The Phillies’ offseason needs begin with a new general manager, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. President Andy MacPhail is running the search himself and giving little in the way of clues, though Salisbury cites Matt Klentak, Kim Ng, Thad Levine, and Ben Cherington as names that have arisen in industry chatter.
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- While the Phillies won’t pursue top-end starters, they figure to add a few veteran arms, possibly of the mid-rotation variety, Salisbury adds. Otherwise, the offseason will presumably remain future-oriented. Nevertheless, Salisbury says that the team’s biggest remaining trade chip may be a relatively young player: closer Ken Giles. As CSN’s Corey Seidman wrote this summer, there’s real merit to the idea given the organization’s broader needs, the volatility of relievers, and Giles’s excellent early-career numbers. I’d certainly agree that the organization should be open to the concept. The pre-2012 Andrew Bailey trade, which netted the A’s Josh Reddick, is one example of such a deal that worked out for the sending team.
- Another at-least-theoretical trade candidate is Cody Asche. Per Salisbury, the 25-year-old drew interest from the Marlins and Brewers this summer. While his value isn’t exactly on the upswing, Asche might be worth more to another organization that could give him a longer look at third base.
- Lefty Jesse Biddle is heading in for Tommy John surgery, Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Long considered a top-100 prospect, Biddle has not performed well in the upper minors over the last two seasons. He’s averaged about five earned runs per nine at Double-A and Triple-A since the start of 2014, and continues to struggle to limit free passes even as his strikeout rate has fallen. Biddle struck out only 6.4 batters per nine in 2015, by far the lowest rate of his minor league career.
- Now-permanent manager Pete Mackanin will have a few staff changes heading into 2016, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports. The team will part ways with bullpen coach Rod Nichols and third base coach John Mizerock, though it will offer contract renewals to bench coach Larry Bowa, hitting coach Steve Henderson, pitching coach Bob McClure, and first-base coach Juan Samuel. Mackanin explained that the team is “going to look at a lot of candidates” in filling out its coaching ranks.
Kim Ng is so overdue for a shot, it’s embarrassing to the sport, honestly.
I’d be happy with her. At least the Phillies would be first in doing something for a change instead of waiting until 10 years after everyone else.
Asche and a throw in for Ozuna maybe?
I’d imagine that would have to be a pretty costly throw-in
I think if they traded Giles now they would ultimately be selling low on him, he is more akin to Kimbrel than Bailey, Bailey never missed bats like Giles can. I think at the very least the Phillies have to let him have a full year of closing before considering trading him.
It all depends on what they could get for him. Giles has shown to be effective so far, but these days relievers who come out of the bullpen and throw 95+ are a dime a dozen. And most don’t have long, productive careers. If they get a piece or two that could be productive, why shouldn’t they?
Throwing 95 is one thing Throwing 95 with movement is what makes you special, Hunter Strickland isn’t pitching high leverage innings for a reason. Bailey was traded at his ceiling, Giles has not even got near his ceiling, my personal opinion is trading him this off season would be a year too early.
Again, it all depends on what they could get for him. Can’t say “yes, trade him” or “no, keep him” without considering what they could get for him. That’s all I’m saying.
I don’t get the idea that the Phillies SHOULDN’T be playing at the top of the market when it comes to free agency. Look at the future classes…pitchers, bats, etc. There isn’t going to be a class this strong again until Harper and Trout eventually hit the market. The Phillies have cleared a ton of money off their books, have a huge new TV deal kicking in and holes up and down their major league roster. And besides, if they don’t spend their revenues it’s not like they’re going to lower prices of anything.
The Phillies should definitely entertain bringing in at least two top free agents…someone like Price or Cueto, and Jayson Heyward. They may not be ready to win next season, but adding quality talent will make them more competitive, and soon when the minor league talent they have acquired slowly starts trickling in they will be doing so in a more competitive environment. Think of two Phillies prospects/franchise players. Scott Rolen came up in 1996 amid a team that was terrible and continued to be terrible. By the time they were ready to be competitive he had had enough and wanted out, and the fans despised him. Chase Utley came up with a team that was reasonably competitive, but not yet ready to win. By the time they were he hadn’t spent 4 years in last place, and didn’t hate playing for the team. Utley is a fan favorite, and Rolen is despised despite similar talent levels, but would it have changed if they switched the situations they came up in? Who knows, but why take the chance in bringing up young players into a terrible situation when it can avoided for nothing more than money that will pile up in the team’s bank account anyway?
As for signing the players and convincing them to come here…front-load the contracts. Pay the majority of the money upfront, or give huge signing bonuses, which both makes the contracts more valuable to the players (money today is worth more than money tomorrow) and prevents the contracts from becoming an albatross. If they sign Price, for instance, to a 7 year, $220M deal, but instead of paying $35-$38M when he’s 37, they play $100M now, and then a yearly salary that trickles down instead of up, how would that hurt them in the future? And as for Heyward…I don’t think there’s ever been a free agent who the Phillies should target more. He’s young, plays a position of need, is an outstanding defender, and does everything well except hit home runs…but I’d rather had an all-around player than the next Ryan Howard. And at the cost of a 2nd round pick…it’s worth it for a 26 year old player.
The problem with your logic is any top tier player wants to win NOW. They can’t spend all the money they will get in one year as it is. Throwing more money up front means little and playing the next 2-4 years for a Title means a lot.
That is easier said than done in a volatile market like Philly, sitting on your hands just isn’t a viable option that is going to maintain fan support, sitting on money could have a very adverse affect in a market like that, you could end up with even less money to spend as the fan support dwindles. Maybe not a huge signing but I think a few guys will have to be signed to keep people in the seats. Houston Astros decade long rebuilds just are not options for everyone.
If you really believe that players will leave money on the table to sign with a “winning team”, then you haven’t been paying attention to sports for the past 100 years. It’s 99.9999% of the time about the money. If the Phillies pay more, they will get whomever they want regardless of their current situation.
“Throwing more money up front means little and playing the next 2-4 years for a Title means a lot.”
Throwing money up front makes their contract more valuable. Scherzer’s deal with the Nats is $210M/7 years, but paid out over 14 years, which means its actual value is $192M. If the Phillies pay a player $220M, but pay $100M up front, than that $220M becomes worth more, perhaps to $240/$250M.
Players take the money in 99.9% of the time. And when they don’t that get tortured by their union. Can you name some players who took less money to sign with “winning” teams?
Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies even thought the Yanks offered more money. Roy Halladay could of signed a longer contract if he went to free agency but took the shorter contract because he wanted to come to Philly.
Neither Lee nor Halladay is a good example. Halladay was never a free agent, and therefore never had to choose between a larger contract with a losing club and a smaller contract with a winning club. He chose to sign before reaching free agency, and if he hadn’t you never know what could have happened (injuries perhaps?).
As for Lee…yes, he signed for less money to play for the Phillies ($125M vs. about $137.5M the Yankees were offering), but first off that difference is negligible when you consider the higher tax bracket and significantly higher cost of living in NY (taking the extra $12.5M might have actually cost him more money, all things considered). And he didn’t choose between one team that’s winning and one that’s losing…he chose between two winning teams, two similar offers, and chose where he wanted to play. Had the Yankees matched CC’s contract (7yr/$161M), Lee would have been a Yankee. But the Yankees didn’t go that far because at the time they didn’t “need” to sign an ace, as they already had one in CC (according to their GM, Brian Cashman, when asked why they didn’t go all-in like that had in the past).
Players sign for the money. Pujols left St. Louis for Anaheim; Cano and Cruz signed in Seattle; Reyes and Buerhle signed in Florida; Sandoval and Ramirez signed in Boston; Robertson signed in Chicago; Lester signed in Chicago. Not one of those teams qualified for the playoffs the year before the player’s signed, but they signed with the team that offered the most money because that is what drives the game. MONEY.