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Phillies Outlook '23
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Mark P
1:13
Time to talk Phillies!  Let's get to your questions.  I'm not saying that I'll favor questions with screen names of It's Always Sunny characters, but it can't hurt.
Steve l
1:13
Can you see the Phillys keeping Nola or replace him with another starting pitcher.
No La
1:13
Nola’s many years of good health is not a positive for me.  It only seems like he’s closer to finally breaking down.  Plus, he wasn’t nearly as good this year.  Lots of home runs.  Am I crazy to think that the best option is to let someone else overpay Aaron and then pursue Snell on a shorter deal, or Yamamoto on a mega deal.  Phillies also have a surplus in the OF for a possible trade.  Thx!
Mark P
1:15
The gap between the Phillies and Nola in their extension talks was pretty big, and I'm not sure if Nola's performance was necessarily enough to change the team's mind about offering him significantly more.

Now, Dombrowski did make a point of saying re-signing Nola was a priority, so even a priority might have a relative spending limit.  Ironically, the Phillies might let Nola go if another team offers "stupid money"
1:16
The qualifying offer would maybe be a factor as well.  If Nola leaves, the Phillies get an extra draft pick, which they might like given how they've surrendered so many other picks to sign QO free agents in recent years
Chris
1:16
With Nola potentially leaving, how likely is it the Phillies make a play for Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
Mark P
1:17
The Phillies are among the many teams known to have scouted Yamamoto, and he'd indeed look like a terrific long-term addition.  They'll certainly check in on him and stay involved in the market, if for no other reason than to not entirely focus on Nola (or another free agent MLB pitcher)
Guest
1:18
Well the philles make a big move
Mark P
1:18
This is a Dave Dombrowski team, so my guess is yes
twins fan
1:18
What are the odds that Rhys Hoskins re-signs in Philadelphia? Will they offer him a qualifying offer?
Frank Reynolds
1:18
Do you think that the Phillies retain Rhys Hoskins even after the injury that prevented him from playing in 2023?
Mark P
1:20
I touched on this in the outlook, but the timing of the QO probably factors in Philly's decision.  The qualifying offer has to be issued five days after the WS ends, and the player then had 10 days to decide.  So if Hoskins was issued the offer, I'm assuming he accepts, and then suddenly the Phillies have the 1B/DH/corner outfield spots all covered by mid-November.  

Not only does that limit any chance of going after Ohtani, but it cuts off a lot of flexibility the Phillies might have for other moves.
1:22
So could pass on a QO for Hoskins, then look to re-sign him on the open market.  Obviously a lot of teams will have interest in Hoskins on a one-year deal so it might not be easy for Philly
Rob
1:22
Will Rojas be the center fielder or do you think he goes back to the minor leagues to work on hitting
Mark P
1:23
Rojas will be a fourth outfielder at worst, as having his strong glove on the roster will be important on a team with at least two subpar fielders in the outfield
Amazin
1:24
Castellano+money+Top 15 Philly prospect for Bieber..who says no?
Mark P
1:25
It would have to be a prospect that the Guardians really like, since Castellanos is technically an upgrade for their struggling lineup, but his last two seasons have to give everyone pause.  Castellanos also doesn't fit the Guards' model of contact hitting.
Ohtani
1:26
Can't imagine Phillies will make a play with their current roster construction, right?
Mark P
1:27
They're less likely than most of the big-payroll teams, but Ohtani is such a special case that they'll certainly make some calls
Day Man Fighter of the Night Man
1:27
Closer will again be a question mark heading into the off-season, what options do the Fightins have whether it be in house, trade or open market?
Mark P
1:29
Alvarado is the obvious answer internally, but Alvarado also has so much value as a multi-inning relief guy that the Phils might prefer to keep in that role.  Soto pitching better in 2023 would've made this decision a lot easier, and Kerkering is still so inexperienced that it would be very risky making him a closer on a contender
Derek
1:29
Any chance we see Painter next season in September/October?
Mark P
1:30
After undergoing TJ surgery in July, Painter might be able to make it back before the end of next year, but it's a longshot.  The Phillies aren't going to rush things with such a valuable prospect, and it's a lot to ask for Painter to get through TJ recovery and then get into the big leagues for the first time as part of a late-season push
Den
1:31
Thanks for these chats! How much value does Castellanos have? If they move him then resigning Hoskins gets easier. Think that’s a possibility?
Mark P
1:33
Castellanos is owed $60MM over the next three years, he turns 32 in the spring, he is a minus on defense, and he's been only slightly more than a league-average bat the last two years.

In short, he doesn't have a lot of value, not without the Phillies eating a pretty good portion of that contract.  Dombrowski could maybe get creative with some kind of a bad contract swap, if the other team's "bad contract" isn't so bad by the Phillies' standards, or if it might address a need
Carlos
1:34
Will Phillies check in on Soto?
Mark P
1:35
No doubt.  This is another imperfect positional fit, but for a one-year splurge to get Juan Soto in a lineup, it might be worth it.  Harper probably wouldn't have an issue playing first base a season to get his old pal Soto on the roster.
Guest
1:36
Mark - Jordan Hicks - he fits the profile of recent RP signings for the Phillies. Do you think he will be a target, and what do you think Hicks would command on a 3 year deal? 6-7mm per season perhaps?
Mark P
1:37
Hicks makes a lot of sense for Philly, and I think he'll get considerably more than three years/$21MM based on upside alone.  Hicks will be a very popular target in general, particularly for any teams who miss out on Hader (or can't afford Hader)
Devito
1:37
Harper's decision to move back to RF will have big effect on what Phillies do..what's your thought?
Mark P
1:39
I think Harper would prefer to play right field in an ideal world, but he's also a competitive guy who wants to win.  If there's another move out there to help the club, or if it means Harper has to remain a primary first baseman for (perhaps just) 2024, I'd imagine he would be cool with that.
BTinVT
1:40
Do you think Sanchez is in their 2024 rotation plans? Thank you.
Mark P
1:40
He should be, he pitched quite well last year
Marky Mark
1:40
Is it OK to still ask what's on the playlist, even though this is not THEE GREAT WEEKEND CHAT?
Mark P
1:40
Because it's a Philly chat, I'm listening to the Roots
Sam
1:41
what do we think will be the Phillies most unexpected move this offseason?
Mark P
1:42
Not sure how "unexpected" it would be, but moving Bohm or Castellanos seems like a possibility to shake up the offense and improve the defense.

It occurs to me that moving them both in the same trade might be feasible, as having Bohm through his relatively inexpensive arb years could be some level of sweetener if another team is absorbing Castellanos' contract.  But even in that scenario, the Phillies still have to eat some money.
Sammy So-so
1:43
There's a real emotional attachment to Rhys Hoskins by Philadelphia players and fans, but it seems to me the wise decision considering roster configuration would be to let him walk. What do you think they should do? Thanks, MP.
Mark P
1:45
This is one of those tough decisions a PBO/GM often faces, since the right baseball move on paper isn't always the right move for your team when it comes to the "team" concept.  Obviously the Phillies are a veteran team with a lot of pros who know how the business works, but it'd still be a loss if Hoskins did leave, especially since the torn ACL meant that he couldn't even take part in a "final season"
John Everymanguy
1:46
Bryce Miller for Bryson Stott. It helps both teams - Phillies will have a rotation hole if Nola leaves and Mariners need a 2b.
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