PHILLIES PHODDER

Random Phillies thoughts..

* If  GM Matt Klentek doesn't make at least 3 deals before the July 31 trade deadline, he should be fired. Last year he couldn't get rid of Jeremy Hellickson because the asking price was too high. Pat Neshek, Jacwuin Benoit and Daniel Nava must go. Howie Kendricks should go, if not for his injury. Tommy Joseph should go to open a spot for Rhys Hoskins. Odubel Herrera needs to go but not until the off-season. Cesar Hernandez will probably go  after the season to make room for Scott Kingery.

* Nick Williams is proving to the front office that, if given the chance, the kids could flourish. OK< not all will- Brock Stassi and Cam Perkins seem to be busts- but they weren't rated as top prospects to begin with.

It will be interesting to see how Hoskins, Dylan Couzens and Jorge Alfaro do when they are promoted.

I'm betting both Kingery and J. P. Crawford won't see Philadelphia until 2018.

* Right now, RHP from Florida, Brady Singer, looks like the No.1 overall pick in the 2018 major league draft. He is 6'5 and throw in the mid-to-upper 90s. The Phillies need a young ace for the future. Just a name to keep in mind.

* Mychel Franco seems to be coming out of his funk. I wrote that the Phillies should not trade him. He is still only 24 and has worlds of potential. Plus, there is no real third base prospect in the system ( is Mitch Welding at Reading legitimate?). Give Franco another yer. If he is again a  bust next year, go out and try to sign Baltimore's Manny Machado in free agency after the '18 season.

* Despite vince Valasquez' solid performance last nigh tin Miami, I still think his role in the future is as the Phillies' closer in the bullpen.

I'll be at Photo Night this Saturday vs. the surprising Brewers, weather permitting. But who is worth taking a photo of? Franco, Nola, Williams and maybe Galvis all look like future building blocks. Otherwise, pretty much the rest of the squad is dead wood and expendable at this point.

After that, I'll be at Pete Rose Night when he is inducted into the coveted Phillies Wall of Fame. That should be an electric night at the ballpark, with former stars in attendance during the pre-game ceremony. What will Rose say, that's the question,

My final Phillies game this season will be Saturday night August 26 against the world champion Cubs. Chicago will be struggling to win National league Central form Milwaukee, or the Cubbies could slide into the wild card.