Tuesday, March 21, 2017

PHILLIES PHODDER

About the Phillies...

 ROMAN QUINN-

It probably won't happen, but  speedy outfielder Roman Quinn should come north with the team. The plan is to send him back to Lehigh Valley, where he can play everyday, then bring him up to Philadelphia in the summer, especially after trading away vets Howie  Kendrick and Michael Saunders.

But Quinn is 23 and looks ready NOW. I get why the team got Kendricks and Saunders, two professional bats in a line=up full of younger players. But Quinn would play a lot in Philly if he was brought up for Opening Day. Other than spelling an outfielder- Quinn can play all 3 outfield positions, but is really a true center fielder- Roman is a good defensive replacement in late innings and can also steal a base when needed. He would instantly become the fastest guy on the squad. He's a switch-hitter, so no worries about platooning. He would also be an ideal lead off hitter when he does start.

Why have older guys like Daniel Nova and Chris Coughlin vie for the extra outfield spot (Aaron Altherr had a solid spring and will be the fourth outfielder). Nova and Coughlin aren't the future- Quim is. Why not see if he can play, and give the fans some excitement, as Quinn could easily be one of the most dynamic players on the 2017 Phillies.

STARTING ROTATION-

Again, it may not happen, but I would start P Aaron Nola in triple A Lehigh Valley. He claims to be healthy, and granted, it's only spring training, but Nola has got to prove to me that he is healthy and pitches well. So far, he has been inconsistent in Florida. His bread and butter is his control, and that's been spotty this spring so far.

Instead, let Jake Thompson anchor the fifth slot in the rotation. He dominated triple A last year. What else does he have to prove in Lehigh Valley? He would get a regular turn in Philly every 5 days, yet not be over-used.

The res tof the rotation looks set. Jeremy Hellickson didn't sound so enthusiastic about again being named Opening Day starter. He and Clay Bucholtz will hopefully have good springs and then be attractive trade bait in late July.  Vince Velaquez again looks overpowering at times, then has control problems. He also throws too many pitches and looks tired around the 5th or 6th inning. His future may be in the back of the bullpen as the Phillies' future closer.

Jared Eichoff is the most consistent starter and should have a big year. He could be the ace of the staff, until a true ace is found.

Down on the farm, pitchers like Zach Efflin, Mark Appel and Ricardo Pinto await their turn to shine. The Phils have good depth now, in case a hurler at Philly does get hurt, something the organization lacked for many years.

BENCH-

It looks like Brock Stassi will make the team, and it is well deserved. Stassi is an excellent first baseman, and can spell 1B Tommy Joseph when a tough righty is on the opposing mound. Stassi can also play the outfield, a bonus. Andrew Knapp will most likely secure the back-up catchers slot behind Cameron Rupp. Both are holding the position until the catcher of the future, Jorge Alfaro, is ready, perhaps as soon as this summer. Knapp is a switch-hitter and can also play first.

The Phillies have a lot of flexibility in their line-up and on their bench, especially with Andres Blanco returning. The bench should be much improved over the past few seasons.

BULLPEN-

I would name Hector Neris the closer form the start and see how he does. Jemere Gomez did well as the closer last year, until he ran out of gas in late summer. But Gomez is better suited to be the set-up guy, as was his role with the Pihllies before he was called into duty as the closer, mainly because no one else could do the job. Neris has a nasty split-finger fastball, a strikeout pitch would is needed as a closer. Gomez has more gorundball-sinker stuff, and pitches to contact, great for double plays, not so great for a badly-needed strikeout.

The rest of the bullpen will work itself out in the weeks ahead until Opening Day. My choice would be to have Yoli Rodriguez be the left-handed short man, and Adam Morgan as the long guy, also a lefty.

Finally, hopefully the front office signs Manager Pete Mackanin to an extension before the season starts. it would remove the lame duck status currently saddling the skipper and lets the team know, especially the young kids, who will be leading them, not only this summer, but for summers to come.

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