The Phillies are reportedly expressing interest in reliever Dellin Betances and catcher Austin Romine, per George A. King III of the New York Post.
Along with their reported interest in free agent shortstop Didi Gregorius, that makes three former Yankees the Phillies have been connected to since their hire of Joe Girardi as their next manager. All three ex-Yankees played multiple seasons under Girardi’s tutelage.
Betances certainly makes sense for a Phillies’ bullpen that was middle of the pack by ERA and a bottom-10 unit by measure of FIP. MLBTR’s Steve Adams provided a more succinct review in his Offseason Outlook by noting: they were “not a strength in 2019.” The group dealt with their share of injuries, of course, but that’s cold comfort for a team keen on competing in a difficult NL East. The bullpen currently has a number of high-ceiling arms, but very few established roles after injuries derailed the seasons of David Robertson, Seranthony Dominguez, and Tommy Hunter. Nominal closer Hector Neris arguably put together a decent 28-save campaign, but he was not without his hiccups either. Not for nothing, with Girardi taking over, usage patterns could shift entirely for this unit. Betances’ career 2.36 ERA and 14.6 K/9 would be a good addition on paper, but after missing essentially all of the 2019 season, Betances’ shutdown back-end talent comes packaged with further uncertainty.
Romine is the less likely of the two to end up in Philly, as the backup catcher is coming off a career-best .281/.310/.439 campaign and there’s no shortage of catching opportunities elsewhere. The backup spot in Philly doesn’t have as much playing time to offer as most – J.T. Realmuto is one of the few frontline catchers that demands a heavy majority of playing time. Philadelphia can probably get by with any number of veteran backups. They also have Deivy Grullon, 24 this season, waiting in the wings after a strong .283/.354/.496 seasons in Triple-A. Presumably, Romine would look for a position with a more obvious path to playing time.
Phillies are getting all of joes former yanks players. Hopefully they don’t turn bust like drob.
DRob wasn’t a bust he wasn’t healthy … id be willing to bet he becomes a fan favorite if he can stay on the field (no easy task with Girardi as manager lol)
Signing a large contract and not being able to stay healthy is the same thing as being a bust.
Please refer to Jacoby Ellsbury.
Well he’s out for the 2020 season so that’s unlikely
Considering he’s out for the majority of last year and all of next year, I think it’s fair to call him a bust. The guy’s career may be over. Phillies paid him big bucks for multiple years and he made 5 or 6 appearances. It’s the definition of a bust. I love DRob, but Phils got hosed on that deal.
That’s one instance where the mets being cheap and not signing robertson, worked out. That phillies gm tho will throw plenty of $ around this season.
The Mets would have been better off signing Robertson than making the Cano/Diaz trade. At least they would be out of it after next season without having to surrender top prospects.
There is a big difference between a bust and an injured player.
It’s more of a comment on the deal being a bust. I’m not insulting Robertson. Loved watching the guy, but the Phillies deal was a bad one. Yes because of injury, but it was still a huge bust.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he resigns with the Yankees.
Didi and Betances are major upgrades for the Phills!
Both would be valuable additions and I can see both joining Philly due to the Girardi factor.
If a lot of former Yanks just migrate over to the Phils it would kill the false rumor that the players disliked Girardi and needed a nicer/dumber manager in Boone
If Girardi pursues all of these former players and they end up going elsewhere, will that reinforce the narrative that players dislike him and his poor communication skills? Will that be evidence that the Phillies made a mistake by hiring an out of touch leader?
The Phillies wana just keep on taking from the Yanks.
so the Phils signed a Yanks player with very little injury history, and he almost immediately went down needing TJ. so if they sign one with a recent injury history…
you’re reaching lol
..he’ll win the cy young. =D
I’m a Braves fan so you are my mortal enemy..but I still love your post.
Loools
Hey Dark-if you watched him during the last few months in the Bronx you witnessed a guy with no control left….the first sign of trouble.
Who mishandled his physical is the real question.
I don’t understand why the Yankees didn’t convert Sanchez to a 1B and give the starting catcher job to Romine. Sanchez’s bat is too good to be wasted at catcher where he’s always going to be fighting injuries.
MysTeam, CORRECTAMUNDO
It’s easy to get a 1B with a good bat. It’s almost impossible to get an offensive C like Sanchez. His bat plays up a lot better as a C than a 1B. That’s how you stack a lineup. Obviously he will have to be moved off C someday due to age, but it makes sense that the NYY don’t want to do it for now.
“It’s easy to get a 1B with a good bat.” this is an outright lie. 12 teams got negative offensive WAR out of their 1B last year. Sanchez’s bat and health play infinitely better at 1B than trying to shoehorn him into a place he has no business playing. According to you, they might as well put him at SS, because he’s SO BAD at catching he simply HAS to move. So move him to 1B where he belongs!
And yet good hitting first baseman are undervalued in the market?
It’s not a lie. There were 15 first baseman who posted OPS over .750 which is good for a tie for third place in the majors.
As for lying, I think you’re being intillectually dishonest. I bet if you posted the names of all those 1st bman with negative war, they would be mostly players with less than 200 plate appearances.
Teams win championships with sub-par offensive players at sometimes multiple key defensive positions like catcher, shortstop, second base and/or centerfield. The myth is that if you get an offensive player at one of those positions you are automatically a better team. It just doesn’t work that way. In fact, often teams make themselves better by getting a defensive player at one of those positions.
that’s why he DHs sometimes. using him at 1B would require him to learn 1B, and they already have Voit.
Sadly, Cashman ‘s stubbornness will cost the Yankees the steady and more fundamentally sound Romine and force the defensively challenged strikeout machine named Sanchez to catch 125 games.
Mystery Team, MickeyRivers, Strike Four, et al Sanchez is no first baseman. Just because he’s a so-called “catcher” doesn’t mean he automatically defaults to 1B as a secondary position, now or later. He’s too slow, lacks coordination, and can’t move laterally – have you watched him run bases if he doesn’t hit a HR? Presumably you’re Phillies fans. He looks like a freakin duck.
1B is where a lot of teams stick their pudgiest players, which works, but they at least have some fielding cred. Sanchez appears to lack the skill and instincts that even 1B requires. He ain’t no Donnie Baseball, Teixeira, Hernandez., or Pujols. He probably ended up as a catcher because he could hit and couldn’t play any other position – I would bet when he was 10 y.o., his D.R. coach said, “okay Sanchino, you catch [because you’re slower than my grandmother and suck everywhere else but we want your bat]. That is how Gary Sanchez became a “catcher.” Now, the Yankees have hired him a special catching coach for next year so maybe he will instill some defense in him. Time will tell.
As for Romine, he would be a much better option for the Yankees as their starting/lead catcher – solid defense, pitchers love him, great in the clubhouse, and a good bat, especially as catchers go – and have Sanchez DH where he wouldn’t be bogged down catching and could focus on batting. But the Yankees (Cashman/Boone) love Sanchez and they have too many guys that could 100% DH as it is. The Yankees especially need Romine given Sanchez’ chronic injury history but they’re not going to pay him to be Sanchez’ backup, so he’s gone (and good for him!). But it won’t be Philadelphia. He wants to be and warrants being a starter (or heavy platoon role) so getting 30 games/year behind Realmuto doesn’t work. I’m sue Girardi would love to have him because Girardi preferred Romine over Sanchez in 2017. Perhaps not a coincidence, Romine has Girardi’s old number, 28.
Romine had 27. He gave it up for Stanton, and took 28 once Girardi left…
Right, and if I recall correctly, I believe Stanton even offered to pay Romine to give up 27. Romine refused any payment and just volunteered to give up the number. for Stanton.
Raise your hand if you’re surprised that Girardi wants Betances.
Joe, Can you see both hands??
Yep, but does Betances want ?
So far all of the guys I’ve been hearing the Phillies are looking at are guys they don’t need. Why havent they signed Cole Hamels yet? They need a back end lefty and we love Cole in Philly. He wants to be here! 3/4 of our infield is set. I don’t agree with moving Kingery all over the place. He needs to settle in at his natural position (2B), because in my opinion, the shuffling around is why he hasn’t come close to his ceiling with the bat. We need a starting pitcher and a 3B, and this free agent class just so happens to be deep in those two areas. Betances I like, but I think they can get 2 or 3 Tyler Clippard types for the price of one Betances. Because of the way bullpens change so much due to injuries and/or ineffectiveness from certain guys, I’d rather have quantity. Remember when we loved the David Robertson signing because the guy was never on the DL and can pitch in several different roles if needed? Yes that didnt work out too well.
i dont see why neither of these guys are needs. They need RPs and a backup C, and Betances and Romine may be the best value available at these positions.
What RPs do they have? Neris and a bunch of unproven guys, or guys coming off major injuries. They dont have a good bullpen
We should all stop acting like Neris is something to be excited about. At the end of the year his numbers might look OK, but you can’t ever trust him. He’s FAR from shut-down. You’re rolling the dice. I’d love to see him lose the closers role.
Agreed, I do not trust Neris. I think Vince Velasquez should be the closer. It makes too much sense. Why the Phillies havent made that move yet is beyond me
Neris isa slightly better Jeanmar. Jeanmar was a great setup man, but tge move to closer ruined his career. i feared the same with Neris, and luckily he can still pitch, but he almost suffered the same fate. he needs to move back to the 8th sooner rather than later.
I have been saying that for years!!! I agree with Velasquez would be a great closer in my opinion.
The problem is Neris can only thief in a closet portion, which he is mediocre at best. He’s pitched in other roles before and has failed so either you stick with him at closer or move on from him. I vote move on. Package him in a deal for a legitimate closer like Ken Giles.
I agree with signed Tyler Clippard types too. Sign Clippard, Cishek, and trade for Giles. Along with Alvaraz, Morgan, Suarez and Vinny, that’s a solid pen.
Neris can only thrive in the closer position*
I agree with signing Tyler Clippard types*
Sorry, I can’t grammar good sometimes.
Phillies 2020- you know your team.Your comments on Kimgery,Neris,Hamels,and especially Valesquez are spot on.They also need several relievers but each should have an option left.Why they have not put Vince in the bullpen is beyond me.
They should also get Donaldson for third and another starter and only then will that funny money start paying off
Giles is hardly a legitimate closer. He was a dud with the Astros who finally dumped him. Half a good year with Toronto before getting hurt doesn’t make him a ‘legitimate’ reliever
They have Knapp and Grullon on the 40 man roster. Between the two of them, that’s good enough when you have a catcher that’s going to start 130 games. Knapp is average in all his attributes as a catcher, but he’s got good plate discipline and he knows this pitching staff inside and out. Grullon put up impressive numbers at AAA last season. Just see no need for a 40 man roster spot to another catcher.
its not really a need, but better production from that backup catcher position is certianly important, wether it be from Knapp/Grullon or elsewhere.
Knapp is so bad.
I think you need to use whatever money you have to lock up JT, the guy that’s gonna be the most well rounded catcher for the next 5 years, for as long as you can. Sign Ryu to a 3 year 48M deal and fill in the other starters with lower level back end starters. Got a few pieces in the minors that can help fill in the holes later.
It’s a common misconception that the Phils simply lacked starting pitching in 2019. Depth was their biggest issue. Depth everywhere. Their bench gave them some of the worst production in all of baseball. So my point is, the Phils need everything. Hence why they’re looking at everyone.
” per George A. King III of the __New York Post__.”
Rubbish.
These guys are not on the Phillies radar.
GERRIT COLE
ANTHONY RENDON
Those two __are__ on the Phillies radar. They aren’t spending money on crap. They have plenty of crap. The Phillies need prime time core talents.
Yes, because the phillies never make minor, ‘value at the margins’ kind of moves. Ya know, the ones klentak is famous for
Tommy Hunter
David Robertson
Pat Neshek
Juan Nicasio
Jason Vargas
Andrew McCutchen’s torn ACL
The work during the rebuild was a lot worse as hard as that is to wrap your head around when informed that it got Klentak a contract extension.
ok, whatever you say.
Those two are on everyone’s radar, Captain.
ok, whatever you say.
whatever you say, ok?
i say EAD.
Every team in the league should be interested on a buy low bounce back season from Betances but for that reason he’s probably going to get a pretty nice deal.
I hadn’t really considered Romine. The Angels need a catcher, he’s from OC, and obviously has some ties to Eppler.
i dont buy Romine as a starter yet, but a Romine/Smith platoon could be productive.
Exactly, Darkside. A pretty inexpensive tandem.
Also kind of interested in Phegley as a platoon mate. Dude hits lefties really well.
Or another thing is that Austin Hedges who is also from the LA/OC area could be traded to the Angels.
I’d then see Romine as a candidate in SD due to Rothschild handling that staff now and possibly wanting a signal caller he knows very well. Mejia/Romine would be a nice little tandem.
You’re really keen on trading away the best defensive catcher in baseball.
that’s highly debatable
I mean yeah, he has gotten plenty of opportunities to improve offensively but hasn’t. A change of scenery/playing home games in a new environment could help him. Defense is elite, no doubt about it. Just think it’s time for a new look.
Guy couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat
But Hedges is also one of the worst offensive catchers. On defense, best framer in the league which is what accounts for most of his second best Def rating. Otherwise, he racked up 11 errors for one of the worst FP rates, posted CS of .33 which is good but far off from Realmuto’s .47 (who was no. 1 on defense per Fangraph).
But it’s Hedges’ offense that is a serious drag on a lineup – his OPS was a paltry .563 and wRC+ a ridiculous 47. He was a decent hitter in the minors over eight seasons. He is relatively young so if he could re-learn to hit at some point he’d be a lot more valuable.
God forbid Romine ends up in SD. If he heads to CA, let it be the Angels.. They need a good catcher too.
All three would be great pick ups for Joe
Mets should be all over Betances. They severely need bullpen help, and Betances has top-level potential at a discount because of the injury. BVW should have signed him yesterday.
Personally I would like to see the Yanks resign Betances, but I don’t see that happening. Haven’t heard a peep about the Yanks showing interest in a reunion. They could use an 8th inning guy. I don’t think that’s Britton. Not getting Betances leaves them short in this long bullpen age.
While we’re at it, I’d like to see them bring back Romine, too. The dude has started to hit, he knows the pitching staff, and he’s a decent backstop. So why not?
I think money is what’s stopping these moves. Money that they want to use on Cole, Stras or ??? They’re going over the luxury tax line so…
The Yankees showed no interest in David Robertson last winter.
Maybe the Phillies shouldn’t pursue any free agent pitchers since they get injured or underperform here so frequently.
Phillies and Yanks need the same thing, an ace. They are both going after Cole and Strasburg.., if they don’t get them then they will consider these other guys. Cole and Strasburg can win you a championship, Betances, and Romine can’t do that for the Phillies, but Betances could be a key for the Yanks.
Phillies should sign Hamels and Bumgarner. Each would be cheaper (A lot cheaper!) than Cole or Strasburg. Then sign Anthony Rendon to play 3B.
After that, I don’t much care who our backup catcher is. A solid LH relief pitcher would be nice, too. I’m not sold on Adam Morgan in that role.
Finally, I think Seranthony Dominguez could be our closer. Like many who previously posted, I’m not a huge Neris fan.