1 hour ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

I rather have Bochy. That said not sure he wants to manage in Philly. If i had my choice I’d go him.

That I’m more upset at Dave. His spending for the amount of resources Middleton has given him is bad. If he spends half of this money better we probably beat the dodgers (this doesn’t include what it actually is after highest luxury tax threshold)

Walker $18 mil — 0.2 IP in playoffs last 3 years

Castellanos $20 mil

Kepler $10 mil— literally has identical stats to Kody Clemens who is making 1.1 mil

Romano $10 mil

Ross $4 mil

Nola $24.5 mil

That’s $86.5 mil before luxury tax so nearly over $150 mil on those guys. If you spend better we probably aren’t over reliant on Kerkering or Robertson to be good enough. Probably also have another bat in that lineup that could help. Dombrowski has made good moves of luzardo, Duran and signing schwarber but he’s also basically pissed away a ton of resources that have plagued this team.

I’ve said this before fire Rob or keep Rob, i don’t really care cause any manager coming in here with a bullpen of just strahm and Duran and a lineup missing an obvious cleanup hitter for 3 years is going to likely wind up same result. Bigger issue is Dombrowski’s poor spending and roster construction.

Oh I agree that DD doesn't catch enough heat. My point was that maybe if they had a better tactician these past 4 years, it is possible the Phillies could have have won a title in this time.

Just now, vsptroops said:

Oh I agree that DD doesn't catch enough heat. My point was that maybe if they had a better tactician these past 4 years, it is possible the Phillies could have have won a title in this time.

I think tactical stuff may have helped in the dbacks series. Nothing was helping them in the Mets series. Literally every bullpen arm was crap, they couldn’t hit and Ranger gutted out 4+ as Nola was not good. this series he shouldn’t have bunted. That was the big mistake. Frankly their bullpen had 2 reliable guys in Duran and strahm. I can blame him for bullpen stuff but if the Phillies weren’t a bullpen consistent of 2 reliable arms it makes decisions look much better. Everyone else wasn’t reliable even banks has bad splits vs. RH. IMO they didn’t lose game 4 cause of thomson’s moves (argue marsh batting 5th but multiple times it’s been discussed it’s not just made by manager. It’s a collaboration).

Games 1 and 2 Thomson is at fault. He’s with DD and the lineup. however when strahm fails and prior to him your two best options out of the actual BP constructed are Robertson and Kerkering that’s a massive problem. You use Ranger there probably don’t have Ranger for the amount he went in game 3. Most managers if they have more than just strahm and Duran probably aren’t going to Kerkering who sucked last 2 months and Robertson who’s 40 and cooked. That’s why i Blake DD more. That bullpen has been an issue for 4 years

Tbh if they had wheeler it actually makes more sense game 1 to piggyback him with Ranger and game 2 have Luzardo ready when Sanchez was removed. I can’t believe I’m saying it but wheeler pitching may have helped them get this to a game 5 as their bullpen isn’t as dog crap due to luzardo and ranger ability to be used out of the pen more

The Phillies' chance to win was 2022 (early arrival, but they got to the WS), 2023, and 2024. The offense just couldn't sustain it in the playoffs.

2025 team was never as good as its win total and never really had a shot. There was no reason to ever believe in this team...and those who are most angry right now are the ones that did.

Short of some absurd sequence of blockbuster deals, there is absolutely no move that can be made to not only offset the continued decline of the nucleus of this team, but to actually improve the team and get them over the top. It can't be done. And if you think it can, you are just going to be more enraged at Thompson and DD.

Not shocking. next up 10 year contract for Schwarber

3 hours ago, vsptroops said:

He manages a team that is top 5 in baseball in salary. Not hard to do. His in-game managed decisions, especially in the post season are as egregious as it gets, starting all the way back in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series when he took out Wheeler for Alvarado. Using Kimbrel multiple times in the 2023 NLCS when everyone with half a brain knew he was cooked. That was also a team that he managed that blew a 2-0 and 3-2 series lead, with games 6 and 7 at home. Last year against the Mets, this year against the Dodgers. Refuses to fire his hitting coach. Same ole same ole with this guy. He's the current version of Danny Ozark. Let me ask you a question. Who would you pick to lead your team if you had a choice- Rob Thomson or Bruce Bochy?

well I have a personal grudge against Bochy because I live in SF Giants country and while most of our fanbase particularly hates teams like the Mets and Nationals, I kind of hate the SF Giants (as well as the 49ers in football) with a disdain that surpasses our disdain for the Cowboys. That being said, I would certainly consider him. He's also 70 years old maybe the primary reason why he's even available is because he's burnt out. I'm speculating about that last part but it seems possible.

45 minutes ago, JohnB said:

well I have a personal grudge against Bochy because I live in SF Giants country and while most of our fanbase particularly hates teams like the Mets and Nationals, I kind of hate the SF Giants (as well as the 49ers in football) with a disdain that surpasses our disdain for the Cowboys. That being said, I would certainly consider him. He's also 70 years old maybe the primary reason why he's even available is because he's burnt out. I'm speculating about that last part but it seems possible.

I agree with you about SF teams. I hate them as well. I know Bochy is 70 but I'm thinking if you could get him for 3 years, why not. If you cant win it with him in those 3 years, well then you just tear it down and reset. Hey, I still have scars from the 2010 NLCS. Lincecum, Cain, Cody Ross, that stupid bearded closer, and that crybaby Posey. Ughhh.

Blake snell is on another planet right now. 8 innings 0 ERs, 1 hit, 0 BB and 10 Ks

Last 6 starts he’s pitched 40 innings, 15 H, 3 ER, 10 BB and 57 Ks

Remember that time when we went into great detail about why the Phillies should just give Blake Snell a three-year contract over re-signing Nola. Yeah they should’ve done that.

Dodgers bullpen hangs on.

The worst thing they could do in this offseason is spend about $30m on 3 replacement level players that suck.

I really don't think anyone besides Kyle Tucker can get me thinking the lineup wont be a problem again next year.

23 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

The worst thing they could do in this offseason is spend about $30m on 3 replacement level players that suck.

I really don't think anyone besides Kyle Tucker can get me thinking the lineup wont be a problem again next year.

Could move Harper back to RF. Then sign Alonso and have a top of the lineup if Turner, schwarber, Harper and Alonso

so bold he’s going to bring everyone back on new contracts!

1 hour ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

If he does get 5 years, hopefully it's not with the Phillies. 3 max.

2 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Could move Harper back to RF. Then sign Alonso and have a top of the lineup if Turner, schwarber, Harper and Alonso

I worry how many games Harper is going to play if he's the RF.

I know I'm being nihilistic here, but have you seen Armageddon and Deep Impact? I just feel the asteroid has passed that line beyond which they can't explode it and get the fragments to miss Earth. I think Schwarber, Turner, and Harper are all going to be inferior hitters next year. No Ranger.

Signing one Pete Alonso or Tucker plus overpaying Schwarber, at best, IMO, is the equivalent of treading water. I really don't think anything can be done.

3 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I worry how many games Harper is going to play if he's the RF.

I know I'm being nihilistic here, but have you seen Armageddon and Deep Impact? I just feel the asteroid has passed that line beyond which they can't explode it and get the fragments to miss Earth. I think Schwarber, Turner, and Harper are all going to be inferior hitters next year. No Ranger.

Signing one Pete Alonso or Tucker plus overpaying Schwarber, at best, IMO, is the equivalent of treading water. I really don't think anything can be done.

I think you are expecting their decline to be significantly more next year. I think probably still have 2 more good years. I think you can capitalize that but you have to be willing to commit to signing a tucker or Alonso and being all in on the next 2. And also be understanding in year 3 it’s probably going to turn and be rough for 3-4 years (maybe more). But either way can trade some guys like luzarado and Sanchez away to help bring in young prospects at that point

3 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

5 years? Yeah, no thanks. Rather sign Bregman or Alonso .

Hopefully the big move is trading Nola and keeping Ranger. The Dodgers are going to the WS and the Phillies should have beaten them. They need to keep those three with Wheeler. Especially, if he can't come back.

19 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Could move Harper back to RF. Then sign Alonso and have a top of the lineup if Turner, schwarber, Harper and Alonso

Need a love button for this one.

The way the playoffs are so spaced out these days (between series and even in the series you get a 1-2 days off), you only need 3 starters. Sanchez, Luzardo, Nola or Wheeler if he can still play. Ranger can walk.

Open the checkbook for the bats.

2 minutes ago, Khani1 said:

The way the playoffs are so spaced out these days (between series and even in the series you get a 1-2 days off), you only need 3 starters. Sanchez, Luzardo, Nola or Wheeler if he can still play. Ranger can walk.

Open the checkbook for the bats.

The only thing they are going to do is overpay for schwarber and realmuto and sign another scrub left fielder

26 minutes ago, Joe Shades 73 said:

The only thing they are going to do is overpay for schwarber and realmuto and sign another scrub left fielder

They should have an all or nothing mentally. Go all in for 2 years and mortgage the future in hopes of a ring or just blow it all up now. No in between crap.

1 minute ago, Diehardfan said:

It won’t really matter. If you go all in, it’s a 2 year window. The shorter contract might actually be better in this case. I prefer both. The middle ground is how we are stuck and have been for 4 years.