JFLNYC wrote:But, without significant improvement to the roster, when I try to predict the net effect of what might go right and what might go wrong with the present roster, I have a very, very difficult time concocting a reasonable scenario by which this team is 15+ wins better. YMMV.

sydnor wrote:Slugs don't give me fangraphs value to justify a new contract. Do you know how many catchers made 9 million this year? 4.

The idea that 16 people including Ruiz are worth 9 million is silly.

Further that list you trotted out of younger players? Agreed that even with McCann that's a gruesome list. But the fact is that on other message boards for other baseball teams they are having a similar version of that argument and Ruiz is on that list in place of their catcher. The only thing he has is familiarity.

Grotewold wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:But, without significant improvement to the roster, when I try to predict the net effect of what might go right and what might go wrong with the present roster, I have a very, very difficult time concocting a reasonable scenario by which this team is 15+ wins better. YMMV.

That's a perfectly reasonable analysis, if max-negative at every turn. But the debate you joined into was whether to dump Chooch on principle.

If this is just a bad, super-old team with flawed prospects and a terrible GM, with no realistic free agent or trade possibilities, what the fuck difference does it make

slugsrbad wrote:You're being obtuse if you don't think Chooch is worth a 1 year/$5 million contract next year. If there's a chance to sign him to the money he made this year it's got to be strongly considered. You think that McCann "has got to be the answer", but there's no way he isn't getting a four or five year deal which brings us to his 33/34 year and catchers do not age well. I don't think we can compete next year without being lucky, so I think a Chooch/Rupp catcher split is what's best for the Phillies for 2015.

JFLNYC wrote:

Grotewold wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:But, without significant improvement to the roster, when I try to predict the net effect of what might go right and what might go wrong with the present roster, I have a very, very difficult time concocting a reasonable scenario by which this team is 15+ wins better. YMMV.

That's a perfectly reasonable analysis, if max-negative at every turn. But the debate you joined into was whether to dump Chooch on principle.

If this is just a bad, super-old team with flawed prospects and a terrible GM, with no realistic free agent or trade possibilities, what the fuck difference does it make

I don't think I was quite that dire, but it makes a great deal of difference. In order for the team to be back on the right track, the first step is to do an honest, unvarnished evaluation; a SWOT analysis, for lack of a better term. The franchise has many strengths and opportunities, but the weaknesses and threats have to be admitted, analyzed and dealt with positively.

Given its strengths and opportunities, the long-term future of the team and franchise as a whole should be very bright indeed. But unless and until the weaknesses and threats are recognized, accepted and dealt with, the short term will continue to look uncertain, at best, and rocky, at worst.

Shore wrote:

slugsrbad wrote:You're being obtuse if you don't think Chooch is worth a 1 year/$5 million contract next year. If there's a chance to sign him to the money he made this year it's got to be strongly considered. You think that McCann "has got to be the answer", but there's no way he isn't getting a four or five year deal which brings us to his 33/34 year and catchers do not age well. I don't think we can compete next year without being lucky, so I think a Chooch/Rupp catcher split is what's best for the Phillies for 2015.

So, instead of signing a 5-year-deal that brings us to a catcher's age 35 season, we should sign a 35-year-old catcher to a 1-year-deal since catcher's don't age well?

*DISCLAIMER: I don't want McCann.

Shore wrote:

slugsrbad wrote:You're being obtuse if you don't think Chooch is worth a 1 year/$5 million contract next year. If there's a chance to sign him to the money he made this year it's got to be strongly considered. You think that McCann "has got to be the answer", but there's no way he isn't getting a four or five year deal which brings us to his 33/34 year and catchers do not age well. I don't think we can compete next year without being lucky, so I think a Chooch/Rupp catcher split is what's best for the Phillies for 2015.

*DISCLAIMER: I don't want McCann.

joe table wrote:This is a bit of a reversal in course, no? What is making your wary now

choco wrote:Keith Law and Mike Ashmore (Trenton Thunder blogger) briefly discussed Biddle on this week's podcast. They said he projected to a back end of the rotation starter. They both were concerned about his curveball. http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=9662448

Here's Ashmore's previous analysis of Biddle. http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/20 ... iddle-711/ and http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/20 ... iddle-531/

BigEd76 wrote:RealKen thinks the Phils and Rangers will go after McCann and Saltalamacchia, with the White Sox possibly jumping into the bidding too. He thinks the Yankees won't be involved because they have too many FAs already and don't wanna hit the luxury tax level again

Jamie Moyer's Foundation, on the Twitter wrote:The Moyer Foundation @moyerfoundation
Jamie continues his #JustTellMeICant book tour this morning on @Morning_Joe w/ @WillieGeist @JoeNBC and @morningmika

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