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Phillies: Money factors into 2020’s lineup too

By Tal Venada

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 02: Scott Kingery #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 2, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 02: Scott Kingery #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 2, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Sometimes, Realmuto’s rest is manning first base. Photo by J. Robbins/Getty Images. /

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For J.T. Realmuto, his busy first half was due to learning the Phillies pitching staff. And although he not surprisingly averaged in the .270s, his overall production was higher. Projection: Using his post-midpoint performance, his first-half numbers would be 21 homers and 58 RBIs for a total of 36 long balls and 99 RBIs.

Realmuto’s Phillies statistics for 2019:

  • First half: 85 Gms., 10 HR and 42 RBIs.
  • Second half: 60 Gms., 15 HR and 41 RBIs.

As for Buster Posey money, is Realmuto negotiating for $197 million total, $18.55 million per 162, or nine seasons? But could Klentak offer $17 million each for seven summers ($119 million), or will $20 million each for five years ($100 million) be workable? The $17 million proposal is lower by $3 million AAV (average annual value).

As a left side bat, Brad Miller, who earned $1 million in ’19, would likely be in the six hole to break up the right-handed hitters. Realistically, Maikel Franco is not a bench player, and Klentak will non-tender him due to his $5.2 million salary with a potential arbitration increase to $6.5 million.

Miller will be a stopgap until Alec Bohm is, hopefully, ready in July, and the veteran would then join Jay Bruce on the pine. At the keystone, Scott Kingery would replace Cesar Hernandez, whom the Phils would include in a winter package deal. The .280 hitter is making $7.75 million and could receive $10 million for his final arbitration.

In 2018, Kingery had averaged .226, and he raised it to .258 for 2019 with 19 round-trippers and 55 RBIs. So, he could hit .280 with 25 home runs in his third campaign to provide Hernandez-like production. But keep in mind, he’ll either improve like above or fashion his impact in ’20. Will he make his mark in 2020 or 2021?

Without Odubel Herrera around, Adam Haseley proved he can handle MLB pitching with a .266 mark like a fourth-year reserve outfielder. But he had played only 18 Triple-A games due to a Phils’ injury, yet he capitalized on this opportunity. Well, replacing Herrera’s $6.1 million salary with the MLB minimum is cost-effective.

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