GM’s Plans for 2018’s Phillies

On the Internet, the majority of sentiments for Kingery are similar. They want to see him and feel the higher-ups are either penny-pinching, blind to his ability, or deaf to their demands. No, the decision-makers are acutely aware of the pluses and minuses of their MiLB star. They are anxious for an up-close evaluation because they’ve been patiently tracking his progress from day one, not Double-A. But replacing Cesar Hernandez with an unproven infielder will send the wrong message to free agents. In other words, another franchise might offer better job security.

At second base, Hernandez hit .294 with a .373 OBP as the leadoff man, and many believe Klentak will deal him to fill a rotation spot. Firstly, Kingery must earn the second sacker’s job and/or batting first with three months of excellence, and – what they need – a solid two-slot starter is something every general manager wants or plans on keeping.

On the other side of the diamond, Freddy Galvis averaged .272 batting second in the lineup, and he hit there 63 percent of his 608 ABs. Crawford, meanwhile, was only a September call-up, and baseball men discount March and September numbers due to diluted competition. In other words, batting .300 in the final month isn’t a reliable indicator, but Crawford only produced a .214 mark with a .356 OBP. He must prove he can replace Galvis by July and just getting walks won’t be enough.

If you want an example of earning a position, Hoskins hit .259 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs. Yeah, the league grew tired of his success and now he’ll adjust accordingly, but he showed more than enough for the front office to count on him. Comparatively, Tommy Joseph batted .240 with 22 long balls and 69 RBIs.