According to the Phillies’ plan
Long before the Philadelphia Phillies began showing signs of renewed life, the front office under general manager Matt Klentak had continued with the rebuilding blueprint from 2015.
Hitting pay dirt and grass:
With April’s end ahead for the Philadelphia Phillies, many fans are expecting either slight or massive improvement in the W column. As for the past, they acquired a sought-after necessity, hoped for an ace to emerge from a stockpile of arms, and now realize the top of a 30-story skyscraper is within sight.
IN OTHER WORDS: “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France
To elaborate, the Cole Hamels trade was never going to bring back a young potential ace because no franchise will part with one. So, the next best piece was a catcher with frontline possibilities, and the execs weren’t going to sign off on a deal without one.
In 2018, Jorge Alfaro is learning on the job: Mission accomplished! But the higher-ups are anticipating the rookie to have ups and downs. However, the faithful might be expecting too much.
Regarding the most difficult undertaking, the organization wanted to draft a young stud to head the rotation after his minor league development and with a few 162s in the majors under his belt. Yes, and lucky! But Aaron Nola is the number one even with Jake Arrieta in the fold.
As the season evolves, Klentak and Kapler will experience more lows like the first five games of ’18 and highs like their recent winning. But they will continue being fun to watch and will be a step closer to sitting atop the 30-team MLB.
On Phillies sites, some negative comments included demoting Vince Velasquez and Alfaro to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. But another listed five players averaging below the Mendoza Line, and he stated they better start hitting. Additionally, he also questioned if they are even major leaguers.
On the positive end, one posted about a scary ninth inning but a vastly improved bullpen. And another local relished the thought of New York Mets fans crying after the Phils leapfrog over them for the division lead. Perhaps, a bit premature.
Statistical status:
Although Alfaro’s defense is improving, his hitting has suffered except for Friday night due to overswinging. But handling the staff as the leading receiver is also critical. That stated, the backstop had produced in 2017 by driving the ball to the opposite field, but management wants him to tap his power. Growing pains!
Phillies stats:
Alfaro, almost 25:
- 2018: 18 Gms., 57 AB, 27 SO, .193, 2 HR and 6 RBI.
- 2017: 29 Gms., 107 AB, 33 SO, .318, 5 HR and 14 RBI.
- 2016: 6 Gms., 16 AB, 8 SO, .125, 0 HR and 0 RBI.
Williams, 24.5:
- 2018: 22 Gms., 57 PA, .193, 1 HR and 4 RBI.
- 2017: 83 Gms., 343 PA, .288, 12 HR and 55 RBI.
Also joining the red pinstripes in the Hamels swap was Nick Williams, but being a left-side bat was a factor regarding his inclusion. And even though he can hit, he doesn’t have the plate discipline of the regulars at the top of the order. But he’ll get his knocks!
Santana, 32, April stats:
- 2018: 26 Gms., 91 AB, .165, 2 HR and 11 RBI (Phillies).
- 2017: 24 Gms., 98 AB, .224, 2 HR and 16 RBI.
- 2016: 20 Gms., 75 AB, .240, 3 HR and 11 RBI.
- 2015: 21 Gms., 71 AB, .239, 3 HR and 11 RBI.
As for Carlos Santana, he is a slow starter, and this April he has the added disadvantage of not knowing the pitchers. He does, however, have a .307 OBP to go with his stellar defense. Lately, he has three hits and three walks in his last four contests.
Options available:
Right-hander Enyel De Los Santos is off to an excellent start after his three appearances for Lehigh Valley. Currently, the flamethrower acquired for Galvis is the most effective rotation arm there, but he’s not on the 40-man roster. Translation: Klentak won’t burn a spot unless he has no other choice.
Triple-A stats:
- De Los Santos, 22: 3 Gms., 13 2/3 Inn., 1-0 and a 1.98 ERA.
- Eshelman: almost 24: 4 Gms., 20 1/3 Inn., 1-2 and a 7.08 ERA.
- Eflin, 24: 4 Gms., 20 Inn., 2-2 and a 4.05 ERA.
Righty Tom Eshelman has been a disappointment so far for the IronPigs with only one decent outing out of four. In fact, the other starters have been more effective. Where is his above-average control?
With Ben Lively‘s stint on the disabled list, Zach Eflin will probably receive the call-up even though his last start was rocky. But keep in mind, he had a 1.69 ERA before that and is working on his secondary pitches to complement his mid-90’s sinker. Meanwhile, Drew Hutchison will probably continue as the long man.
APPLIES HERE: “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” – William Arthur Ward
Jerad Eickhoff, almost 28, has finally recovered from a mild lat strain and will throw a bullpen session on May 2. After that, he will go on a three-start rehab before his reactivation around mid-May at the earliest. So, Lively’s replacement will have three opportunities total to impress management. Ready, steady, go!
Slotted arms:
After his injury-plagued performance, Lively’s numbers went from a 4.64 ERA to a 6.85 ERA before heading to the DL. He had produced two good outings out of four, but his balky back led to that debacle.
Despite the knee-jerk reaction of some locals to demote Velasquez to the pen after his last start, the Phils don’t have better moundsmen for the bottom two slots of the rotation. And the fireballer has shown encouraging signs this campaign.
Phillies stats:
- Lively, 26: 5 Gms., 23 2/3 Inn., 2-2 and a 6.85 ERA.
- Velasquez, almost 26: 5 Gms., 26 Inn., 1-3 and a 4.50 ERA.
- Pivetta, 25: 6 Gms., 33 Inn., 1-1 and a 3.27 ERA.
During the offseason, Nick Pivetta must have prepared himself mentally and physically for this summer. But after he had suffered a difficult first outing in March, he produced a 2.79 ERA for April. And he had strung together four solid performances until Saturday night.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” – Peter Drucker
Regarding a sentence at the beginning of the article, belief is realizing the top of a 30-story skyscraper is within reach. Translation: The order of finish determines the floor the elevator stops at. In other words, winning the World Series is the 30th floor, and what do they call it? The penthouse.
Next: Phillies: Stars or placeholders
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