Let’s take a look at some fixes for the Philadelphia Phillies struggling offense.
This is part two of a discussion about the much heralded 2019 Philadelphia Phillies and their somewhat weak showing prior to the All-Star break, especially considering their big-muscle Opening Day roster. As of the day after the All-Star exhibition game, the Fightin’s had possession of the NL second Wild Card, with at least a 2½-game lead over – oops – six teams.
It’s not actually good to have that many teams breathing down your neck for a pathetic one-and-done playoff game, and that’s especially so when, a few months ago, you hired a true big-name right fielder for nearly a decade and a half at a cost of $330 million, the best catcher in the league, an All-Star shortstop, and a former MVP to play left field. People rightly expected more of the Phillies than 47-43 at this juncture.
Much of this has been a result of somewhat weaker than expected team pitching that, granted, looked iffy in April, but the Phillies have also been weaker than expected offensively, or at the very least, a very inconsistent powerhouse. For example, somehow the team has let the Miami Marlins beat them seven times in 13 games.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Three of the four other teams with winning records thus far against the Phillies are arguably better than they are. Two of the teams Philadelphia has winning records against this year – the Braves and Twins – are also arguably better than they are.
In other words, while many fans and some media members are doubtful about the Phillies chances to go very far this year, the simple numbers suggest they aren’t that far away from being a genuine contender for at least the NL crown.
That would be if they hadn’t been a losing team recently for a number of weeks now. However, let’s assume they come out of the All-Star break and take at least two of three against Washington, or even three of three and put themselves firmly back in second place.
Beyond Bumgarner or Boyd…
What moves could the Phillies make, beyond a pitching move, to position themselves to run down Atlanta.
A first question that might have to be answered is whether or not the Pittsburgh Pirates will be a buyer or seller as July 31 approaches. The Pirates are one of two teams 2½ games behind the Phillies for the second Wild Card (as of July 10), but assuming they decide to sell, not only might the Phillies pry away a good pitcher from them (Francisco Liriano, and make him a half-season “opener”), but they might get help in another regard.
As Rob Biertempfel pointed out in The Athletic July 10, the Pirates will have a “glut” of outfielders once Gregory Polanco comes off the injured list, which could be very soon. One that might be available is Corey Dickerson, a player who is in the last year of a contract for $8.5 million.
Dickerson is a left-handed batter, and so, not a “normal” platoon with Jay Bruce as a replacement for Andrew McCutchen, but hey, what are analytics for other than deciding a question like: Which of our two left-handed outfielders can hit tonight’s pitcher better? Additionally, Dickerson would be a significant upgrade over Andrew Knapp as a bat off the bench.
Philadelphia Phillies
Finally, Dickerson is one of those players seeming to hit a semi-star stride as he turns 30, becoming an All-Star at 28, and winning a Gold Glove at 29. His batting average is down a bit this year, perhaps because he hasn’t played as much as last year when he hit .300. Also, he has played center field, which brings us to the next point…
What Else?
It seems high time that Scott Kingery is moved from center (mostly) to third base as an everyday matter. Pretty clearly, he won’t be quite as good a fielder as Maikel Franco, but he is definitely having a more positive offensive year than Franco is. (Franco, as always, has run quite hot or quite cold.) And it may seem old-fashioned, but a player who hits .300 or above for most of 90 games (Kingery) should not have to put up with the modern notion of the super-utility man.
In addition to possibly “settling” Kingery, this move would allow Franco to also strengthen the bench and work on whatever the hell has made him so streaky for five years. Franco’s future is very, very likely as a useful pinch hitter/designated hitter or as the third baseman on a weaker team. Kingery could be a consistently starting infielder on a contending team for the next twelve years if he can stop wasting his time trying to “learn center field” for the Phillies.
Kingery doing that learning – remember – is not a move dictated primarily by analytics or some other baseball insight. It came about because the starting center fielder roughed up his girlfriend, and the backup center fielder, McCutchen, tore an ACL.
Scott Kingery is currently leading the team’s everyday players in batting. Give him an everyday position.
Beyond these moves, it seems time for the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies heavy-hitting lineup on paper to begin doing some heavy hitting.