PHILLIES PHODDER

So, if/when the Phillies lose later this afternoon, they will have lost an incredible 59 games before the all-star break. They are currently 30 games under .500. 30 games..and we just celebrated the 4th of July. They are well on a pace to lose 108, maybe even threatening the club record 11 defeats in a season.

Team President Andy MacFailure could show me something by making some changes during the break. Now I'm thinking if manager Pete Mckannin goes, GM Matt Klentak must go too. A package deal.

Mackannin has made mistakes, no doubt about it. I haven't agreed with his lack of discipline. It's a softer Pete, which is surprising since he got the contract extension in May. He's not a lame duck. He could crack the whip yet he makes excuses for his inept, lazy, stupid players.

I get it that he has tried to remain positive. But you can see it's gradually wearing him down. He looks like a dead-man walking.

Some of his on the field moves have left me puzzled as well, especially his bullpen moves. He talks about consistency yet his line-up is rarely the same from day-to-day.

However, Pete was given garbage to work with, and I think overall he has done his best. You can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****.

So, if Pete goes- either during the break or immediately after the season ends- Klentak must go too.

The Boy Wonder is the architect of this disaster. OK, ex-general manager Ruban Amaro was no bed of roses and he destroyed the team for years to come with bad drafting, terrible trades and dumb long-term contracts given to washed=up veterans. No wonder he is now first-base coach for the Boston red Sox, a real demotion ( well, at least the Red Sox are winning, and wouldn't it be ironic and cruel if Ruban got a World Series ring in the end?).

Klentak failed miserably with his free agent signings of Michael Saunders and Clay Bucholtz, guys he counted on to be mainstays on the 2017 Phillies. Howie Kendrick and Daniel Nava played well when they played. Kendrick is still on the disabled list.

The grand plan was to trade these vets ( who are on one-year contracts) now, before the July trade deadline. Saunders is already released, thank God. Klentak isn't going to get much for the others.

All-Star middle reliever Pat Neshek ( how sad does that sound?) will be dealt, but the Phils aren't going to get a top prospect for him, all-star or not.

Meanwhile, no one is untouchable, which it should be. Underachievers like Herrera and Franco could be packing their bags in the next few weeks. If not now, then surely in the off-season. Tommy Joseph could go. He is having a solid year, but the front office has already acknowledged that he and 1B prospect Rhys Hoskins can't co-exist on the same roster. There is talk of trying Joseph in left field, but the front office seems more intent to trade him.

I would hate to deal Hoskins, who hit 38 homers last year in Reading, and has 20 more this season in Lehigh Valley, and see him come back to haunt the Phillies for the next 10 years. So, I'm OK with shipping Joseph elsewhere ( too bad he can't play catcher anymore because of past concussions).

You can question Klentak's few trades. I get it, trading star reliever Ken Giles for five Houston pitchers. It's a luxury to have a solid closer when your team sucks and he hardly ever gets a chance to close.

But the jury is still out on what Klentak go back in return.

Vince Valasquez has been hurt and is struggling to find himself. Is he a starter, even though he can't pitch more than 5 or 6 innings before he either flames out or he has thrown too many pitches? Or is he a closer, who can throw 97-mils-an-hour and let it all hang out in an inning?

Tom Eshelman  has stepped up for the Iron Pigs, rising above more touted kids like Jake Thompson, Zach Efflin and Mark Appel, and is starting the International League all-star game.

It looks like, once again, the Phillies have over-evaluated  their talent on the major league level. Hopefully they haven't done so  with their kids as well, which would really set back this franchise for years.

Then again, how much more can you fall from 110 losses?

* I want to think about the future, hoping to find a little hope in this long, miserable summer. So, instead of bitch about the current status of this hapless team ( I'll bitch more later), let's go position-by-position and look towards 2018. Who will be in the line-up Opening Day? Of course, free agency and trades may change the whole thing....

First base: Rhys Hoskins.

 You can't hold the kid down on the farm much longer. If they trade Joseph by the end of July we will see Hoskins soon. If not the organization should still bring hoskins up soon. Don't you need to see what you've got on the big league level before you go into the off-season and try to fill your needs?

Joseph may ha the hot Joseph form Lehigh Valley to replace the struggling Ryan Howard.

The Phillies need to roll the dice and go for the higher ceiling. You know what you have in Tommy Joseph. Is he a player who will carry the team to a championship?

Second base- Scott Kignery.

 He supposedly can do everything. Hit, hit with power, run, play defense, hustles, a smart player. He could've been here to fill in for the injured Cesar Hernandez weeks ago if the damn Phillies weren't so conservative.

I like Hernandez. He will be a productive player no matter where he goes. He is OK defensively, he has speed but seems afraid to steal bases, he can hit 10 triples and 30 doubles a year. He may be able to play shortstop or even third base, but to play third base in Philadelphia is not realistic. Hernandez doesn't have enough power.

So, I envision the organization trading Hernandez to open the way for Kingery.

Shortstop- Freddie Galvis.

Give Freddie credit. He has mad ehimself into a decent hitter, although he doesn't egt on base as much as you would like. He is a Gold Glove caliber fielder. He is immerging into a leader  on the field and in the clubhouse.He cares and isn't afraid to show it. At least someone has a little passion on this lackluster squad.

Much-heralded prospect J.P. Crawford can't get out of triple A. It's too soon to call him a bust, but those around baseball must think so, as his star has plummeted big time. He is no longer considered a top-prospect.

I suppose he needs to be promoted, if only to see what he can do. But Freddie is still only 26 and could be the shortstop of the future for the next 10 years or so.

Third base- Mychel Franco.

Yes, he may be traded soon or in the off-season. I think he has too much potential to give up on him yet. Plus the organization doesn't really have a third base prospect pushing him 3B Mitch Welding in Reading has 20 home runs at the midway point of the season. But unless the Phillies' scouts have once again mis-evaluated his potential, he doesn't seem like the future answer.

Give Franco one more year. If he doesn't cut it next year, when he will still only be 25, then open the wallets and sign 3B Manny Machado in free agency during the 2018 off-season.

Catcher- Jorge Alfaro.

He has had a n inconsistent year at Lehigh Valley, both offensively and defensively. But is Cameron Rupp or Andrew Knapp the long-term answer? No. So give Alfaro a shot next year. Plus the Phils need to play him if he is promoted or cut bait. He is out of options.

Left field- Nick Williams or Roman Quinn

Williams is up and holding his own in Philadelphia. Quinn in hurt again. He has blazing speed and would give the Phillies the lead-off hitter they are missing. But it seems like he is always hurt.

Andrew Pullin, who they say is the organization's best pure hitter. could be in the mix here too. Or Tommy Joseph.

Center field- Aaron Altherr.

He plays center field as smoothly as Garry Maddox once did. He is on a pace to finish with 25 homers and 80 RBIs this year. He should only get better.

Forget Odubel Herrera. He is Rule 5 guy and always will be. He got his big contract extension, which the Phillies were stupid enough to give him last summer ( another black mark against Klentak) an d now doesn't care. Hell, he didn't hustle before he got the money, why should he care now?

Right Field- Dylan Couzins.

Playing in bandbox Citizens Bank Park, the Phils need more power than they have. Opposing clubs cruise into Philly and bash on the Fightins'. Wouldn't it be nice to see it the other way around?

Couzins may strike out a lot, and God knows, this line-up doesn't need more strike outs. But Couzins brings much-needed power. He is a reason to stop and watch every at-bat. He hits titanic home runs, ala Aaron Judge . He can run, has a strong arm and is fun to watch.

* The Phillies will need to give away many more Hawaiian shirts for the rest of the summer. How else will they entice fans to go out to the ballpark?

Start with making parking free. Throw the loyal fans a bone and save them $18 each time they park their car.

Watching the kids play would provide a taste of the future. Better than falling  asleep to the bums on this current roster.

Have more Bark in the Park nights. Take your mind off the dogs on the field.

* Slogans for the 2017 Phillies....

The 2017 Phillies- What the hell?

The 2017 Phillies- We strive to be average.

The 2017 Phillies- No we can't.