Welcome to Boston, Brandon Phillips
- Thread starter staz
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Yeah like uncannymanny said, barring any further injury I don't see a spot for Phillips.
Yeah, the 40-man is the issue. Would they drop Renda? Can't see anyone else on there except maybe Chandler Shepherd, whose name I only offer because I don't know anything about him. And then there's the fact that they have to move someone off when Pedroia gets healthy.
FWIW, they just opened up a spot on the 40-man today by designating Dan Butler for assignment (to active Swihart). So for the moment they have some wiggle room.
As far as Pedroia goes, I doubt he's going to be back this year. He'll get added back to the 40-man after the season when the free agents are removed.
If he's healthy enough (I know) and if they have room on the 40-man, I think they might try to get him in a couple of games if it's at all possible. He might want to, just for peace of mind. May not be feasible, of course.
I remember sometime in the early 70s when the Mets were finishing a lost season. Seaver had been hurt and mediocre on and off all year. He said he finally got to the bottom of it and wanted to pitch in what was some meaningless game at the end It went well it was a big deal for him. I'm pretty sure this is it:
https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/20/archives/seaver-expected-to-miss-rest-of-season.html
I really hope that the last few games the Sox play this year aren't "meaningless." Also, do you mean get Pedroia a few games or Phillips? A few games at the end of the regular season if playoff positioning has been locked up? Because of Pedroia is "healthy" enough to play a bit at the end of the year, I'm pretty sure there is no force on earth that could keep him off the roster then for the playoffs.
We want meaningless games as in the Sox have sewn up the division and best-record secured so wins/losses no longer matter.
No sense in bringing up Phillips at that point because presumably it will be at least a week or two after Pawtucket's season ends so he won't exactly be sharp. It's not like they owe him anything. He has no history with the organization.
As for Pedroia, I agree with you. If Pedey plays at all this year, he'll want to be active for the playoffs. Frankly I don't think he should be activated, even if he's healthy, unless there's a string of injuries to at least two of Kinsler, Nunez, and Holt that render them unavailable for October. Pedroia lasted 6 days last time he was active. He'd put them in a bind if he reached the same place again during Game 2 of the LDS or LCS.
Isn't the talk that Kinsler has had some kind of setback? If that's the case, it would seem now is exactly the right time to use Butler's 40-man spot to see what we've got.
In the Kinsler thread below, it was reported that Kinsler will be activitated on either Wednesday or Friday. Knock on wood..guess you heard wrong...
I was talking about Pedroia. I do hope the games are meaningless (not 70s Mets meaningless).
And I'm not a doctor. But if they think he can give it a go, I hope he does even as a DH. Just so he doesn't spend the winter wondering.
I trust management to be able to convey to him that he's not playoff-ready, even if he can play in game 162.
And I'm not a doctor. But if they think he can give it a go, I hope he does even as a DH. Just so he doesn't spend the winter wondering.
I trust management to be able to convey to him that he's not playoff-ready, even if he can play in game 162.
I don't know if it has a greater than 0% chance of happening, but if Phillips hits and Devers scuffles, is there a possibility they go with Phillips in the playoffs?
From the telecast linked on ESPN
“He almost hit that to his front porch in Stone Mountain ...”
If by "scuffles" you mean "breaks a leg ", then yes.
More likely it would be Holt or Nunez replacement and that is unlikely
Well they could go with both instead of a third catcher. I think Nunez will start in October due to defense and he's been better with the bat lately. Who's a more useful bench piece between Phillips and Devers? Phillips is a great baserunner, can push a tough walk and a strong defender.
I agree with all this but figured I'd ask the question anyway because I've seen differing opinions on Devers. Some posts even suggests demoting him back when that was an option.
Thing is, that 3rd catcher can also play multiple positions, has been hitting somewhat recently, and has some pretty good wheels himself. Swihart also opens up the possibility of pinch hitting and pinch running for Leon and Vaz.
Phillips has hit lefties (.782 lifetime OPS against) much better than righties (.726 lifetime). This, of course makes sense as he is a RHH. Devers has struggled mightily against lefties this year to the tune of a .613 OPS. Nunez has never done much against lefties either ( .698 lifetime OPS/ .622 this season). So perhaps a Devers/Phillips platoon might make sense.
Hard to see them dropping Nunez from postseason roster. Esp since he has hit better post-ASB. I think it will take an injury to Nunez or Holt for Phillips to make the roster.
Phillips has played a total of 25 games, 218 innings at 3rd, all last year for the Braves. There’s no telling if he’s actually a defensive upgrade there.
This is an odd thing to say about a guy with a career walk rate of 5.2% and a season high of 6.8% almost ten years ago.
He has been adequate with a line of .268/.281/.437 post-ASB. The guy almost never walks (3 in 146 PA since ASB) and has very little power. Defensively he is...fine. Phillips would need to prove it on the field (and, for what it is worth I think Rafi is back with a vengeance). But I'd rather see him get some shots at 3B on Devers days off.
Yep...prisoner of the moment. Had a good AB today where he laid off some tough pitches and took a walk. My bad for not looking deeper.
I dunno. I think the team is committed to Vaz as the starter in the short and long term and aren't very high on Swihart's catching ability. If I had to go with 2, I'd want Swihart to be one of them because the other 2 are basically the same but I don't think the Sox agree with me.
The point of these quotes is not to bust chops. It's to admit that I was right there with you but too disinterested to even post the thought.
Even if today is all he gives us, I'm glad to have been wrong.
They werent all *that* wrong, in the sense that the Sox got Kinsler after they saw whatever they saw of Phillips in AAA.
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That was an awesome moment for Phillips and I'm happy for him. He got hot at just the right time in Pawtucket and capitalized on it. But let's be clear, he's here (on the big club) primarily because they have a farm system lacking in healthy talented young players. They had the extra roster spot and no one else really worthy of bring up so he got rewarded.
This is starting to remind me of 2013 when every single move the GM made in terms of bringing in new players was a positive. Is there a player that Dombrowski has signed or traded for since the end of last season that has been a complete whiff? Adam Lind, if we want to count minor league signings? Maybe Eovaldi since those first two starts, but at least he had those first two starts. It's kind of incredible.
This is starting to remind me of 2013 when every single move the GM made in terms of bringing in new players was a positive. Is there a player that Dombrowski has signed or traded for since the end of last season that has been a complete whiff? Adam Lind, if we want to count minor league signings? Maybe Eovaldi since those first two starts, but at least he had those first two starts. It's kind of incredible.
Harold Reynolds from MLB tonight stated Phillips was going to be called up before the Kinsler trade, but was hit on the wrist, therefore making Boston find another solution, ie. Kinsler. Not sure how much truth to that is, but have not heard a bad word about BP while he was down in the “bushes”.
That's interesting. I assume that if he was anything other than a model teammate, he'd be gone.
It's impossible to know, but his interviews the last couple of days are all "he gets it." He played in the minors this year just to try and get an MLB job next year. Or he'll retire. And in his view, opting out and chasing every gig was less effective than sticking somewhere and just playing like he did.
I think he might end up being in the mix for the final bench spot. it wasn't just the dinger, two walks and a great baserunning play
a bench guy will likely be PHing to get the lineup back around to Mookie. someone who can walk is just as good as anything else.
of course it's one game, but it was a usable skill set shown today. I bet he gets more run pretty soon.
a bench guy will likely be PHing to get the lineup back around to Mookie. someone who can walk is just as good as anything else.
of course it's one game, but it was a usable skill set shown today. I bet he gets more run pretty soon.
Someone mentioned it above, but Phillips has a career BB rate of 5.2%. The MLB average is 8.3%. Walking is not really part of his skill set and on top of that, his BB rate has been in decline for sometime now. He hasn't been over 5% since 2013, and his last 2 seasons his BB rates were 3.1% and 3.5%. I think he can offer value, but someone who can walk he is not.
2+ months in AAA after not finding a team has to be very humbling for a 17 year vet. From all accounts handled it like a pro. Great moment for him and well deserved.
It probably would've been a cool baseball moment even if the Sox were out of contention.
fair. still think you give him some run and see what he has, because Devers isn't showing much either and you want a fallback in case Nunez craters like he can
Devers has been hurt. And was possibly hurt in between his DL visits. He also provides pop and has been part of this team since Day 1, and if you don't think the TEAM aspect of the Red Sox is important in 2018 then I don't think you've been watching and listening to them this season.
If Nunez or anyone else craters, you can make changes in between series.
If Nunez or anyone else craters, you can make changes in between series.
My perspective was actually more basic than this.
I was looking back through the thread and noticed that a lot of people were saying "no way, no how does Phillips even make the roster at any time this year." And I realized as I saw these posts that I would have been right there with them, for exactly the reason you cited - the acquisition of Kinsler seemed to speak volumes about their perception of Phillips.
With all that said, I posted my comment yesterday because, regardless of the correctness of the rationale, there are times when it's nice - even wonderful - to be so wrong. For me and (I assume) others, yesterday was one of those times.
He's not in the mix for the post-season roster yet. It was one game. As great as it was, let's not go overboard over one afternoon. If he keeps performing like that when given the opportunity, then sure, maybe the conversation should be had. But "at this point", he's just an extra body around to give guys rest.
Perhaps not the correct thread - but assuming they go with 11 pitchers and a 5-man bench:
Vazquez
Holt
Nunez
Pearce
Swihart
makes the most sense (except that Nunez no doubt starts in lieu of Devers)
Can't see a space for Phillips over Swihart, who provides back up at multiple positions, pinch runability, multiple options for anyone to pinch hit for Leon/Vazquez without risking a catcher on the bench, switch-hitting...
Phillips brings backup to 2B and 3B. They already have that in Holt and (Devers).
Vazquez
Holt
Nunez
Pearce
Swihart
makes the most sense (except that Nunez no doubt starts in lieu of Devers)
Can't see a space for Phillips over Swihart, who provides back up at multiple positions, pinch runability, multiple options for anyone to pinch hit for Leon/Vazquez without risking a catcher on the bench, switch-hitting...
Phillips brings backup to 2B and 3B. They already have that in Holt and (Devers).
Edit: Sorry for the way too early roster talk...
I guess another question is, could you see a world where Mitchy 2 Bags keeps struggling (around .600 OPS post-AS) and they make the decision to go with a Pearce/Swihart platoon at 1st in the postseason and leave Mitch off because Phillips would be a more useful bench piece? Personally I don't, more due to the fact that Blake will not show enough to put all our eggs in that basket unless he goes on an out-of-nowhere hot streak a la JBJ, as well as Mitch's greater body of work as a minimum adequate 1st baseman.
Especially for the AL playoffs, flexibility of positioning is not at a premium. However if Moreland's struggles continue into the playoffs, a potential World Series requiring some double-switches in an NL park could be a different story.
I guess another question is, could you see a world where Mitchy 2 Bags keeps struggling (around .600 OPS post-AS) and they make the decision to go with a Pearce/Swihart platoon at 1st in the postseason and leave Mitch off because Phillips would be a more useful bench piece? Personally I don't, more due to the fact that Blake will not show enough to put all our eggs in that basket unless he goes on an out-of-nowhere hot streak a la JBJ, as well as Mitch's greater body of work as a minimum adequate 1st baseman.
Especially for the AL playoffs, flexibility of positioning is not at a premium. However if Moreland's struggles continue into the playoffs, a potential World Series requiring some double-switches in an NL park could be a different story.
There is zero point zero chance that Mitch Moreland is left off the postseason roster.
What Phillips brings is the ability to rest Kinsler down the stretch and insurance if he gets hurt again. Kinsler is not too far removed from his hamstring problem. It’s nice to have someone experienced like Phillips just in case.
As am I! If he has even one playoff moment like that in a WS winning run, he'll be a Boston legend. He can ask Dave Roberts about that.