Phillies bullpen trust ranking: Installment No. 2
The first edition of this trust ranking included the declaration that the Phillies’ bullpen went “Alvarado, then everyone else.” Well. Everyone else, it is.
Analysis
Filters & Sorting
Something the Phillies are doing well this year — again
When you think about all the value Kyle Schwarber brings to the Phillies, you think of the obvious: power, especially against lefties. Plate discipline and on-base ability. Clubhouse leadership and whatnot.
The good, the bad and the notable from Bryson Stott, leadoff hitter
It was the preeminent debate all offseason: Who hits leadoff — Kyle Schwarber or Trea Turner?
Wrong and wrong.
Phillies bullpen trust ranking: Installment No. 1
Phillies relievers have found a new way to keep spirits up in the lower half of Citizens Bank Park’s double-decker bullpen the past few days. As one of them put it, the first month of the season didn’t go the group’s way. They needed to inject some extra fun.
Cristopher Sánchez’s changeup Thursday wasn’t just wipeout. It was historic
Cristopher Sánchez recorded the final out of the fourth inning on Thursday against the Giants and flexed his arms in celebration.
Should Nick Castellanos climb in the Phillies’ lineup?
It’s late enough in the season that we can start reading into numbers a bit, so here are a few:
There’s a Phillies lineup question far more interesting than who will hit leadoff
With spring training storylines mostly exhausted by now, breakout candidates identified and fringe roster battles nearing their conclusion, much of the Phillies talk eight sleeps from Opening Day is back to the leadoff spot.
Cristopher Sánchez’s spring is off to a blazing start. Will he be the Phillies’ No. 2?
You never want to blow spring training performances too far out of proportion, but when they look this good, it’s tempting. Cristopher Sánchez threw three innings against the Pirates on Friday, and they were tantalizing. He struck out four while conceding two hits (each of them under 83 mph off the bat) and one run, which scored after Sánchez gave way to Tyler Phillips.
Why one player may open spring leading the complicated battle for the Phillies’ final bench spot
Realistically, the Phillies have two jobs up for grabs this spring training. One is backup catcher, which is relatively straightforward. Rafael Marchan is the favorite, in part because he’s out of options and Garrett Stubbs isn’t.
The Phillies’ rotation always provides volume. Can they count on it again?
You can argue either way as to whether the Phillies have the most talented starting rotation in baseball. The Dodgers are tough to overlook. As are the Mariners. And a few others.
The Phillies should try to trade for Seiya Suzuki. Here’s what they could offer for him.
When the Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker on Friday, it took another potential offseason splash off the board for the Phillies.
Could a reunion with this former Phillie make sense for the 2025 club?
It’s not going to be as flashy as the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but a position the Phillies really need to address, one way or another, this offseason is backup catcher.
Here’s what Monday’s qualifying offer decisions (could) mean to the Phillies
The official start of the MLB offseason doesn’t mean a flurry of signings and acquisitions like it does in the NBA, but it does help set the stage for the rest of the winter. Part of that is thanks to the qualifying offer.
Would the Phillies meet these predicted price tags for two free-agent relievers?
Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez did not end the season on a good note, but they’ll still be among the more coveted relievers on the free agent market this offseason — and the Phillies will certainly be in the running.
Dave Dombrowski says the Phillies don’t need another star. Is he right?
After the Phillies’ offense fell flat late in the 2023 postseason and the team essentially ran it back in 2024 only to meet the same fate a round earlier, it’s almost a given that there will be change this time.
Don’t be surprised if that change happens on the margins of the roster — and not in the form of incoming stars.
With change on the horizon for Phillies, could Kevin Long be on his way out?
Whenever a team collapses the way the Phillies did in 2024 — with such high expectations and a season’s worth of anticipation crushed over a relatively uncompetitive four-game span by a superior division rival — and when it looked a lot like the collapse did last year, there is demand for change. Something needs to give.
Kevin Long might find himself as the unfortunate starting point.
Watch for these matchups in the Phillies vs. Mets NLDS
If baseball is a game of inches, postseason baseball is a game of millimeters. Add an intradivisional matchup to that equation and it’s more like a hair’s width. Make it a rivalry as bitter as Phillies vs. Mets and you’d better pull out your microscope.
What stood out about Orion Kerkering’s three strikeouts Thursday
In and of itself, Orion Kerkering striking out three Mets hitters on Thursday night wasn’t anything terribly out of the ordinary. The noteworthy part was how.
Edmundo Sosa proving more than adequate in Trea Turner’s absence
Whether the Phillies can weather Trea Turner’s absence will depend largely on stars like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto slugging to make up the difference. But Edmundo Sosa being a productive stand-in at shortstop while Turner is out would certainly go a long way, too.
Johan Rojas looking much better at the plate
The walls were not closing in on Johan Rojas, because eight games is too small a sample and there is no obvious backup plan, but the center-field situation as of April 7 was getting untenable. The 23-year-old was 1-for-22, with one hard-hit ball (above 95 mph) — and it was a groundout. The numbers weren’t good, and neither were the visuals.
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