Phillies: Tough questions for September and not much later

The Phillies are in an impressive offensive run, but is it sufficient to keep a place in the playoffs?

Let’s consider a scenario for this year’s Philadelphia Phillies. What if they continue to putter along as they have for better than two years now, largely between five games under and a couple games over .500? As everyone knows, this season could end at any moment, suffer a COVID-suspension for a straight jump to playoffs in three moments, or end, as scheduled, in five moments.

“You have to start winning series,” advised NBC Sports Philly analyst Ricky Bottalico Aug. 25. Bottalico, a former Phillies closer, meant by that: “Now.” If not, the Phillies stand a very good chance of finishing out of the playoff picture again, even with an expanded format.

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What happens then, what could have happened in terms of personnel changes before the end of August, and what will happen after that?

As the first full month of the 2020 “season” drew to a close, the Phillies began a series in Washington and took Bottalico’s direction. In a rain-interrupted game, the Fightin’s leaned on star catcher J.T. Realmuto and a shaky, newly reconstituted bullpen for the 8-3 win Aug. 25. Their record moved to a forgettable 11-14.

A sweep of the bumbling world champions would put Philadelphia in a position to get to Labor Day over .500 if they could take three out of four against Atlanta and Washington again in August’s last game.

No one was betting on that. Maybe a few more were after the Phillies and Nationals postponed their game Aug. 27 to protest the police shooting of a Black man in the back several days earlier.

Therefore, by that point, the Phillies front office should have already been thinking about players to get before the trade deadline, or at worst before next year: Define problem areas for action.

The ownership group should have been thinking about the same matters and that pesky “luxury” tax. Ownership might also have been making plans for management changes if the team remained flat or slipped further by the season’s end.

That last agenda item is surely on September’s calendar, whatever happens in the final standings. How bold that item would be on the agenda page depends on September’s Phillies play.

However, first among items the front office should have listed on the 25th or 26th were the following:

1. Keeping an eye on Rhys “Streaky” Hoskins’ batting average (.260 now) and RBI total (18), not to mention his sometimes shaky defense;
2. Keeping an eye on Scott Kingery and whether he continues to build strength after a serious bout with COVID-19;
3. Fixing the bullpen further or, possibly, trading for another reliable starter.

What should the Philadelphia Phillies do with Hoskins and Kingery?

Both Hoskins and Kingery have been considered by Philly fans and team management to be essential foundational Phillies since at least 2017. Kingery was given a pricey, multi-year contract by the team before he ever played a major league inning, and Hoskins had one of the most impressive power months in MLB history in ’17 as a total newbie.

Three years later the question is whether either or both should be traded, benched, or moved into another role.

For Hoskins, this last suggestion means: to DH; for Kingery, back to a utility role. These are questions for possible quick action in September. Bottalico declared Aug. 25 that rookie Alec Bohm could replace Hoskins at first sooner than later.

This would also cure the developing problem of low rockets getting by Bohm at third base.

For his part, Kingery seemed to turn around with a circus catch against Atlanta on Aug. 21. Up to that point, the alleged infielder had seemed lost on the field physically, both at second base and at the plate. On the other hand, he made his catch in center field, one of his utility positions.

Going into play Sept. 1, Kingery is hitting .127. In his last ten games, he has collected five hits; his RBI total for the season is four.

Elsewhere, in terms of Phillies position players, things don’t seem totally awful. Most notably, Realmuto and Bryce Harper are both having MVP campaigns. Andrew McCutchen suddenly began hitting Aug. 14.

And yes, it very much seems that either Kingery, or Hoskins, or both could have been part of the solution to the struggling bullpen/starter via a trade or trades. While the addition of Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman hasn’t made things worse, “relief” is not something the Phillies bullpen automatically provides.

On Aug. 12 Philly relievers had the MLB-worst ERA at 10.19, and while Hembree and Workman are now contributing ERAs of 6.43 and 4.85, respectively, in 13 total game appearances between them, about all that can be said about them is that those two figures are at least under ten.

Workman’s first two saves, in fact, required sterling defensive efforts on the parts of his center fielder, shortstop, and catcher in one case and by his catcher in the other.