The Philadelphia Phillies are plummeting at the moment, and as of Thursday morning now find themselves out of a playoff spot. Just about everything is going wrong for a team that can’t hit, can’t field, and now can’t even pitch. With only 40 games left in the regular season, they don’t have much time left to right the ship. Let’s take a look at a few changes that need to be made before it’s too late.
Bench Alec Bohm
Alec Bohm has failed the Phillies. The 2018 third overall pick never lived up to the hype over his seven major league seasons, and has completely cratered this year with a ghastly .653 OPS. The lumbering corner infielder can’t do anything well, and yet Phillies management is inexplicably committed to playing him every day.
Not just that, but the addition of second baseman Luis Arraez shifted Bohm from third base over to first, pushing incumbent first sacker Bryce Harper to right field. Unsurprisingly, Harper has played poorly on the grass and is experiencing knee trouble as a result, all the while Bohm continues to rack up strikeouts and temper tantrums.
It would be malpractice for interim manager Don Mattingly to continue rolling out his worst defensive alignment in order to keep Bohm’s flaccid bat in the lineup, not to mention risking his superstar’s health in the process. Bohm and the Phillies will finally part ways this offseason, and neither side owes the other any loyalty. For the good of the team, Bohm needs to be benched.
Play Derek Hill every day
Where would the Phillies be without Derek Hill? The journeyman centerfielder was acquired back in June in a minor trade with the Chicago White Sox and has been a Godsend ever since. The 2014 first-rounder has appeared in 38 games for the Phils, putting up a solid .758 OPS alongside Gold Glove-caliber defense and top-tier speed.
The 30-year-old has more than earned himself an increase in playing time, considering lefty-swinging outfielders Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford could both stand to miss some games against same-handed pitching. Importantly, giving Hill an everyday role would allow the Phils to end the disastrous Harper right field experiment, shifting him back to first and benching Bohm.
Move Luis Arraez to the leadoff spot
Luis Arraez has struggled in his first nine games in red pinstripes, posting a paltry .200 batting average and drawing just one walk. Still, the career .316 hitter is the team’s best bet to reach base consistently, and the Phillies need that at the top of the lineup.
Drastic changes need to be made to save the Phillies' season
Current leadoff man Kyle Schwarber hasn’t been himself as of late, and could benefit from a shift down to the third or fourth spot in the order. If that happens, then the homers that are sure to come for Schwarber would ideally be driving in Arraez and Harper ahead of him, which would be a welcome change from solo shots from the leadoff spot.
Stop trusting José Alvarado
The Phillies have one of the worst bullpens in the game, and by far the weakest link of their dreadful unit is José Alvarado. The erstwhile southpaw has worked to a dreadful 6.14 ERA across 51 appearances this season and has issued a ridiculous 22 walks in just 44 innings pitched.
The hefty lefty’s Baseball Savant page is still mostly red, hinting that he’s still got some sort of talent, but it hasn’t manifested at any point this year and isn’t likely to in the final month-plus of games. Frankly, the Phillies don’t have many inspiring options waiting to take his place, so they might as well continue to give Alvarado low-leverage work to see if he can figure it out, but he absolutely cannot be called upon in any winnable game.
Give Alex McFarlane a fair shake
Poor Alex McFarlane. The 25-year-old has been jerked around all year by an incompetent Phillies front office, and ultimately has made his way into just two big league contests. The fireballing right-hander’s immense talent has led to many fans hoping he can singlehandedly solve the Phillies’ bullpen woes; an incredibly unfair burden to place on the kid.
McFarlane took the loss in Tuesday’s clunker against the St. Louis Cardinals, but he's been lights out in the minors all year and deserves a real opportunity to stake his claim to a roster spot. He probably won’t be the team’s savior, but he could certainly collect meaningful outs down the stretch. Besides, what else do the Phillies have to try?
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