MLB free agents: Phillies tea leaves are an ugly, wet mess

What Does It Mean?

Giving the value of Parker’s contact an even million dollars, the above means the Phillies saved themselves, potentially, $22.5 million by moving two semi-helpful and two useless pitchers. All are well past 30 except Neris who will start the season at 31 next year, assuming the season starts before June 14.

But there’s more. It’s not only the savings the Phillies seem to be eyeing. The one player the team claimed Oct. 30 was…Johan Quezada. Yes, that Johan Quezada, the same guy who once logged a whole 52.1 innings in high-A ball before the Marlins let him pitch in three games for them in the COVID season.

Quezada has a good fastball. He gave up a run an inning over three innings for the Fish. He will be 26 until next August.

To jump away from the Phillies for a second to another transaction from Oct. 30, you’re going to have to put on your Twins cap. You now have Ian Gibaut in the fold! Ian is only 26. He was waived by the Rangers after pitching in 23 games for them (24 overall in MLB), and posting a career 1-2 won-lost record, a 6.08 ERA, and a 1.575 WHIP.

Undoubtedly, his analytics are great.

So, are you a cup-half-full or cup-half-empty person? If your cup is half full you see MLB pushing iffy veterans out of the game or too much lower salary levels in favor of “exciting, young players.” If your cup’s half empty, you may well say that clubs are just slashing and burning against the 2020 losses, or that some teams aren’t even going to try next season.

In Philadelphia, if J.T. Realmuto isn’t re-signed, and if Didi Gregorius gets away, some fans are prepared, seemingly, to say they don’t even care if the rest of the guys are trying. Rooting for laundry with red stripes only goes so far.

And this is all to say nothing at all of the reality that wholesale MLB cost-cutting could very well lead to a players’ work stoppage next summer, again, assuming the season starts at all.