team. And it was last year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it was last year, right.

00:13:00
Speaker 4: Well, below average defensively in all the metrics that you apply in that area, and you know, below league average, below major league average offensively. So the only spot I see really improved is the throwing arm and right field. So but you never know if they could if he bounces back. Garcia has a pretty good year. And you know, Crawford's been a three hundred hitter everywhere he's been. I know, he's very young, twenty two years old. Going to require patience. He's going to have to you know, arrive, adjust and believe he belongs here. And every young player goes through that. But there's there's talent there. I know all about the warts and hitting the ball on the ground, but I mean there's a lot of contact, there's a lot of speed, and he's very young, so I'm excited to see him. I'm excited to see what he can do.

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Speaker 2: So they there's a few pitchers and catchers report on February eleventh. First full squad workout of February sixteenth. There are some free agent outfielders available. It's very, very thin, but I was looking at guys that hit our right handed hitters, hit some lefties in case you were looking for another option besides auto camp, although the Reallys have really been pumping up Auto camp this offseason. So I want to see if you guys have any thoughts, any flow or no flow. Five guys, five guys you could think maybe you could get on a one year deal. I don't know if it's worth it or not. Let's start in alphabetical order. Miguel on Duhr last season nine eighty six ops against lefties, eight oh seven ops against lefties in his career.

00:14:45
Speaker 1: What do you think about a Miguel and Harr.

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Speaker 5: There's some there's some flow there. I mean, I like him. Again, not sure what kind of defender he is. If he's actually gotten to the point where he's average.

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Speaker 3: I don't know that he's even average in the outfield.

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Speaker 5: I would have to talk to some of the scouts and because I haven't seen him play very much out there, but my understanding is he's not that great a defender, but.

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Speaker 3: Got some flow with the bat, no question, especially against and you.

00:15:18
Speaker 4: Could you could platoon him with Marsh out of the gate, and it's good to have some more depth. I mean, he lost well Wilson. Wilson a debt piece, depth piece, but uh, he's productive against lefties. You could platune him with Marsh. You could start camping triple A on an option. I firmly believe he would be back at some point to get a chance to contribute. But you know, outfield depth to me is a concern along with starting pitching depth and Miguel ANDU Horror's work against lefties wouldn't would intrigue me, especially from the right side, Yeah, right side against lefties.

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Speaker 2: Rather than go these guys each individual, I'll just list the other four guys that I mentioned I wrote down and see if any of these guys pop out at you.

00:16:06
Speaker 1: I got Austin.

00:16:06
Speaker 2: Hayes, Yes, Tommy fam Starling, Marte and Randall Gritchick.

00:16:16
Speaker 1: You do you give a thumbs down?

00:16:18
Speaker 5: I got thumbs down the to the to fam and to and to Gritchick, which's okay, yeah, okay, I mean that's I mean, I I'd rather go with a guy like Austin Hayes or Andrew Harrro for my taste.

00:16:32
Speaker 3: I know that things didn't go well with Austin Hayes, but that's some of a gun.

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Speaker 5: Can hit, he can hit left piece, and he can play a little bit, and he's a decent outler.

00:16:41
Speaker 3: And I like the makeup too. He just was sick and almost died with the Phillies.

00:16:48
Speaker 2: And yes, and that's the thing like people, Yeah, I think if they would end up doing a thing for Austin Hayes, you probably get the of course, the react, oh my god, they're bringing but they're running now, they're really running of they're bringing back to Austin too. But he was sick, he was hurt. It wasn't like he came here, was healthy, played a lot and just stunk. You really getting to see what Austin has was about the last season with the Reds nine to forty nine ops against lefties and one hundred and five point appearances eight nineteen ops against lefties in his career so last season career wise, the guy mashes left handed pitching known quantities. So yeah, I would say Andrew harr Hayes for sure, get me give me some flu.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, we didn't see real We didn't see Austin has at nearly his best. And he's a good clubhouse guy.

00:17:35
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, talk.

00:17:36
Speaker 4: I've talked to people in Cincinnati, in the know people, and they really like the way he competed and the way he brought that clubhouse together over there. He's got some intangibles that were never witnessed here because he'd never got off the ground. I would certainly consider him. I would certainly consider and a horror because I think they need more out there on the on the depth side.

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Speaker 5: I'm just surprised the Reds aren't making a run at him. I I don't get it. Maybe he's out pricing himself for what he thinks he's worth, much like what you show with Vader.

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Speaker 3: Maybe he's looking for something you know, Beta Esku and if you if you're gonna take a fire to maybe a one year deal, and if they're asking for more than one year, then I'm out on all these guys.

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Speaker 2: I got another hypothetical for your fellows say all of these guys are in the one year.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know, it's.

00:18:30
Speaker 2: Thore number out there, five million dollars, I don't know, maybe seven half million dollars. I have no idea what they're gonna get. How about this, though, would you rather have would you take Nick Castiano's pay the Phillies three million dollars to take him over any of those guys or four million dollars for any of those guys. That's why I kind of think that Nick cast down, they might they might.

00:18:50
Speaker 1: Find something to trade for him.

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Speaker 4: I know, Jim, you and I disagree on this.

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Speaker 2: Do you think you know they're not gonna be able to find anybody to take it?

00:18:58
Speaker 4: But I just think, you know, I don't think there is a tremendous there's many suitors for him, maybe a couple, right, And why wouldn't you just take your chances on getting them for the minimum through waivers? But if you feel like there's two teams on them and you really want them, it's like when the team trades up in the NFL Draft with just moves up a couple of spots because they really want a guy the team you hear the most about is Pittsburgh and they may be willing to trade for him, but obviously the Phillies think somebody might trade for him, they would have you know, pulled the ripcord by now.

00:19:34
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:19:35
Speaker 2: So we were also talking earlier about, you know, the Phillies outfield being a weak point, and they also need some starting pitching depth. Guys, they're really thin on the start.

00:19:47
Speaker 3: One more comment about the outfield. You know, I'm not trying to play mic drop here, but if Bryce Sharper was playing his natural position, then the outfield depth and the outfield quality offensively would be a little different. He's not moving there, but if.

00:20:03
Speaker 5: He was playing right field, which is what he was when he signed, then they could probably maneuver around a first base option or a third base option, moveing to first whatever. They give themselves a little bit more optionability or you know, have more options. You know, Uh, it's not going to happen. He's not moving from first base. But if he was playing his natural position, it'd be different. We wouldn't have been having the the outfield discussion.

00:20:36
Speaker 4: We would look up. It's that's to me, that's way in the rear view mirror. Outfield. It's not as natural position anymore, as he's the first basemen there trying to limit the wear and tear so they can get the most out of these next six years that they can. So I don't I think that that ship has sailed, because.

00:20:55
Speaker 3: Here's the thing. I mean, we've done.

00:20:56
Speaker 5: I've done studies Jim on the outfield, what what how much wear and tear? It takes way more wear and tear is the first basement that is in a right fielder way more and and and you know, I think he just feels really comfortable there and he probably doesn't want us to be switching back and forth.

00:21:15
Speaker 4: But he did blow did blow out his elbow thrown in right field.

00:21:18
Speaker 3: Yeah, but that's I'm just saying, you know, as far as overall wear and tear on.

00:21:22
Speaker 5: The body, a lot more, a lot more wear and tear on his body at first base.

00:21:29
Speaker 3: Uh then than it would be in right field.

00:21:32
Speaker 4: I just don't think he's going back there.

00:21:34
Speaker 3: He's not going back.

00:21:37
Speaker 4: Making it.

00:21:37
Speaker 3: I'm just making a statement.

00:21:39
Speaker 2: So Phillies needs some starting pitching depth. There's a lot of guys that are still out there starting pitching wise. Everybody from fromber Baldez and Zach Gallan who have qualifying offers. I would be florid if the Phillies went after one of those guys. But any of these other guys interest you, And I don't know how realistic it is because I don't know how you unless you do something with Taiwan Walker. I mean, you can always move guys around, I guess, but you have Chris Bassett.

00:22:07
Speaker 1: Just you like what Jim.

00:22:09
Speaker 4: I like Chris Bassett look, but he's good. He's I like the way he competes. I like his toughness. And he's gonna pitch at thirty seven next year, which you know it's up there, gets risky. But this guy last four years, four straight years of one hundred and seventy plus innings. I would think he's gonna want a multi year deal. I'm sure he's still holding out for a multi year deal, and I don't know if the Phillies can do that. But I mean, to me, he would be more than a depth piece. He's an awfully good good He's an awfully good ad. I think they're probably looking for someone who probably profiles more as a number five. But boy, if you could figure out a way to bring in Chris Bassett, I think that would be a really nice score.

00:22:54
Speaker 1: How do you think that.

00:22:56
Speaker 3: I mean he ended up playing pitching in the playoffs out of the bullpenal. Correct. Yeah, it's sort of like the perfect piece.

00:23:03
Speaker 5: I don't think he fits financially for them, because, as you said, Jim, I think he's going to command a higher number. I mean, he's a starting pitcher, and I don't want to be paid as a starting pitcher. And but as far just on the surface, if you look at him in the vacuum, I mean, he's sort of the perfect guy because he can solidify that you know, that slot. You can slow painter down, you don't have to worry about, you know, Wheeler snapping back quickly, and you know, I think that's it. That would be a really that's a heavy flow piece for me. But I just don't know if it fits financially for him.

00:23:41
Speaker 4: Yeah, he's got to what he's done the last four years. He's got to want a multi year deal, and he's probably waiting for somebody else to tumble here. But the two big ones ahead of him are qualifying offer guys, Forever Valdez and Zach Gallon. So you know, Rubin, you said the other day that they needed like a Spencer Turnbull type and that would be ideal Spencer Turnbull type. I wonder about that. That Zach Lttel who pitched in Tampa Bay for a few years and I think he went to Cincinnati. It doesn't strike a lot of guys out, but he'll give you some innings and won't walk people.

00:24:25
Speaker 1: You know, Nick, What about Nick Martinez is kind of that guy.

00:24:30
Speaker 3: Nick would be even a higher level than that. I think stuff.

00:24:34
Speaker 5: I mean, he's got to see like a six or seven pitch mix. You know, he's had some track record. Again, another one of those guys like the chan Ho Park type signing that we had years.

00:24:47
Speaker 3: Ago with Pat Gillick, where you have sort of a.

00:24:51
Speaker 5: Swing guy to help you as an as an opener or a starter when you need him, or maybe also pitching the ball pen as a long guy to hold some things down.

00:25:03
Speaker 4: I've always liked Jose Quintana, lefty, you know, likes to get a lot of chase, try to make the hitter get himself. I'm not sure he can pitch out of the bullpen though. Has he pitched out of the bullpen? I don't believe.

00:25:14
Speaker 5: So I will know that he's done it very much at all in his entire career.

00:25:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, you got Verlanders out there, he got Max Scherzers out there. Patrick Corbin is out there.

00:25:30
Speaker 5: The problem with those guys they're going to be expected to be in the rotation and they're not gonna want be wanting to compete, and there's always the risk of health. I mean these guys have gone down every single year. Corbin I think was fairly healthy last year. And yeah, I should have improved, did a nice shot. He's probably looking to try to capitalize on the fact that he did improve somebody.

00:25:53
Speaker 3: You're still looking at it like a five R for the guy, right.

00:25:58
Speaker 4: Yeah, Walker Bueller is he would? I think he would at this stage's career. Swingman ish. He's not hearing, not hearing a lot about him. And they had him for cameo last year.

00:26:12
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean velocities weren't there. It's one year more, another year on on the arm as far as wearing tears concerned. But he's gonna compete. It's an interesting name as well. Yeah, they got to do something there. They've got to bring in another.

00:26:30
Speaker 2: Army, another arm Like I said, you know, if a couple of those guys goes down. Hammy is Rob Thompson, Like, what's it called a Shinberger? You know, the final week of the of spring training, somebody else goes down. Now you're looking at Ellen ron Hell, you know Tucker Davidson, who's a non roster invitee. I'm trying to think who else off the top of my head. A couple of guys in Triple A, yeah, Brimy Brace Wilson. You know, there's not a lot, not a lot of great. You don't have Andrew again, you don't have you don't have Andrew paid, or you don't have mckabel.

00:27:05
Speaker 1: You don't have any of those guys down there.

00:27:06
Speaker 2: So they they they would be well served to go out and find some depth, some quality.

00:27:11
Speaker 1: Death before Toledo.

00:27:13
Speaker 4: Giolito's out there, but he showed enough I think coming back from injury last year with Boston that I think he wants to get paid a little bit. I'm not sure he would be in play.

00:27:25
Speaker 5: I really just think payroll wise, some of these guys just aren't fits. But at some point, somebody's gonna have to sign for less than they think they that they're that they're worth. You're gonna start finding that as you get closer and closer and well into spring training, some of.

00:27:41
Speaker 7: These guys may wait, yeah, through spring training, wait to see if somebody because if inevitably somebody's going down, and then someone's gonna have to have a panic move and sign somebody.

00:27:53
Speaker 5: And maybe that's the strategy for some of them.

00:27:57
Speaker 1: That makes a lot of sense. You could definitely see that.

00:28:00
Speaker 4: You can see that almost with a Sures or a Verlander type.

00:28:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, why sign somewhere?

00:28:06
Speaker 2: Right? Wait, see who lives down, See who's struggling, See who needs a starter?

00:28:12
Speaker 1: Go that way?

00:28:13
Speaker 2: All right, let's before we wrap this up, just want to mention some of the non roster invitees coming to camp. The Phillies announced just a few names on the list. You get prospects like Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford, a Run Escobar, Dante Nori, Felix, Reyis, Brian Raincone, Carson d Martini. Then you have some guys with big league experienced Henny CS Cabrera, Tucker Davidson, Brian da La Cruz.

00:28:38
Speaker 1: That's a outfield candidate.

00:28:40
Speaker 2: We don't Nobody ever talks about Johann Rojas as a fifth outfielder, but you know, obviously he's on the forty men.

00:28:45
Speaker 1: Brian day la Cruz had a really nice winter ball season. For whatever that's worth.

00:28:50
Speaker 2: You have some Tim Masa his back, Lefty, Tim Mays back, Michael Mercado, Trevor Richards, Bryce Wilson, Jonathan Hannas, some guys with big league experience that are going to be in camp to spring his non roster and vi keys.

00:29:03
Speaker 1: You never know which one might step up.

00:29:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, Brian dela Cruz is an interesting guy because I can see him having like a really.

00:29:10
Speaker 5: Strong spring just because he's a guy that's been playing. He'll probably start off and be hot. I've been there, done it, done it myself. You know, you play all the way through. Nobody else has played. A lot of these other guys haven't played. He's played all through the winter ball. He's seen pitches. He'll be ready to go right out of the chute trying to make his impression. And he's had some success against leftanders. He has some success in the big leagues corner guys got usk and swinging a little bit, has some success against the pills in particular. So, uh, he's sort of intriguing a little bit.

00:29:46
Speaker 3: I'm kind of curious to see.

00:29:48
Speaker 5: What we get out some of these youngsters. I want to see you Ruin Escobar, see what kind of shape he's in. Ten See he's a little thick, but he can really hit. Like to see what kind of defensive skills he has and what Bobby Richardson can do with him while he works. He and Larry Boa while they work in the infield. So some interesting guys there.

00:30:10
Speaker 4: Genesis Caprara an interesting guy with interesting background as it pertains to the Phillies. He's the guy who scared the crap out of everybody when he hit Bryce Harper in the face with ninety seven?

00:30:21
Speaker 1: Was it ninety seven?

00:30:23
Speaker 4: It's still one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen in my life that Bryce Harper walked away from that.

00:30:30
Speaker 3: Yeah, no doubt. Do you think they'll be lockering next to each other.

00:30:35
Speaker 4: You know, they're all good. They're all good. Harper reached out to him like the next day and said, you know this part of the game, don't worry about it. And you know, Harper's handling of that situation was remarkable to the point where there's an organization in Saint Louis and Cabrera was pitching for Saint Louis that night, and that incident happened in Saint Louis. There's an organization in Saint Louis. I think it's the stand Usual Foundation, and they give a sportsmanship award every year, and they gave it to Harper that year for his handling of that.

00:31:09
Speaker 5: Interesting the nice little tidbit there, James Piddage tidbit.

00:31:16
Speaker 2: Like that, Like I you know, I'm everybody his course is interesting to see what Justin Crawford does this spring. I'm also interested to see, you know, no surprise, I want to see what Aiden Miller does this spring. I'm just kind of curious to see how he bounce, how they use him, how they bounce him around. I don't know how many games is he gonna get, but how much third base does he play? How much second base does he play? In comparison to h shortstop? You know, because if he's going to be coming up at some point this season, it's probably gonna be as your third baseman or probably as your second basement in some way, shape or form.

00:31:44
Speaker 1: So there you go.

00:31:46
Speaker 4: If you can play shortstop, Todd, you can play anywhere.

00:31:50
Speaker 2: Oh that's you know what though, Jimmy Rownds did not want.

00:31:53
Speaker 1: I remember talking to Jimmy about this.

00:31:55
Speaker 2: He's like, I want no parts of third base.

00:31:58
Speaker 7: But he could.

00:32:00
Speaker 4: He could have done it.

00:32:01
Speaker 3: You could have done it.

00:32:02
Speaker 5: I think the the intrigue for me will be how they utilize Aden Millard in Leigh Valley this year. Where is he going to play? Is he going to play all three infield positions? Is he going to.

00:32:19
Speaker 3: Play the bulk of his time at third base? Will be at second base. I am fascinated by that one.

00:32:28
Speaker 4: I would bulk him up and shortstop and give him a little taste of third base.

00:32:32
Speaker 1: Is that it problem?

00:32:35
Speaker 4: Maybe only occasional taste the second, But I'm mostly I think I'm mostly looking at a left side infielder because you could need that a year from now. Right, you know, Boem's gonna be a free agent, and given the last two off seasons, I don't expect him to return.

00:32:55
Speaker 5: Correct I would play I would play him about seventy or eighty games at short and I was with the rest between third and second.

00:33:03
Speaker 1: There you go, There we go, all right, guys. The good to see Ruby.

00:33:09
Speaker 2: You look nice in hand. You were down in a clear glass.

00:33:14
Speaker 3: Did the old fantasy camp? It was fun. Had a great time with my old buddies. That's a and uh even cold. Cole Hamil's was I think the only two thousand and aka.

00:33:26
Speaker 4: Ruben any good, any good clubhouse hijinks.

00:33:30
Speaker 3: There were a ton of. I mean, one of the beauties of doing that.

00:33:34
Speaker 5: Is to listen to Larry Boa, Mariano Duncan and many many others.

00:33:39
Speaker 3: Chataway, John Cruk, Dooky, you were.

00:33:43
Speaker 5: A fly in that on the wall there in that clubhouse, you would be fully entertained.

00:33:50
Speaker 4: I love Donky.

00:33:53
Speaker 5: Donkey's great entertainment at the best. Fortunately, my good man John Raymon, I've had some travel problems to get back.

00:34:02
Speaker 3: Home, but I'll get home at some point. Man John Ramo hooked me up.

00:34:07
Speaker 1: Oh wow, you're gonna love the weather, Reuben. Let me tell you, I can't wait.

00:34:12
Speaker 3: It's been gorgeous, spectacular here. It's gonna start getting a little cold this week.

00:34:18
Speaker 2: So I did look when it was snowing on Sunday. He said, let me see what it's like in Claro. I said, it was like eighty degrees and like.

00:34:26
Speaker 1: Unbelievable.

00:34:27
Speaker 3: It's it's hand lines looking sharp, look and sharp.

00:34:31
Speaker 2: All right, guys, that was fun and We will be back later this week.

00:34:35
Speaker 4: Smell you, lady boys, Jimmy.

00:34:38
Speaker 2: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.