Phillies: Three takeaways from the Gregorius, Wheeler press conference
The Phillies introduced their newest additions and left the door open to make more.
On Monday the Phillies introduced two of their most notable offseason additions, shortstop Didi Gregorius and starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Both Gregorius and Wheeler have tremendous upside and as mentioned in the press conference, know what “East Coast Baseball” is all about after playing in New York for the Yankees and Mets.
Join us in officially welcoming @Wheelerpro45 and @DidiG18 to Philly! https://t.co/I9Ep7NpBPu
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) December 16, 2019
General manager Matt Klentak and manager Joe Girardi dropped a couple of nuggets during the press conference that perked some ears. Here are three that Phillies fans should keep an eye on leading up to spring training next February.
Didi will hit in the middle of the lineup
Girardi has been outspoken and “personally frustrated” about how he feels about the new rule that pitchers must face at least three batters. During the press conference he talked about how he can use the new rule to his advantage, talking about mixing lefties Bryce Harper and Adam Haseley in the lineup.
Girardi says he stays up at night going through different scenarios with the lineup. As for Gregorius, the new skipper says he sees the shortstop hitting in the middle of the lineup somewhere around the 3,4,5 spots.
Related Story. Where Didi fits in the lineup. light
Harper and Hoskins are most likely to hit third and fourth in the lineup, suggesting Gregorius will be the number five hitter. Where would that put J.T. Realmuto? The Phillies could slot him in the six spot ahead of Scott Kingery and Haseley and have Andrew McCutchen and Jean Segura as on-base guys at the top of the order.
- Andrew McCutchen, RH
- Jean Segura, RH
- Bryce Harper, LH
- Rhys Hoskins, RH
- Didi Gregorius, RH
- J.T. Realmuto, RH
- Scott Kingery, RH
- Adam Haseley, LH
- Starting Pitcher
This lineup wouldn’t mix the lefties up a ton, but the Phillies can also throw Jay Bruce out in left field or at first base to give them another lefty.
The Phillies aren’t done adding to the rotation
Girardi talked today about having Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, and Vince Velasquez competing to “fill out the rotation” for the final three spots behind Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Jake Arrieta.
Girardi sees the rotation as one of the Phillies “strengths” and says you don’t necessarily need a lefty to have a successful rotation.
Klentak added onto that notion that the team wants to see new pitching coach Bryan Price get his hands on the young guys after a year of Chris Young throwing too much at them.
When asked if the Phillies are done making big moves because of the luxury tax, Klentak acknowledged that they are up against the artificial cap, but that they will continue to be opportunistic to get better, including in the rotation. As Klentak noted, there still about six weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater and a lot can happen between now and then, and even before April.
“I won’t know for certain we won’t add another starter…. it’s possible that we will.”
If Philadelphia is shopping in the free agent bargain bin, a name they’ve been connected to is Wade Miley. MLB Trade Rumors predicts the 33-year-old lefty to get $16 million over two years, which would put the Phillies over the luxury tax if they don’t make another move.
Alex Wood is another lefty on the market, and he could sign a one year “prove it deal” after a rough go in Cincinnati. He projects to make the same AAV on a prove it deal.
Reuniting with Drew Smyly on a minor league is another option after he had a 4.45 ERA in Philadelphia last season.
Klentak thinks the Phillies can win the National League East
When asked whether he thinks the Phillies can win the National League East in 2020, Klentak said he believes the team is equipped to do so.
“We won 81 games last year and had a lot of things go wrong. Now, when you bring back the core of that team, that is still very young, still very talented, you add a new manager, a new pitching coach, (Wheeler and Gregorius), and whatever else we may do for the rest of the offseason, I think you’re looking at a very very competitive club.”
Klentak went on to say that the National League East is a “very competitive division” and possibly the best division in baseball. Four teams, including the Phillies, had a record of .500 or better, and the Miami Marlins are a young team with an experienced manager.
Philadelphia Phillies
A lot of things did go wrong last year: Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson got hurt, the rotation didn’t take the next step, Hoskins took a step back, and the coaching staff didn’t live up to the front office’s expectations.
Nothing will prevent injuries from affecting this team, but hopefully, the bug doesn’t catch the biggest guy like it did last year. Hopefully, a new coaching staff can pull guys up and bring the next level out of their game. Hopefully, the rest of the division isn’t as competitive as it was last year.
That’s a lot to hope for in a season that lasts seven-eight months, depending on how far you go into October. One thing the Phillies don’t have a lot of (which hurt them last year) is depth. Having the versatility of Scott Kingery and the return of Jay Bruce to the bench helps, but beyond that, the Phillies don’t have that next guy in the minors outside of top prospect Alec Bohm to help the offense.
As for the bullpen, a lot will rest on younger guys who have little to no experience carrying a bullpen through an entire season. Given the state of the relief market and the luxury tax, it’s unlikely the Phillies add a prominent reliever. They’ll have to rely on Hector Neris, Adam Morgan, and a crop of young arms to stay healthy and take the next step in their careers.