ReadingPhilly wrote: i always wondered how involved macphail really is.

Uncle Milty wrote:

ReadingPhilly wrote: i always wondered how involved macphail really is.

Definitely takes less naps than Gillick

Uncle Milty wrote:

ReadingPhilly wrote: i always wondered how involved macphail really is.

Definitely takes less naps than Gillick

Uncle Milty wrote:Agree with most of Ed's list. My plan is to dump as much wasted salary as possible and go whale hunting.

Gerrit Cole is the top priority, Rendon is 2nd. Luxury tax be damned. We can get under again in 2021.

I see Hamels mentioned many places. Unless he's taking a big hometown discount I think he'll be too expensive.

I'd entertain offers on Segura. Maybe even on Rhys.

Team sources indicated the Phillies have reached agreements with at least four coaches on the nine-member coaching staff, by picking up an option or offering a new deal for next season. It’s possible there will be more holdovers. The Phillies would not confirm the moves on Thursday. General manager Matt Klentak could not be reached for comment. The Phillies began to finalize decisions about their coaches this week.

A team source said managing partner John Middleton is in the loop and on board with the front office’s approach to the coaching staff. Middleton gave the front office leeway to bring back the coaches it wanted to keep, according to the source, despite offering no guarantees Kapler will be the manager in 2020. Even so, it would not be surprising if the Phillies used Kapler’s feedback in evaluating the staff.

The front office took an up-front stance with the returning coaches and made it clear they could be working with Kapler next season or a new manager, two sources said. The Phillies did not want to risk losing certain coaches to other teams. By already securing almost half of the staff, at least, the Phillies won’t lose valuable weeks of the offseason to assembling a new staff — regardless of whether Kapler is fired or returns.

CFP wrote:Breen says Klentak is returning for 2020. The ol' Friday news dump.

CalvinBall wrote:did breen tweet that? i dont see it

LHP José Álvarez (30): He did everything the Phillies asked — and they asked more than expected. It’s enough to bring him back. But Álvarez should be exposed to fewer right-handed batters in 2020. He posted a .659 OPS versus lefties, 202 points lower than against righties.

RHP Héctor Neris (30): Neris was one example where the Phillies’ tactics of nudging pitchers to throw their best off-speed pitch more often was smart. Neris’ splitter is a unicorn. He threw the splitter 16 percent more in 2019 and opponents hit .170 with a .283 slugging percentage against it. Elite.

RHP Vince Velasquez (27): Had Velasquez compiled enough innings to qualify, his swing-and-miss rate on pitches in the zone (20.1 percent) would have ranked 17th among major-league starters. That cannot be taught and it’s a skill valued across the game. The Phillies still believe in him.

UTIL Scott Kingery (25): His hard-hit rate jumped 19.3 percent — the largest gain among any hitter in MLB this season. He’s more comfortable. Now, he can refine. His strikeout rate didn’t improve from 2018 to 2019. It was worse, actually. Start there.

RF Bryce Harper (27): Harper had a .949 OPS against lefties, his best mark against them since the 2015 MVP season. How good was it? In 2019, only two left-handed hitters had better OPSes against lefty pitchers: Yordan Álvarez and Cody Bellinger.

stevelxa476 wrote:Young is out as pitching coach per Zo.

CFP wrote:

CalvinBall wrote:did breen tweet that? i dont see it

Breen: Can confirm @ToddZolecki's report that Chris Young will not return in 2020 as Phillies pitching coach. A decision on Gabe Kapler is expected next week, but a source said that general manager Matt Klentak's status for 2020 was never in question.