Rob Thomson’s return doesn't mean the Phillies are running it back

00:00:07
Speaker 1: The Philly Show is presented by Fox One, Ruby Tomorrow Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd Zlecki. It's Wednesday, October sixteenth, twenty twenty five. We're sporting our Phillies show caps. Yeah we are, Yes, we are, guys. Sources confirmed on Monday what I think all three of us expected, and that is Rob Thompson. We'll be back as Phillies manager in twenty twenty six. Let's talk about it. It's time for the park's first pitch. First pitch is brought to us exclusively by our partners at Parks, Pennsylvania's number one. You know, are we surprised, guys. I'm not surprised. I thought it was I understood the speculation. I wouldn't have been stunned if no, all of a sudden a decision was made like this. But I'm not surprised that Rob Thompson is back. I thought it was kind of a long shot.

00:01:05
Speaker 2: I am stunned by the reaction by the fans or there's a loud minority. I guess it is thinking that he should have been canned. I don't get it, because I think he handles things really, really well. You can question any managerial move anybody makes at any time.

00:01:27
Speaker 3: You can Monday morning quarterback all day long.

00:01:32
Speaker 2: There are some that I disagree with, but overall, I think Rob is super conscientious, very steady hand, and one of the reasons why they've had so much success, particularly in the in regular season as they had over the last you know what, three or four years.

00:01:51
Speaker 4: Yeah, they've been to the postseason four years in a row under him, all four seasons, they haven't gotten where they wanted to go. We all acknowledge that he's pushed buttons that sometimes haven't worked. But I can see the logic and all the moves. Sometimes the player's got to make the manager look good, and you know it hasn't happened. But you know there's no problem question in his moves. He would understand it. But you know, in the before the four years that they've been in the postseason, they missed the postseason ten years. Have we forgotten what a waste land baseball was for ten freaking years? And he's gotten there four years in a row, got into October with ascending wind totals every year. He did not deserve to be fired. I think he should have been back. He is back. I think he's a good skipper, and you know, pressure ramps up here.

00:02:43
Speaker 3: I'd be very.

00:02:44
Speaker 4: Curious to see if he has gutten or will get a one year contract extension, because that would raise the question is he a lame duck next year? And the last time they had a lame duck, Joe Girardi didn't work out well, a matter of fact, led to Rob's rise into the manager's chair. But we'll find that out soon enough. But I'm glad he's going to be the skipper in twenty twenty six. And you know, the expectations remain the same, win a World Series, and if they don't get there, then maybe a change will be more justified. But right now I'm really comfortable with him going into twenty twenty six. I think he's done a good job.

00:03:26
Speaker 3: Too.

00:03:27
Speaker 1: And I wrote about this in my Phillies Beat newsletter and maybe this is as nine you guys can tell me I've written dumb stuff before, but I was looking thinking about he makes the playoffs four straight years, they fall short, certain moves didn't work out. Manager's going to get ripped for that all the time. I totally get it. And you could say the bunt playing game two and why did he walk shohe Otani with to put the tying run on third base in Game four? I get all that, but then I think back to Bobby Cox with the Atlanta Braves. He won fourteen consecutive Division titles. That awful manager won one World Series. You know, I guess Bobby, you know, And I'm sure after all those postseasons there was a move that Bobby made or didn't make. It's like, what is this guy doing? But he's a Hall of Fame manager. They didn't put punched across the goal line. Dave Roberts. Now, I'm going to throw out the twenty twenty season. The pandemic shortened twenty twenty season.

00:04:32
Speaker 3: They won them. It doesn't count for me. Okay, never counted for me.

00:04:37
Speaker 1: So then we are in agreement there, So throw out the twenty twenty Dodgers World Series out, Dave Roberts. Eight seasons before this year, they won the NL West seven times. They finally won the World Series in year eight. And I know after a lot of those postseason failures, it was Dave Roberts, did he go? Should he be fired? Is he's not really a good manager. He doesn't push the right buttons, all of those things, and then finally in twenty twenty four, they put it all together. The players performed Freddie Freeman hits a Grand Slam in Game one, a walk off Grand Slam, and then they win the World Series. So I don't think it's a stretch to think that Rob Thompson could do the same thing that Dave Roberts did last season or other managers have done. After being at the Helm for five six seven seasons and then finally winning a World Series Charlie Manuel five six seven eight, I mean that was his fourth year. It doesn't happen right off the bat every single time. It's hard to win in the World Series, man, you know, if the hare, it's really hard to win the World Series. And I get it. So move didn't work out. I saw the logic in all of them. The players like him for the most part. I'm sure there's some guys in there and Nick Castillas grumbled about him. Okay, whatever, but he's back, and I don't think this means the Phillies are running it back. That was something I've heard a couple of times in emails and in comments on Twitter. Oh so I guess they're running it back. I don't think they're gonna run it back. If Dave Dombrowski comes out on Thursday and said it says we're bringing back the same exact squad, we think he would get it done as is. I would be stunned if he said that.

00:06:28
Speaker 2: Here's the other question I have of a follow up, how long do you think the leash is.

00:06:34
Speaker 4: I don't think it's particular. I think it depends on the you know, well, actually it doesn't depend on the contract extension if he got one. I don't think the leash is I don't think the leash is particularly the particularly long. I think Dombroski played the change the manager card in twenty twenty two and the team responded, and he could play it again in twenty twenty six, and I think Rob Thompson realizes that. I'm sure he realizes that's the way the game is played, but around the game a long time. Yeah, look, we're all disappointed they haven't won a World Series here. I think they're always going to rue the day they didn't win In twenty twenty three when they were putting.

00:07:13
Speaker 3: At the World by the Cojones.

00:07:16
Speaker 4: Yeah, they were putting teams, they were putting teams through the wood chipper like in Fargo early in that postseason. And then they went to Arizona, Okay, and one of the managers moves blew up in his face. And then they came home and they didn't hit and they gagged. They'll rue that forever. But you can blame a lot of people, and you can point some fingers at Rob Thompson, but you can also spread those fingers all around that lineup and that clubhouse and that bullpen. I don't think the finger is big enough to point at Rob Thompson to make a managerial change right now. They sput her out of the gate next year, I bet he'd be the first one to tell you he expects it, and that would be a card Dave could play. But right now, hey, if you want to say they're running back the manager, fine, I'm fine with it. Right And that was first Pitch.

00:08:07
Speaker 3: Thanks, Thanks Jim. Following that up, Baby.

00:08:09
Speaker 4: Yeah, First Pitch is presented exclusively by our partners at Parks Casino, Pennsylvania's number one casino. Parkscasino dot Com is the website if you have a gambling problem called one eight hundred Gambling and by the way. You must be twenty one to participate.

00:08:31
Speaker 1: Philly Show is brought to you by Fox One. Fox one is now live stream all your Fox favorites together in one place, including all American League playoff games and the World Series. Game three of the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners is Wednesday night on Fox First Pitches at one I'm Sorry eighth three pm Eastern. Mariners have a two zero lead in the best of seven series, winning the first two games in Toronto at Rogers Center. The Blue Jay try to strop stop the bleeding with twenty twenty al Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, the Mariners sending George Kirby the Mountain. You can stream the ale cs on Fox one. From MLB postseason to NFL on Fox to Big Noon Saturdays. With Fox one, you get it all live. Start your seven day free trial today. Offers are subject to change. Go to foxwe dot com for complete terms and conditions. Fox one streaming now.

00:09:30
Speaker 4: The Mariners are really playing well, and they were here what eight weeks ago and got their lunch handed to them by the Phillies.

00:09:38
Speaker 1: It's amazing they the Phillies destroyed the Mariners.

00:09:45
Speaker 4: Yeah, Phillis beat them off, battered and bruised. And I've had a feel about that team for a while, the Mariners, because it just seems like they sprinkled with a little gold dust with the Cal Rawley season. They get the.

00:10:00
Speaker 3: Corner two corner pieces.

00:10:03
Speaker 2: Offense, and they get and you know, trader, Jerry finally got it right.

00:10:08
Speaker 4: He likes to trade.

00:10:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, got it right, he finally Yeah, he absolutely did.

00:10:14
Speaker 3: Uh.

00:10:15
Speaker 1: Okay, So guys, we asked all of our viewers on YouTube and all of our listeners on Apple, Spotify, through our various social media platforms to send us questions. And one of you two, I don't know who wants to take this responsibility. Whoever you think extends the best question, ask the best question today. I want you to award that person a Manco and Manco gift.

00:10:36
Speaker 3: I want to be prissed off of Jim.

00:10:38
Speaker 4: So now we're gonna put our heads together. I'm gonna take notes.

00:10:41
Speaker 1: Okay, you take notes, Jim, all right, so.

00:10:43
Speaker 4: I know who I know who I'm not giving you to.

00:10:47
Speaker 3: Okay, here we go.

00:10:49
Speaker 1: So here here's one that I thought was an interesting way to look at things. This is from Dan ps uh nine on Instagram. Does the Dodgers success with starting pitching in the bullpen improve the odds that the Phillies re sign Ranger Swarrez. Now, if you haven't listened to our show on Monday, go back. We ranked fifteen players most likely to return least likely return. We had Ranger swars as the least likely Affilly to return in the offseason. Not that doesn't mean the Phillies won't try.

00:11:22
Speaker 4: You never know how things are going to shake out over the course of the winter, and Scott Boris winters last a long time, sometimes until March twelfth. That's when Jay That's when Arietta signed a few years ago with the Phillies March twelfth. So you just never know how things could shake out over the course of a winner and how that could affect Ranger in terms of coming back to Philadelphia. I just feel like there are major questions about his durability and with the money they need to allocate to make a run at Schwarber and JT and fix all the things, and with the pitching they have and the pitching they have coming, I see Ranger as being call it a budget cut, you know, call it thank you very much. We'll catch you down the road. I just don't think he's gonna be here, but could be wrong.

00:12:11
Speaker 3: Here's the issue with waiting that long.

00:12:13
Speaker 2: A lot of teams set their budgets long before, you know, February and March, and they're you know, I think what happens is you have a.

00:12:21
Speaker 3: Very narrow window or narrow amount.

00:12:25
Speaker 2: Of teams that have not set their budget by the time February and March rolls around, So all of a sudden, you're gonna throw like a thirty million dollars salary on a guy.

00:12:35
Speaker 3: Have you tested for that.

00:12:37
Speaker 2: There's a lot of there's very few teams who who are able to stay in that mix that late in the process. That's why I think, you know, holding on to those players and trying to eke out the very last dollar or making a historic deal or a historic aav or whatever the mottos operendi of Scott Boris is that particular offseason.

00:13:04
Speaker 3: I think it.

00:13:05
Speaker 2: I think in a lot of times, a lot of times it hurts the player. So that's why they have to take pillow contracts.

00:13:11
Speaker 4: And it would be nice to build a deep enough rotation where you do have guys that can help in the bullpen in October and be really, you know, effective, like Ranger technic technically was in Game four.

00:13:24
Speaker 3: And would have happened had they had had they had Wheeler healthy.

00:13:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, would have happened. What would have happened? We were talking about that for months, that who's going to go out there, Wizardo and.

00:13:33
Speaker 3: It probably would have and Or and or Ranger.

00:13:37
Speaker 4: It just kind of fell apart on him.

00:13:38
Speaker 1: So, yeah, losing Wheeler killed him. This is from David Manning on Blue Sky. Assuming that the Phillies are going to move Nick castianis, what kind of return would we expect or even want, even if we're eating salary? What should we expect in return?

00:13:54
Speaker 4: Nothing?

00:13:55
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:13:55
Speaker 3: Nothing much?

00:13:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I don't.

00:13:59
Speaker 2: Know what very much you could get, like a thirtieth prospect in somebody's organization.

00:14:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's making twenty million dollars next season. You're gonna have to eat a lot of that, and they'd.

00:14:12
Speaker 3: Be willing to eat a lot of it.

00:14:13
Speaker 5: I bet they'd be willing to eat ten twelve million dollars because the reality is, if you look at his numbers, I mean, obviously he didn't have a great offensive year, and his defense is questionable and all that other stuff.

00:14:27
Speaker 2: What is his what would be his value today on the open marketplace, like, what would somebody pay him seven eight million, nine million, four million?

00:14:37
Speaker 3: I don't know. Yeah, based on how he performed this year.

00:14:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you're talking about a guy again based off of fangrass War was the worst qualified player in baseball negative point six. I think it was for whatever that is. But defensively, offensively, that's.

00:14:54
Speaker 3: Why that's why you can't expect much of a return. I don't think.

00:14:57
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:14:58
Speaker 1: I think right there, what you're trying to do is you talk about running it back, move on from him, try to find something in the right field. Could be some other moves going on in the outfield. This one, this one, Ruben, I think is directed at you. I heard a rumor the fielders are going to try to move one or more of the big contracts, and he details or guesses that's from j R. Adler eleven on threads you kind of talked about created.

00:15:22
Speaker 3: I'm a rumor starter. I get old behind that.

00:15:28
Speaker 2: It is a possibility, and it is the duty of the general manager to explore all possibilities. And I think that Dave Debrowski. I just have a feeling that Dave Debrowski will keep his mind open on everything to try to change the mix a little bit so that they don't necessarily quote unquote.

00:15:48
Speaker 3: Run it back. Right you think, yeah, I didn't try to create a rumor. I just gave an opinion.

00:15:55
Speaker 4: Right, you're a rumor monger.

00:15:58
Speaker 3: Not really. But if people want to think it like that, that's fine. Well, this is my words that I say.

00:16:06
Speaker 4: Most people, most opinion, most people who did listen to your words. I believe when they hear a big contract Harper or Turner, and but there's they both have no trade clauses. I wonder if they went to Harper and said we're thinking of trading you, I flat out I think he would say, you're not trading me. But that would alienate him and I don't know, would create a diminishing return or something very delicate. I think it's very delicate. And now I don't even think that. I don't think they would go there. I think the owner wants him here and wants them to go into.

00:16:47
Speaker 3: The Hall of Fame as a Philly Maybe.

00:16:49
Speaker 2: So it doesn't mean it's necessarily the right thing.

00:16:57
Speaker 4: It's not a it's Look, it's not a terrible idea.

00:17:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, in there's not exact sight, it's not an exact science. You want to change the mix, you want to mix, you have to explore pretty much everything, not just big contracts, little contracts, the whole nine yards.

00:17:12
Speaker 3: But it is possible.

00:17:15
Speaker 1: How about that.

00:17:15
Speaker 4: I would be willing to bet they kick it around, But.

00:17:19
Speaker 3: Of it actually happening is probably very low, right.

00:17:23
Speaker 1: I mean we said, we said on on Monday Show Harper was the most likely guy to return. I think Turner was the second most likely guy return out of those fifteen players. So doesn't mean you can't explore anything and everything. I get it, But we also feel that we wouldn't bet on it either.

00:17:41
Speaker 4: One of those things where you where you used to sit around talking about getting to you on carlis Stanton all the time, talk about it, but why not try?

00:17:52
Speaker 3: Gotta try?

00:17:54
Speaker 1: Absolutely ge Okay, So here's g papp nine six three one on Instagram. Would you let Al Schwarber walk if if he's too expensive, then turn toward Pete Alonzo instead a right handed power bat. I mean you'd have to make one of the you'd have to make him the DH obviously, and he would be the DH I mean, is that if they would lose Schwarber somehow, would you want Pete Alonso on this on this squad?

00:18:21
Speaker 4: I mean, I would love a right handed power bat behind Harper, and I would love to have Schwarber as well. And I would see if Bryce could go to right field for a couple of years. So I don't know, I think.

00:18:34
Speaker 2: That's I think that's got to be up on the that's got to be on the table too.

00:18:38
Speaker 4: I mean, I don't know how much money you can spend. Alonso wants a seven year deal. I understand that's negotiating tactic. You start high and you set up. If I could get Pete Alonzo, man he he he posts, he plays all the time. He drives in runs, he hits home runs, he hits doubles. He's a right productive player. It'd be a scary right handed bat behind Harper. He's another I think he's a Boris guy, right, Todd, Oh yeah, yeah, so he would maybe, uh like Bryce's Boris guy. That might be the guy. I think that was the guy Bryce was referring to when he said he would have moved to the outfield for certain players. I think Pete Alonso is that guy?

00:19:17
Speaker 2: Would you guys view that as uh as running it back or making changes?

00:19:21
Speaker 3: If you flip flop Schwarber for Alonso.

00:19:27
Speaker 4: I I'm curious, how would you feel about that running back?

00:19:33
Speaker 1: That wouldn't be a running it back?

00:19:34
Speaker 3: If you lose, I'd like him both.

00:19:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, Now that was interesting is Bryce has said, you know, he said in the off season or in spring training he would move to the outfield. And I remember talking to him mid season about it before the trade deadline. That was in actually, I think it was in Chicago at when they were playing the White Sox a few days before the trade deadline. He said, I'm still open to it. I don't want to do it long term though. I like playing first. Now, if the if they Phillies would come and say, listen, we can get Pete Alonzo here and we could get Schwarbur, but you might have to play outfield for a couple of years. I don't know. Maybe the conversation changes. Then have the conversation. You never know where it's going to go. Maybe he goes, you know what, I'll do this if we if you can put together a roster Dave that can win a world series. I will go play the outfield, even though I prefer to play first base. So that's it's interesting. Interesting. That's the type of things that they have to do this offseason. I think right.

00:20:31
Speaker 4: Lot and you got you got like thirty eight million coming off the books. When Castianos and uh Tiwan Walker done after next year, he might be able to do something creative defer. What do you think, mister GM.

00:20:48
Speaker 1: He's never deferred. The Phillies have never deferred.

00:20:50
Speaker 3: It's not something they've done. But maybe there's something they can start to do. Because they're well over budget. Oh yes, they've been well over budget for the last three or four years.

00:21:00
Speaker 2: There's hundreds of millions of dollars that I that I can tell you assuredly. And even though you know they've got asses in the seats and a ton of them, they're still well over budget because they don't drive the same revenues as the LA Dodgers and the New York Yankees do, but their their payrolls are up there with them.

00:21:20
Speaker 4: All right. Question question from Jim and Westchester. Would you would you sacrifice JT to bring in uh Pete?

00:21:30
Speaker 3: I wouldn't.

00:21:33
Speaker 2: I would not because the pitching is too important, and the catching is too important the pitching. The catching to catch the pitching is too important for me.

00:21:41
Speaker 4: No, I hear you what you're saying. It's it's a vital It's a vital team within a team. J T and that pitching staff. I'm just the reason why.

00:21:51
Speaker 3: The pitching is the reason why they had so much success. Let's just call it what it is.

00:21:57
Speaker 2: It wasn't the offense that had the success throughout the entire season.

00:22:01
Speaker 3: It was the pitching that kept them afloat.

00:22:06
Speaker 1: And and yeah, absolutely, I think all three of us know, and and certainly the pitchers know, and other people know that that guy is super important to the success of that pitching staff. Trust that guy with their lives.

00:22:21
Speaker 4: Get Pete, Get Pete, and put Bryce and right field. Get Pete.

00:22:27
Speaker 1: I love it, Jim. I love where your heads at, Jim.

00:22:31
Speaker 3: I like where your head's at too. I mean, I love the cut of your Jim, Jim. People love I like it.

00:22:43
Speaker 1: I agree. I think that would be that would be exciting.

00:22:47
Speaker 3: That's definitely happening. Let's create that. Let's do it. Oh, it's definitely gonna happen. It's the Boris guy. It's you know, that's Harper's guys.

00:22:56
Speaker 4: Get every Boris guy here.

00:22:58
Speaker 1: That's that's a great point too, is like anytime there's a free agent like, well, this guy's connected, they have the same agent. It comes down of the money, everybody, all right, John Haymon will let us know somebody, somebody will let us know before even Scott Boris knows. You're gonna hear this stuff in the off season, right, you're gonna go, Well, this guy played with Trey Turner in a team USA, so there's a connection there. Or this guy works spend spent a winter in the off season with Kevin Long in Arizona. Can we forget about that stuff? If the money is not there, the guy's not gonna go. You know, I'm gonna take you.

00:23:35
Speaker 4: They're all green backsle this guy went to in and out Burger with that guy, exactly right.

00:23:44
Speaker 1: Speaking of Kevin Long, we got a lot of Kevin Long questions, so I'm gonna whittle it.

00:23:48
Speaker 4: Down to this one.

00:23:49
Speaker 1: DJ Saint James on Instagram, T Montgomery ten, Joe Messina, Senior, BO ninety two, RB Ham seventy six, they're all on Instagram. They all had a question about Kevin Long. Thoughts on moving on from Kevin Long.

00:24:05
Speaker 2: I mean, everything was on the table in the off season. They're still thinking about their staff. No one's ever talked about their staff other than Rob Thompson is the rumor and that's not even official yet, but him coming back, but we assume based on some of the stuff that's out there that he's coming back. But I think they're all still sort of assessing the hitting stuff because they've made.

00:24:28
Speaker 3: Changes with the assistant hitting guys a couple of years back.

00:24:32
Speaker 2: They made another change. Do they change the analytics folks? What kind of job are they doing?

00:24:39
Speaker 1: Right?

00:24:40
Speaker 4: So, Kevin Long made a pretty nice adjustment with Bryce and Stott had a pretty nice adjustment mid season with j T got a.

00:24:50
Speaker 3: Lot of Marshall.

00:24:52
Speaker 4: Marsh helped Marshal lot resuscitated completely resuscitated Kyle Schwarber's career.

00:25:01
Speaker 3: This year, helped.

00:25:04
Speaker 4: They got something this year. They were number two in the majors in batting average number four and on base number three and slugging number eight, and runs number four and ops number six and hard contact number five. In exit velo, where did Kevin Long screw up? He couldn't swing the bat for them in October.

00:25:23
Speaker 3: Where did he screw up? He didn't make the choices for them when they went to the plate.

00:25:29
Speaker 4: And they also improved their selectivity this year over the one sixty two, but not in the playoffs. Gym, maybe he won't want to come back.

00:25:37
Speaker 3: I don't know.

00:25:37
Speaker 4: You know, I've been keeping an eye on something with Kevin Long.

00:25:40
Speaker 3: I've been keeping an eye on that Mets be a manager and wants to be a manager.

00:25:44
Speaker 4: Well, I've been keeping an eye on that Mets hitting job because Wan Soto loves him. Well, apparently today the Mets landed on a hitting coach, the director of hitting. The guy used to be with the Cardinals. So that job is now filled. They filled that on what what's today? Tuesday? We're filming on Tuesday, right, Todd? Sorry, I believe you secret. So he won't, he won't. He won't be going to the Mets. But uh, you know, people can fire Kevin Long. I'm not one of them.

00:26:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, look at look at you can't swing it for him? Absolutely? I mean, did you see what the Dodger Andrew Friedman, Dodgers President of Baseball opset about the Phillies Uh in Milwaukee press conference, he said the Phillies. He said, it is so hard to hit. Hitting a baseball is hard, the hardest thing you can possibly do. And he said, I've never seen the team execute against shoey Otani like the Phillies executed against Shoeyotani. He was one for eighteen in that NLDS. Freddy Freeman did nothing in the NLDS. And the point being that if you have really good pitching, I don't care how talented the hitters are. And shoe hey Otani and Freddie Freeman are first ballot Hall of Famers, and the Phillies shut them down because they had great hitching. And so to pin that on the Dodgers hitting coach if they had gotten knocked out in NLDS, to me would have been crazy, just like it to me pinning on Kevin Long Now, there could be other changes in the coaching staff, and maybe there will be a change.

00:27:17
Speaker 2: Somebody always asked, somebody always has to take somebody's fall, and it's never the players.

00:27:23
Speaker 3: Have you ever noticed it's never the player's fault.

00:27:26
Speaker 1: Ever, Well, this year, I do think that there's gonna be some changes. I think, well, we all agree there will be some changes. So in that sense, shaking up the roster will be those guys taking the fall when they're not here next year in one way or another. I don't know if this is something that we can answer right now, but what is plan B if JT Real Muto goes elsewhere? Marshawn and Stubbs, Adleie Rushman. That's from Paul Rudman on Facebook.

00:27:55
Speaker 3: Have you guys seen the free agent market?

00:27:58
Speaker 2: It's Salvador Perez who has got like a club option or mutual option.

00:28:04
Speaker 3: It's JT. And then that's it.

00:28:07
Speaker 2: That Doret there's no mad Es now on the trade market. Could be different, but there's not.

00:28:14
Speaker 3: There's no catching. No, there's no catching in the whole league, the free agent market.

00:28:21
Speaker 1: And I don't see I don't see Adlie Rushman play every day, but I can tell you this, he doesn't play every day a catcher. He dhs a lot, and if you look at his numbers as a catcher, they're not very good compared to when he dhs.

00:28:34
Speaker 3: So this is a guy that good.

00:28:37
Speaker 1: He's not going to go out and catch one hundred and thirty games and hit two eighty with thirty bombs and ninety RBIs if that's what people are thinking of Adlie Rushman. You know, you know, he's just not that type of guy. In his career as a DH he's got an eight thirty seven ops as a catcher of seven to twenty six ops. So catching an offense with him does not suit well. And he's not the defensive player that that I think.

00:29:00
Speaker 4: And he's had, you know, over the course of his last few years, he said, Bryce Harper stumping for him. And you know Zach Wheeler, strong silent type who doesn't say a lot, has to mean a lot about him, says a lot about him.

00:29:18
Speaker 3: Question for you guys, is this Jim from Westchester?

00:29:23
Speaker 4: Yes, this is.

00:29:26
Speaker 3: First time he's back.

00:29:27
Speaker 4: First he's one of those annoying regularly first time long time. Do the Giants scare you because Jeff Barry, his former agent, is there?

00:29:44
Speaker 3: Sure? Well, Buster Posey's going to be you know who is who he is. He knows how important catching is. And the manager might be an ex catcher.

00:29:55
Speaker 4: Aren't they interviewing?

00:29:56
Speaker 3: Isn't are they interviewing? Uh hu Hunley?

00:30:00
Speaker 4: No, isn't that a different guy? Nick Hunley? Was he a catcher?

00:30:04
Speaker 3: I think Hunley was. Nick Humley is a catcher wasn't he. I know Todd only would, but I think Nicky was a catcher as well.

00:30:12
Speaker 4: If I'm not mistaken, Buster you could just see Buster would love JT. But I mean, Jeff Berry is one of his big advisors, JT's former agent. He knows the guy inside out, and they have a need.

00:30:26
Speaker 3: I had called Jim they could. They could very well go big on him. Good, very well.

00:30:32
Speaker 4: San Diego too. But I kind of heard some rumblings they might have to shed a little payroll.

00:30:38
Speaker 1: Oh that's true. They do have some issues there and they have no manager right now.

00:30:42
Speaker 4: No money.

00:30:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, But I'm telling you, man, JT. I know people got frustrated his offensive performance early in the season, and he is. He finished strong. He was great in the postseason. But man, do not undersell his impact on that pitching staff. We're got, We've got more questions coming up.

00:31:03
Speaker 3: But Rubin, Oh, I gotta get my read together. I gotta get it together.

00:31:08
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00:32:40
Speaker 1: All right, So guys, we have another giveaway from Shiveventure Sports. Our friends at Shiveventure Sports. We got a Phillies cap with a Veterans Stadium patch on the side. We've been given away some cool stuff from Shive Sports all fall. So if you're watching us on YouTube, scan that QR code on your screen and end for a chance to win. Or if you're listening to us, just remember this email or this website address shy sports dot com backslash tps you can win that Phillies cap. And as always, once you enter, once you enter, you are entered for the end of the year, drawing a year's supply of shirts from shyve bent toed sports. And the reason why they're giving away this Phillies cap today is because we do like a This week in Phillies Baseball history, Philly baseball history tie in with them. October thirteenth, nineteen ninety three, the Phillies won the NLCS over the that juggernaut team, Bob Bobby Cox's Atlanta Braves.

00:33:44
Speaker 2: How about Stormy out on the field in my swingster jacket because I was not able to suit up?

00:33:51
Speaker 1: What do you remember about that night?

00:33:53
Speaker 3: Five of my boys?

00:33:53
Speaker 2: I would remember I was disappointed I couldn't be in uniform number one, but really really happy for the boys.

00:33:59
Speaker 3: It was exciting, It was a fun time.

00:34:03
Speaker 4: It was really cool.

00:34:04
Speaker 3: I remember holding Dave Hollins' hand as the last picture was made. Is that right?

00:34:09
Speaker 1: Yes, certainly that's awesome because you guys were just like the vibes to make it happen.

00:34:16
Speaker 3: And the only reason I asked you that's because my good friend the game.

00:34:21
Speaker 1: Because I I I only know Dave Hollins from his time as a scout. I didn't cover him as a player, but he is. He is a great guy to talk to. I love talking to Dave Hollins whenever he was around. But Uh, I heard he was hard.

00:34:34
Speaker 4: He was hard for you would not enjoyed talking to him, Boddy Man.

00:34:40
Speaker 3: I enjoyed talking to him when he was a player because he was intense. Would be a light, the light side of it.

00:34:48
Speaker 4: I once uh wrote in The Inquirer that talking to him was like taking a butter knife and putting it in an electrical outlet. You were going to get zapped.

00:35:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, but he's a great human being.

00:35:05
Speaker 4: He is a good dude. He is a great dude.

00:35:07
Speaker 3: He he was a hell of a scout for me.

00:35:09
Speaker 4: Really good and a good, great, great teammate, had everybody's back.

00:35:14
Speaker 3: Oh my god, the ultimate Foxhole guy.

00:35:17
Speaker 4: He would have killed for his teammates loved him and still do.

00:35:23
Speaker 2: A pretty good player in bow Hollands. You can really swing it. He's a game cock in a brawl.

00:35:30
Speaker 4: Like you could punch him in the head. You wouldn't even feel it. You had the thickest cranium on earth.

00:35:35
Speaker 3: That's that was. That was his nickname. Head. Remember they remember they waved his head, they weighed his head.

00:35:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't remember this.

00:35:46
Speaker 4: That is great.

00:35:48
Speaker 3: He's a beautiful man. He's a beautiful man.

00:35:51
Speaker 1: That's fantastic. So yeah, go again. I want you guys to see this hat, the Phillies cap with that cool vet.

00:35:57
Speaker 3: I love.

00:35:57
Speaker 1: I do love the old Vet stadium logos. That that's s Yeah, it just kind of kind of brings you back, you know.

00:36:05
Speaker 3: Not a match stared doppel ganger or something.

00:36:08
Speaker 1: Yeah right, that guy kind of looks like absolutely so again, scan that QR code on your screen. Go to shivesports dot com backslash tps for a chance to win, and again, if you enter, you're good for the end.

00:36:21
Speaker 4: Of the year.

00:36:21
Speaker 1: Drawing a ton of T shirts at your supply of T shirts from ship, We've got a bunch and they.

00:36:26
Speaker 4: Are we talking three hundred and sixty five T shirts.

00:36:29
Speaker 1: I don't think it's three hundred and sixty five. It might be, you know, I don't know what the number is your.

00:36:34
Speaker 3: Supply, I mean, how many actually means, but it's a ton of them. I've seen a ton of T shirts.

00:36:40
Speaker 1: I've seen Jimmy Barbecue. He could probably you know, at three hundred and sixty five, you know, you get a little barbecue sauce on. Get get those things out one.

00:36:50
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm a dribbler from a dribbler more ways than one.

00:36:55
Speaker 1: All Right, here we go, Let's go back to the past. Let's finish up some questions here.

00:37:01
Speaker 3: This is kind of a thinking one.

00:37:03
Speaker 1: It seems like the Phillies are insisting that Aiden Miller is a major league shortstop and not a third baseman. Does that mean that Trey Turner eventually transitions to center field? This move would potentially fill a major hole at the position on the major league roster. That's from ed Edward Abrams on Facebook. Do we have any thoughts on that?

00:37:22
Speaker 3: Why not?

00:37:23
Speaker 2: I mean, I think he played a great shortstop. But if you're gonna let young kids play, he's gotta go play somewhere. He might play third base right now. I mean, right now he's in shortstop, but he might have to move to short third base, he might have to move some other position.

00:37:39
Speaker 3: But his value, I think is in the infield because you can play it. He's got some speed. He's really came on strong at the end of the year.

00:37:47
Speaker 2: The early part of the season was slow form, but he came on strong late, made the adjustments.

00:37:52
Speaker 3: Finally, and he's a real prospect man.

00:37:55
Speaker 4: You never know.

00:37:55
Speaker 2: He may very well be in a major league ballpark come twenty twenty six, and he might make it out of the spring training.

00:38:04
Speaker 3: Who knows.

00:38:06
Speaker 2: Who knows what kind of change they're gonna make. Maybe Crawford, maybe Miller, maybe they just go young. Who knows anything.

00:38:13
Speaker 4: Him being a left side infielder, he's a left side infielder. If you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere in the infield. He can play third base. I think he could. He could be like Turnkey at third base, and that could be a position in flocks over the winter. I'm not saying he's gonna be here opening day, but it could be something to keep an eye on. They've long thought he could play third. They've talked about putting him at second at times, whenever Preston told.

00:38:34
Speaker 3: Us that maybe Boom goes to first, he goes to third, and you know, Harper goes to right.

00:38:40
Speaker 4: Maybe maybe Bom goes to Seattle.

00:38:42
Speaker 3: I don't know what.

00:38:44
Speaker 1: Would you guys, move Miller to the outfield at all?

00:38:49
Speaker 4: Is that?

00:38:49
Speaker 3: I think? I think you keep him in the infield, keep him in the ufield and until he can't right right, So that's a to think about.

00:39:00
Speaker 1: You know, maybe Turner moving to the outfield at some point. I know we talked about that early in the season when he was stro last in the offseason when he was struggling as a possibil at some point. But he did play good shortstop this year.

00:39:09
Speaker 2: So it be tough to move him off the position now unless he'll do it for the team and it'll really help the team and they can convince him that's the way to go.

00:39:20
Speaker 3: I don't I don't know if that's the right thing to do.

00:39:23
Speaker 2: I'm just saying it's I think they'll probably try to keep their mind open on a.

00:39:29
Speaker 3: Lot of stuff, and that's one of them.

00:39:31
Speaker 4: He's here a long time. I still think he finishes his career with the Phillies in the outfield, but not next year.

00:39:39
Speaker 1: I mean, because the guy did everything that was asked. He improved his defensive player. You graded out as one of the if you did all the work we asked you to do, you grated out as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball? Can you move to center field for us?

00:39:53
Speaker 4: Please?

00:39:53
Speaker 3: Next year?

00:39:56
Speaker 2: Tough message to send, maybe more likely to Aiden Miller slides over to the third.

00:40:00
Speaker 3: At least for now, and then slides back to short when need be. Who knows.

00:40:07
Speaker 1: It's kind of bigger Dennis down to Hue on Facebook. Should should the Phillies get away from the outfield platoons and just get outfielders that are good enough to play every day? The system this year didn't really work Kepler, Marsh, Rojas, Camp Wilson, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

00:40:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, worked pretty well. At the end of the year. It did.

00:40:27
Speaker 1: We didn't better.

00:40:28
Speaker 3: I mean, it didn't work in.

00:40:29
Speaker 2: The playoffs because Marsh did not hit. Kepler didn't do a lot. Vader got hurt, right.

00:40:38
Speaker 4: I mean, your goal is to always have nine men like you can have the same non regular lineup. You know, your goal isn't to you know, say, Okay, we're gonna have platoons all over the place. They kind of become a necessity when you don't get the production you're looking for. So the ideal would be would be to have regulars at every position. So I think they'd like that, sure.

00:40:58
Speaker 1: I mean I think I think when people talk about this offseason and where like you know, running it back and where you're going to see the change, I think you're going to see the most change in the outfield. I mean, if you had to, right, I mean, you're gonna have cast the house. We don't expect to be back batter. That's maybe our next question. Bat he's a free agent mutual option.

00:41:17
Speaker 3: Does Justin Crawf for get a chance to play left field every day? Or centerfield?

00:41:23
Speaker 5: Does?

00:41:24
Speaker 3: Because I really don't feel like marsh is a centerfielder.

00:41:26
Speaker 2: I think that that that experiment probably is over, but they may have to be for staff to play him in center. I think I'd like to give Justin Crawford a shot. If they're going to have a choice between the two of them. I like to see Crawford until he fails in centerfield, play center. Have Marsh play left if they can't move him to right. But I think Marsh's a really good corner outfielder, especially defensively.

00:41:54
Speaker 1: Who do you think is more likely to make the opening day roster right now? Andrew Painter or Justin? C offered, Oh, if you had to give an edge to somebody, If you had to give an edge to somebody.

00:42:07
Speaker 3: I'd say Painter. At a necessity.

00:42:10
Speaker 4: M hm, they could both be there.

00:42:13
Speaker 1: I mean I almost.

00:42:14
Speaker 3: I think they both will be there.

00:42:16
Speaker 2: I think they both will will on April first or whatever, in March thirty, twenty seventh or whatever it is. I think they both have a chance to be in this on the on the roster.

00:42:26
Speaker 4: I do too.

00:42:27
Speaker 1: I mean, what is Justin? I mean, Dave Dave said there. I would have been comfortable calling up Justin Crawford in June or July, but then we went in a different direction. I mean, what does the guy have to prove in triple A hit eight ps? He you know, he's talented player, and.

00:42:42
Speaker 3: It doesn't mean he has to stay there. He's going to have to play.

00:42:47
Speaker 2: I mean, if he falters, he might have to go back and regroup, but hopefully he doesn't, and hopefully he's ready for his sake and for the teenth break.

00:42:56
Speaker 3: That'd be great to have that kind of that speed weapon be.

00:43:00
Speaker 1: Fun, absolutely, and that would be some fresh blood in there as well.

00:43:06
Speaker 2: Think about the speed that they would have then Turner Crawford stop and you're talking about you know, talking about a lot of a lot of wheels.

00:43:17
Speaker 1: There, right, And I mean, whoever's playing center field, you assume could run as well, if it's marsh or somebody else, right, Uh, speaking of that a Heinbach ninety two on Instagram? Do they re sign Harrison Bader? I personally would now. On our Monday show, we ranked I don't know where Bader ended up. He was like third or fourth most likely to not return, and that upset a.

00:43:41
Speaker 3: Lot everybody, everybody off.

00:43:43
Speaker 1: That ticked everybody out. They did not like us saying that, I think, look at what we think, what we hope happened? Agreed, and and it also was based off the fact that he has a mutual option, and mutual options are never exercised, so he is going to become a free agent. And he's going to want a multi year deal, and the Phillies internally are going to have to decide, do we believe in the player that he was this year at age whatever thirty two, or do we want to look at the back of his baseball card and see a player that was blow league average the last four or five years. So if they believe that he's turned the corner can replicate this, then maybe they do sign a multi year deal. But if not, then that's kind of a gamble. So that's why most mutual's eight million, ten ten, ten million.

00:44:32
Speaker 4: Yeah, suppose you gave me. Suppose you reworked it to twelve and made the mutual option on twenty seven.

00:44:40
Speaker 2: I mean, I would there's ways to bring him back for a year, but I wouldn't really. I'd be a little leery about doing multi year deals with them. And I think he's good at command that be able to command that. It seems because there's not a whole lot of outfielders out there either. I mean, one of Jim's favorites, Guy Loreano's out there.

00:44:58
Speaker 3: I kind of like that. I kind of like that name.

00:45:01
Speaker 4: Mm hmm. Yeah, you're right, there's no outfielders out there, but wait till expansion comes.

00:45:12
Speaker 1: You knows, you know, it's funny. They're they're you're looking at the free agent list in thewfield.

00:45:17
Speaker 3: You're right.

00:45:17
Speaker 1: I mean, there's not a lot of guys out there, and everybody is a left hander.

00:45:21
Speaker 3: And there's there's Tucker, there's Cody and Cody Bellinger and.

00:45:31
Speaker 4: Mark Canna. His annual creation appearance.

00:45:34
Speaker 1: Is Trent Grisham doing anything for you? I mean, you know, uh, you know, there's there's some guys like that. Alex Bregmant might be out there again.

00:45:42
Speaker 4: There's another nice right handed bat.

00:45:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, there you go, there you go.

00:45:48
Speaker 3: I'll take him.

00:45:49
Speaker 4: Third sacker, put him behind Harper another.

00:45:53
Speaker 3: I wanted to get him last year.

00:45:55
Speaker 1: You did you remember, You're you're stumping on him. Jumping on Alex Bregman. Didn't happen last one we got, we got a bunch of you know, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna save some of these. Maybe we can bring some back next week. Man new T d y l and Instagram wants to know who's the funniest out of the three of us.

00:46:16
Speaker 3: Jim Salisbury. Jim Salisbury is the funniest. You have the best you have the best.

00:46:26
Speaker 2: Todd has the best, uh like imitations and things like that.

00:46:32
Speaker 3: I'm the most sarcastic, no doubt, you're the most lovable Jim. Clearly, I do have this the funniest Jim. Jim is the funniest by far.

00:46:45
Speaker 1: I have so many people text me go, I didn't know Jim was that funny. I didn't know Jim was that funny. I'm like, yeah, I think you are. No, no, no, Jim, don't deflect. Now we've decided to no deflections, no deflections.

00:47:02
Speaker 3: So you're hilarious.

00:47:07
Speaker 4: He's a great actor, all dead stuff.

00:47:11
Speaker 3: He fires out there.

00:47:14
Speaker 1: Well, guys, that was fun. Don't forget the phillyshowshop dot com is open. Scan the QR code on your screen. Help support the show. We appreciate all of your support. Again, we will be here all off season. We're going to be back on Friday, and we're going to talk about all the things that Dave Dombrowski and Rob Thompson said at Park. They're having a press conference on Thursday morning. We'll get together tape something Thursday night, we'll post a Friday morning, and UH, it's going to be an interesting conversation because they have a lot of questions to answer and a lot of different things should be fun.

00:47:57
Speaker 4: Postportum I love those post war we got to give it the.

00:48:00
Speaker 1: Card Todd Oh yeah, the card. Geez, thanks Jim, Jim, who's your thanks?

00:48:08
Speaker 3: Who do you got? You?

00:48:09
Speaker 4: All good questions? Could you just give me a little quick reminder on every one of them?

00:48:14
Speaker 1: Oh my god, every single I don't have a pencil success on the Ranger, Dodger's success re signing Ranger castianos.

00:48:24
Speaker 3: What are you gonna get like that question?

00:48:27
Speaker 1: Uh h, big rumors question. Let's see if you Schwarber walks. What about Pete Alonzo? Thoughts on moving all the Kevin Long questions?

00:48:39
Speaker 4: We got a ton of those who asked the Peter Alonzo question.

00:48:43
Speaker 1: Who asked the Pete Alonzo question was asked by g Papp nine six three one on Instagram.

00:48:51
Speaker 4: Is that.

00:48:54
Speaker 1: I don't think he would be able to type something in Yeah, he's not a lot of when he doesn't eat manco.

00:49:02
Speaker 4: Actually, but that's my winner, the Pete Alonzo question.

00:49:05
Speaker 1: I you know what, I I thought that sparked the best conversation out of the out of out of all the questions, was the idea of the Philly signing Pete Alonzo arch nemesis Pete Alonzo thrown in their side Pete Alonzo, Bryce Harper saying, you know what, I'm gonna move out to right field for a couple of years, and then the Peter Alonso.

00:49:26
Speaker 4: Pete Alonzo could be our Pete Rose. Oh, get us over the top, Ruben, you had him right in New York.

00:49:37
Speaker 3: Uh, he was just I just missed. I was in the front office when he had his rookie year.

00:49:45
Speaker 1: What do you think Pete greats on a lot of people. I will say that right, Pete greats on a lot of people. But in talking to people that I did talk with Zach Wheeler about him this year, He's like, I like Pete.

00:49:55
Speaker 3: He's like, you know, equating him to Pete Rose.

00:49:57
Speaker 4: Though I was kidding, he has the same friend his name. I was totally kidding.

00:50:01
Speaker 3: Oh, okay, totally. I think he would help the Phillies.

00:50:04
Speaker 4: Yes, but you know what, damn the Torpedoes. Just get get another big slugger in here and.

00:50:10
Speaker 2: Bram Malex Regman here and then we can start talking business.

00:50:15
Speaker 4: I would take Bregman as well, a nice right handed bat. You may have an opening at third base. That's a very good idea as well.

00:50:22
Speaker 1: Rob Thompson is back, but it does not mean the Phillies are going to run it back. We'll be back on Friday.

00:50:30
Speaker 4: Smell Ulta Boys, Smellia James.

00:50:33
Speaker 1: 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.