Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told members of the media, including Matt Gelb of The Athletic, that the club doesn’t plan to put Bryce Harper on the 60-day injured list for now. Harper is recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected back until July, but it seems the club will leave the door open for the possibility that he’s able to return in late May. Dombrowski didn’t say that Harper’s timeline had changed, but the club doesn’t need to open a roster spot at the moment and will at least keep their options open and put off the move until necessary.
As Gelb points out, a transfer to the 60-day IL can be backdated. Even if Harper is eventually moved there at some point during the season, he will still be eligible to be activated 60 days from Opening Day, which will be late May. It’s possible that’s how this ultimately plays out, but it seems as though the Phils think there’s at least some chance Harper can come back ahead of schedule. Whether that’s a realistic path or just wishful thinking remains to be seen.
Some other notes from the Senior Circuit…
- The Cardinals announced today that right-hander Dakota Hudson and left-hander Matthew Liberatore have each been optioned to Triple-A. Both players have been part of the club’s rotation plans in past years, but they’re currently on the outside of the starting group, with the five spots going to Adam Wainwright, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. Hudson made 32 starts for the club in 2019 with a 3.35 ERA but hasn’t been the same since. Injuries limited him to just eight starts in 2020 and then just two appearances in 2021. Last year, he was healthy enough to make 26 starts but posted a 4.45 ERA with a 13.1% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate. Liberatore was once a top 100 prospect but struggled last year, posting a 5.97 ERA in the majors and 5.17 mark in Triple-A. Both players will head to the minors to work on their performance, which could have long-term ramifications for the club. Wainwright is planning to retire after this year, while Flaherty, Mikolas and Montgomery are all impending free agents. That leaves Matz as the only pitcher currently penciled into the 2024 rotation.
- Pirates right-hander Robert Stephenson will likely begin the season on the injured list. “We’re just running out of time,” manager Derek Shelton told reporters, including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The righty was slowed by some arm discomfort early in camp, which was initially described as a precautionary setback. However, it seems he hasn’t been able to return to health as fast as hoped. The 30-year-old has had an up-and-down career, but is coming off a strong finish to his 2022. He had a 6.04 ERA last year when the Rockies put him on waivers, but then posted a 3.38 ERA with the Pirates after they claimed him. His strikeout rate also almost doubled, going from 18.8% with Colorado to 36% with Pittsburgh. The Bucs believed in him enough to tender him a contract and pay him a $1.75MM salary to avoid arbitration, his final year before reaching free agency.
Thank God. Hudson is a disaster. Jake Woodford has been excellent this spring and deserves to be given the first chance to start if needed.
All Woodford does is pitch well.
There’s gotta be some sort of issue between Woodford and management. He pitched well enough to earn a spot on the roster last year but it seemed like they were reluctant to bring him up and the quick to send him back down.
Yes Hudson has been a train wreck this spring. Liberatore looked much better. Nine strikeouts, seven hits, and one walk in 10 innings. I know those were mostly minor league hitters, but that’s still good for that level. Liberatore will be the first one back with any injuries to a starter. I’m sure they want him to keep getting regular starts.
Flaherty hasn’t impressed so far.
Sucks for Harper. As a Braves fan, I want to see the Phils field the best team they can for a competitive season, same with the Mets. Head to head baby, play ball!!!
Hudson rocks
Well, he kicks them at least.
I admire your commitment to the bit
Rock Hudson pun?
No I honestly just think that Hudson rocks
Nice to have so much depth as the Cardinals at almost any position. There’s a reason why they win season after season. Something like 15 seasons over .500 in a row never tanking with dignity that is hard to find in teams nowadays
The Cardinals are one of the best ran organizations in the game and yet, I regularly hear their fans wanting Mozeliak fired.
Just some of the fans want Mozeliak fired. I don’t want that, I want him to remain with the Cardinals.
That’s a loud minority. Most fans know it’s a well run organization and appreciate that. Small market teams can’t spend like the big market teams. It frustrates some of the fan base. So many of them were screaming for the team to sign Swanson. Now the team has a log jam of good options in the middle infield.
Oh please! Cardinals are not a “small market” team. Sure, they play in a “small media market” but they are a top 10 profitable team, they are top 10 in over all team value, they were second in attendance. Cardinals referring to their self as “small market” is laughable, almost as laughable as them getting an extra pick in the draft for “competitive balance”
The only financial knock on the Cardinals is their local tv deal.
Perhaps they make themselves top 10 value out of a small market because of being well ran and winning games. But who knows maybe cards fans would fill the seats even if they lose every year
Oh please! The Cardinals were 14th in revenue for 2022. Yes, being in a small media market does make them a small market team. The Cardinals do tend to make the most of their market. That doesn’t change the size of their market.
Winning is a small piece to the puzzle. Attendance wise, St Louis is a great place to catch a game. It’s in the city, within walking distance to the arch, hotels, dinning etc.
St Louis also has history in their side and they don’t share market media with other teams (Brewers and White Sox for instance have to share with the Cubs). St Louis’s nearest competitor is the Royals, 3 1/2 hours away and they are not pulling fans away, it’s the only baseball team close to Memphis and is in driving distance to Nashville as well. St Louis isn’t even that far of a train ride from Chicago.
St Louis’s history of success plays into their value but they are also a very well ran organization with a stranglehold on their market area.
Teams should take note (and have) how the Cardinals location and surrounding area plays into the overall fan experience. The baseball village with live music before each game, the location… being able to go to a game AND do something before and/or after the game helps brings fans to the game.
You’re implying the Cardinals are a lowly small market team “can’t spend like major markets” which is complete crap. They made slightly less than the Mets and the major reason for that is because their tv is garbage. We also know about the Cardinals not being forthcoming with their books. (Not implying that they should).
I’m not knocking the Cardinals at all, they are the standard on how to run a team. They spend fairly, not insanely. They take advantage of trading for and then extending Goldie, they took advantage of a desperate and horribly ran organization for Arenado, they constantly churn out players through their farm and they always seem to be able to move their “controllable young players” just before their wheels fall off.
It’s actually like the Cardinals have some type of witch craft going on, they rarely have players who develop into super star talent, you get guys like O’Neal who were monsters for a season, then suck, but it’s cool because you have Walker. Or Miller who was a stud and then moved, wheels fall off. Weaver was the exact same. The only team close right now, and it’s a smaller sample size, is the Astros.
None of what you said changes the size of the St. Louis market.
The Mets are a good example of a team that has been poorly run until now. They have greatly underperformed their market size. Cohen is trying to correct that. Winning isn’t the only thing he’s trying to do. He’s trying to expand his fan base so he can stop underperforming his market.
You keep proving my point by stating just how well the Cardinals make the most of their market size.
I’ll admit to being a critic of Mo. Obviously he has been good at his job, the results are undeniable. I have no issues with the club’s spending habits, or talent evaluation. My issues are more personality based. Mo cannot and will not admit to being wrong. He makes baseball moves that aren’t backed by baseball logic. He has built an organization deep enough in talent to cover these personal vendettas, but it is still frustrating to watch play out.
He and La Russa had a lot in common. It’s remarkable they coexisted as long as they did.
This Brewer fan is hoping he sticks around. At least we’ve had a chance recently!
The Cardinals ‘depth’ in starting pitchers, will be their downfall. They have no quality there, at all.
The position player depth will be used to solve the pitching quality issue at some point this year.
I think you’re overstating it but it’s true that what they really have is like 7 legit 3/4 starters.
Flaherty is the only one in the group who could be a real 1/2 but he hasn’t been that good in 4 years.
1 pt.
10 pts for first comment
3 pts for 2nd
1 pt. for all other comments
1 pt if you get a reply
2 pts if the reply is from a hater
5 pts if reply states they’ll mute you
50 pts if writer responds to ur wow question in chat
Wow!
Honorable mention
The Phillies have bigger problems than Bryce Harper. I just saw the Shazam movie and their stadium got messed up. A groundskeepers nightmare.
Haha. Nice. Philly is the new Fawcett City.
Spoilers! Just kidding, it was basically in the trailers
Send that clown Flaherty to single A and let woodford get some starts. Should have never given that clown arbitration in the first place if the dude stubs his toe he will complain that he can’t pitch for months absolute soyboy
Well thats the dumbest comment prize taken. Cobgratulations!
*Congratulations please learn how to spell before you call anyone else stupid
Conquackuwations
It’s a mallard.
Robert Stephenson has been mostly really good as a reliever. I’ll be interested to see how he does this season.
It’s a shame because both Hudson and Liberatore would be on the OD roster for several other teams. I’d probably guess somewhere around 8-10 teams could use them for sure. I know keeping depth is important, but trading at least one of them for a younger prospect or depth at another position makes more sense than just having them rot away in AAA
Dakota Hudson is one of the absolute worst starting pitchers in baseball. Last year, among 179 starters who threw 50 or more innings, his 5.14 strikeouts per 9 innings was the 3rd worst rate in the majors. And he also had a sky-high walk rate of 3.95 per 9 innings. In his “best” season of 2019 he led the league in walks with 86. He lucked into a shiny 16-7 W/L record and a 3.35 ERA in 2019, and he’ll never approach those numbers again.
Strikeouts are overrated. Good pitchers can get outs by getting weak contact. It’s also more efficient with pitch counts. You can get a groundout much quicker than a strikeout.
I do have to ask one question of you though. If you can see into the future as well as you think, why would you bother following baseball at all?
@hiflew I agree, but I’m curious how this changes with the removal of the shift. Strikeouts may be more valuable than ever.
Memphis has to be the favorite in AAA East with those two fronting their rotation
They also have a lot of MLB ready position players being blocked. I’ve been thinking it’s going to be a good year for the Memphis Redbirds.
The Memphis Redbirds are always good. It’s just that the players can’t cut it once they get to the major leagues. Get ready a disappointing season.