Phillies: New wrinkle to plan A
By Tal Venada
The Phillies underlying strategy figured heavily in their recent infield acquisition, and general manager Matt Klentak has no reason to change due to incomplete data and his current success.
Adjustments continue:
For the Philadelphia Phillies, the blueprint hasn’t been obvious due to injury and some players’ ineffectiveness. But being atop the NL East has revealed they are building on their foundation of versatility for the stretch drive.
"IN OTHER WORDS: “As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery"
In 2017’s second half, the red pinstripes initiated the concept of their infielders playing multiple positions in the majors and with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. So, Scott Kingery and J.P. Crawford began handling second base, shortstop and the hot corner. The Phils also wanted Maikel Franco to man first base.
Basically, the purpose is keeping hitters fresh through September and October because production falls off due to the fatigue of the long season. But this idea isn’t new. For instance, two of the four aces struggled in the 2011 NLDS. Fatigue?
Regarding the infield, Cesar Hernandez would also make some appearances at short, and Rhys Hoskins would spell Carlos Santana at first. That stated, Hernandez, Franco and Hoskins have, for the most part, not moved around to any great extent since the campaign began.
Likewise, the outfielders besides Hoskins would split playing time according to their success and analytical advantages. And Kingery, who earned his promotion regardless of the contract, would also start some games in right field as well. In other words, the plan was to maximize versatility.
Double D, a poster from another Phillies site, wondered why the team hadn’t followed their original strategy. Well, they didn’t abandon it. Injuries, lack of production and rookie managerial mistakes led to different on-field decisions.
However, Double D, they are in first place before heading to Boston with a 58-47 record, and August is just two contests away. As for the National League, the hometown nine are in a fourth-place tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and three games separate the top five franchises.