• Ichiro Suzuki: 99.7%
• C.C Sabathia 86.8%
• Bill Wagner 82.5%

Billy the Kid is in! pic.twitter.com/KzUEGlaet9

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) January 21, 2025

Wagner played two seasons in Philadelphia (2004 and 2005), tallying 126 total innings and 59 saves. He logged a 1.86 ERA, 146 Ks, and a 240 ERA+ in his time in Philadelphia. The closer holds a career 2.31 ERA and 1,196 strikeouts across 16 seasons with the Astros,  Mets, Phillies, Braves, and Red Sox.

The biggest winner, besides these three players enshrined into Cooperstown, and maybe Carlos Beltran, is Chase Utley. Utley finished his second year on the ballot tallying 39.8% of the votes, an 11% increase from his first year. Utley was 6th on the ballot in most votes received this season. This is a fantastic sign for Utley’s chances to eventually join the Hall.

Jimmy Rollins saw just a 3.6% increase from last year, totaling 18% this year. Bobby Abreu finishes this year of voting at 19.5%, increasing 4.7% from last year’s voting.

Not the best results turnout for Rollins, but things can always change. This was the former Phillies shortstop’s 4th year on the ballot. All three of Utley, Rollins, and Abreu will return to the ballot next year.

I’d love to know who the one person was who didn’t vote for Ichiro, the guy who tallied 3,000 hits while not starting his Major League Baseball career until he was 27 years old.

Here are the final results:

The Hall of Fame voting results. #collect pic.twitter.com/O0qXeL5gX9

— BlowoutBuzz.com (@BlowoutBuzz) January 21, 2025

The post Billy Wagner Elected to Hall of Fame, Chase Utley Continues Upward in 2nd Year on Ballot appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The #Phillies are bringing Japanese right-hander Koyo Aoyagi, 31, to camp as a non-roster invitee. Nine-year veteran, three-time All-Star (2019, 2021-22) with the Hanshin Tigers. 61-47 with a 3.08 ERA in his career.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) January 18, 2025

The team announced Friday night that they signed Koyo Aoyagi to a minor-league contract with an invite to Spring Training.

Aoyagi, 31, has pitched in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League for nine seasons. He’s a 3-time all-star in the NPB and has a funky side-arm delivery:

Koyo Aoyagi’s stats with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB):

154 G | 898.1 IP | 810 H | 307 ER | 299 BB | 647 K | 3.08 ERA | 1.235 WHIPpic.twitter.com/a7ZWlojFLG

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) January 18, 2025

There’s still one more spot up for grabs in the Phillies bullpen. Aoyagi isn’t guaranteed that spot by any means, but what he brings to the table could put him in that spot. He’s an experienced pitcher in professional baseball, even if it wasn’t in the States. Right now, here’s where the Phillies bullpen stands…

• Matt Strahm
• Orion Kerkering
• Jordan Romano
• Jose Alvarado
• Jose Ruiz
• Joe Ross
• Tanner Banks
• (last spot up for grabs)

The player himself is one thing, but the Phillies finally landing a Japanese player is the biggest win of this entire situation. It’s hard to get Japanese players to play on the East Coast. The Phillies have finally landed their guy. They’ll give him a shot down in Clearwater and let him compete to be on the big league club.

In addition to the acquisition of Aoyagi, the Phillies acquired Dylan Campbell from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for international bonus pool money. Campbell was one of eight minor leaguers to finish the year with 20 doubles, 10 homers, and 40 stolen bases in 2024, per Baseball America.

If you hadn’t heard, #Phillies pitchers and catchers will hold their first workout in Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 12.

The team’s first full-squad workout is Feb. 17.

Grapefruit League opener is Feb. 22 vs. DET in Lakeland. Home opener is Feb. 23 vs. BAL at BayCare Ballpark.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) January 14, 2025

The post Phillies Sign Koyo Aoyagi to Minor-League Contract, Invite to Spring Training appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“It is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts”

– The Uecker Family pic.twitter.com/lggU2BdOSw

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) January 16, 2025

“Ueck” had been broadcasting for the Brewers since 1971, so more than 50 seasons in that role. Incredible. He’s basically their Harry Kalas or Merrill Reese, a legendary figure out in Wisconsin. He picked up the nickname “Mr. Baseball” from Johnny Carson, who frequently had him on his late night show.

Uecker was also a player himself, a backup catcher who spent two of his Major League seasons with the Phillies. He won the 1964 World Series with the Cardinals and when he retired he dabbled in comedy and acting in addition to radio play-by-play.

His role as broadcaster Harry Doyle in 1989’s Major League was hilarious, one of the best sports movies ever. He dropped a bunch of lines that made their way into pop culture. “Juuuuust a bit outside. He tried the corner and missed.” RIP Ueck.

Supercut of the best of Harry Doyle

RIP Bob Uecker pic.twitter.com/XcD7bmYRgQ

— McNeil (@Reflog_18) January 16, 2025

The post RIP Bob Uecker appeared first on Crossing Broad.

@3ryceharper

Blending in. #baristabryce

♬ original sound – Bryce Harper

This is now his fifth TikTok in as many days. He’s showing off the products he uses to make his lattes, doing a bag haul, and giving away his banana bread recipe. He’s a natural. Basically a tradwife except he can hit a baseball really really fucking far. This guy’s either posting a bunch of drafts he’s had tucked away before the app goes away or needs the offseason to end because he’s so bored.

But you can’t deny one thing and that is this guy gets views:

Time for brands to do the Phillies a solid and back up the BRINKS truck. Under Armour and  Gatorade are cute. Bryce is hankering for a raw milk and Bottega bag partnership. I mean look at that guy’s banana bread recipe and try to tell me Chiquita Bananas shouldn’t be knocking down his door with all of that CIA Guatemalan coup money! When he split the banana and put it on top of the bread I audibly gasped. What an advancement! I hope my mom was kicking herself when she saw this. All those years she made us banana bread she was cutting corners. The greats are great for a reason.

So now that Bryce is in his influencer era does that mean he still needs an extension? Last we heard, Scott Boras said he was still open to adding to his deal. Oh you don’t say? The rich want to get richer? Well, with a couple shekels here and a couple shekels there and his newfound TikTok fame, maybe the US extends the TikTok ban, Bryce joins the Creator Fund, Phillies fans keep watching his content and blow it up, and he gets paid. It’s a win-win. It’s how we don’t get strapped into paying a guy when he’s 45 years old $40+ million.

…this plan would’ve made a lot more sense if Dave Dombrowski decided to spend this offseason. Instead we’re walking it back with the same team and our best player looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks while making banana bread and vanilla lattes in his kitchen. This might be a cry for help.

The post Will Bryce Harper Still Need an Extension if He Starts Raking in Influencer Money? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Unfortunately, he reads too many negative troll comments and decides to pivot, ala Garth Brooks doing the Chris Gaines alter ego. We’re then introduced to a much darker Mr. Cupcake Man, which more or less bombs and results in Mark becoming a one-hit wonder.

The story is ridiculous in a good way, and one of my top three episodes of season 1, which is streaming now on Hulu. It also got me thinking about one-hit wonders in Philadelphia sports, so we did some crowd sourcing with readers to see if we could put together a comprehensive list. The criteria was basically boiled down to two things. One, the athlete was here for a few seasons, but only had one amazing year that was never replicated. Or, two, the player was only here for one single season, played well, and was never heard from again. In that sense, this can either be a positive one-hit wonder, or a negative one-hit wonder, depending on the situation. We organized this by team since the list was so long, and came close to 50 total players. If there’s anything totally egregious that we forgot, email me and I’ll add it to the list.

Eagles

• Patrick Robinson – The pick six will go down as one of the all-time great plays in Philadelphia Eagles history.
• Jay Ajayi – The mid-season trade that put the Birds over the top during the Super Bowl year.
• LeGarrette Blount – There are a number of guys from the 2017 team that could go on this list, but Blount, Ajayi, and Robinson are easily the top three.
• Travis Fulgham – Who could forget Fulghamania? He played one game for Denver in 2021 and that was his last NFL action.
• Terrell Owens – TO was here for two seasons, but only one was meaningful. We all know what happened afterward.
• Chris Jones  – Not the defensive tackle who wrecks shop for the Kansas City Chiefs, but the guy who caught 70 passes for more than 850 yards and five touchdowns back in 1996.
• Leonard Weaver – Went to the 2009 Pro Bowl and was becoming a fan favorite, then got hurt and only played one game the following year.
• Donte Stallworth – 725 yards and 5 scores for the 2006 team. Only Reggie Brown was better that year.
• Jeff Garcia – He’s it baby! That six-game run from 2006 was special.
• James Bradberry – The fact that he’s on this list is sad. Hopefully we don’t have to add Zach Baun to it.
• Kevin Curtis – Played here for three seasons, but that 2007 was a total outlier and he never came close to replicating it.
• Shawn Barber – This guy was a menace on the 2002 team. 93 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two picks, two forced fumbles.
• Walter Thurmond – A journeyman up until 2015, when he started all 16 games for the Birds. He then retired.
• Jason Babin – Largely a clown, there was a time when he went to the Pro Bowl with an 18-sack Eagles season.
• Bobby Hoying – We will always have that brief run of games from 1997 to fondly look back on.
• D’Andre Swift – 1,000 yards and a Pro Bowl during his only Philly season.
• Doug Pederson – Doug P? Yeah. His best NFL season, which admittedly was not great, was in 1999.
• Michael Bennett – Had himself a monster 2018.

Phillies

• Dom Brown – Let’s be honest, if this was a top-10 list instead of a larger thing, Dom Brown would be #1.
• Aaron Rowand – Proof that you don’t have to be a superstar to be respected here. Just put your body on the line making a hustle play.
• Hunter Pence – The guy hit .324 in that first half-season with the Phils.
• Benito Santiago – Feels like he played for every team in Major League Baseball, but in 1996 he knocked in 85 runs and hit 30 home runs.
• Pedro Martinez – Could have won another ring here if a few things went differently for the 2009 squad.
• Tadahito Iguchi – .803 OPS over 45 games in 2007. He might be more of a “cup of coffee” guy, but close enough.
• Scott Kingery – 2019 looked like a break out year for him, but unfortunately it was not.
• Matt Stairs – Only with the Phils for what amounted to one full year over two seasons, but boy did he leave an impact.
• Glenn Wilson – His only All Star season was here in 1985.
• Corey Dickerson – Only played 34 games, but posted a really nice .293/.307/.579 slash line.
• Kenny Lofton – People always forget about Kenny since he was 38 years old and near the end of his career, but he played well here in 2005.
• Geoff Jenkins – We’ll count him. Walked in here during his final MLB year, won a ring, and retired.
• Roger Connor – Gotta make sure we get someone from the 1800s on the list. According to Twitter user Matt Albertson, Connor posted a “6.3 WAR in 1892. Hall of Famer who spent most of his time with the Giants.”

Sixers

• Dana Barros – Barros was a good player who enjoyed a long career, but he was never better than 1994-1995, when he shot 46.4% from three and averaged a career-high 20.6 points per game.
• Michael Carter-Williams – A Rookie of the Year who became a Process casualty. A snapshot of the Sam Hinkie era.
• Jimmy Butler – Just know that his name is Jimmy, it is not James.
• Willie Burton – Another guy who had his best single season in Philadelphia. 15.3 PPG on the Dana Barros team that also included Clarence Weatherspoon, Shawn Bradley, and Sharone Wright.
• Jahlil Okafor – I’d walk over to Ukee Washington’s desk in 2015 and we’d watch Jah’s post moves. Alas, that was the pinnacle, we just didn’t know it at the time.
• (why are there not more Sixers on this list? surely we’re forgetting some obvious ones – EDIT: of course I missed Nic Batum)

Flyers

• Peter Forsberg – Only played one full season before he was traded, but what a season it was. 75 points in 60 games. He finished 12 points behind Simon Gagne for the team lead despite playing 12 fewer games.
• Ville Leino – Leino was a mid-season trade when the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup Finals about 15 years ago. He went on a playoff heater, then had a 53-point season the following year before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He played 93 regular season Flyers games and 30 in the postseason, but we collectively decided he fits the billing here.
• Jaromir Jagr – 54 points in 73 games. It’s no coincidence that some Flyers had their best seasons ever when Jagr was on the squad. He made everyone around him better.
• Greg Paslawski – “Mud” put up 33 points in his lone Flyers season and was never heard from again.
• Sean Walker – The most recent example, he was a rebuilding casualty and flipped for a 1st round pick.
• Matt Niskanen – Isn’t it kind of sad how quickly they fell after after he left?

Union

• Borek Dockal – The Czech international only spent one season in Chester, on loan from a Chinese club, but before he departed back to Europe, he scored five goals and chipped in 18 assists, which was #1 in Major League Soccer that season.
• Michael Orozco Fiscal – Back then, he was only Michael Orozco and hadn’t yet changed his name. He was a constant starter on the 2010 expansion team and a full U.S. international who had a nice career played mostly in Mexico.
• Gabriel Gomez – The best signing for the ill-fated 2012 Union team, he was a quality box-to-box player and veteran Panama international.
• Jeff Parke – One of the few veterans on the 2013 team, his presence in central defense put a young team right on the playoff doorstep.
• Oguchi Onyewu – Gooch finished his career with the Union and was a bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming 2017 team.
• Marco Fabian – Scored the first playoff winner in Union history despite playing a smaller role than we all expected.
• Veljko Paunovic – Fans didn’t like this midseason acquisition at first, but the “Old Serby Bastard” scored three goals and stepped into the starting lineup for the first Union playoff team ever.

“Cupcake man, I’m a cupcake man, look at me baby I’m a cupcake man. I’m a hot dog man, I’m a hot dog man, look at me baby I’m a hot dog man.”

The post In Honor of Mark Hoagies and Mr. Cupcake Man, Here’s the Ultimate List of One-Hit Wonders in Philadelphia Sports appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The big three names here are obvious. Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford.

Painter’s debut with the big-league club will happen at some point in 2025. Dave Dombrowski spoke to the media a few weeks back, stating that Painter will not pitch any live games this spring, but he will still be throwing bullpens and do off-field work. Painter is recovering from Tommy John surgery from the beginning of last season.

Miller is the most intriguing Phillies position-player prospect. He’s 20 years old and won’t turn 21 until June 9th. The Phillies’ 1st round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft is predicted to be the future of the infield, slashing .267/.375/.436 with an .811 OPS across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A the last two seasons. Miller hit .275 in 39 games in Low-A last season before being promoted.

Crawford isn’t far behind Miller in talent, and some believe Crawford will see the pros before Miller. While it’s not expected for Crawford to make his Major League debut in 2025, I wouldn’t rule anything out. If Crawford continues to fly through the minor leagues, the Phillies could try him in center late in the 2025 season if they truly think he’s ready. I repeat: don’t expect to see him, but at the same time, don’t rule a late-season test run out.

You won’t see a ton of these guys in the pros this year. One name that does stick out to me is Gabriel Rincones Jr. Just 23 years old, Rincones hit .273 in the AFL a few months  back and slashed .263/.357/.487 with an .843 OPS in Double-A last year. He’s got some power to the swing. He logged 59 hits in 224 ABs last year with 11 homers and 29 RBIs.

Nick Vespi, who signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies back on December 19th, is another name I’d look out for. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Vespi. He struggled in Triple-A last year, but did log a 2.92 ERA in 12.1 innings for the Orioles as well. Otto Kemp is another one to look out for. He had a dominant stint in this past Arizona Fall League season. He struggled in 13 AAA games last season, but tore the cover off of the baseball in Double-A.

The post Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller Highlight List of Phillies Non-Roster Spring Training Invitees appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Obviously that Center City plan is scrapped now, which adds the Sixers to the larger goal of revitalizing the stadium district by adding bars, restaurants, apartments, and all sorts of other stuff. These concepts were included in renderings Comcast put out last Summer, with a “Phase 1” focused on upgrades to Xfinity Live, a 5,000 seat concert venue, a hotel, new retail and restaurants, and an outdoor plaza. The Xfinity upgrades were set to be finished this year or early 2026, with everything else slated for 2028.

The Sixers’ pivot obviously changes things now. A new, larger indoor arena will be built over the next six years. Some people thought this was originally a leverage ploy and totally fake, but with HBSE reversing course in stunning fashion, it opens the door to move things forward.

If you’ve never been to The Battery, or seen pictures of it, it’s like a little village of shops and apartments and public spaces around the Braves’ ballpark. They built it right at the intersection of two major highways in I-75 and I-285, the latter of which circles Atlanta and features about 7 million cars on it throughout most of the day. This is a suburban development and there was some controversy when the Braves left downtown and decided to go out to Cobb County. If you’re not familiar with the area, the CliffsNotes is that Atlanta is more or less a glorified suburb where everyone drives.

Notably, Comcast became a Braves partner back in 2015, and they now have an office building right next to the ballpark, which serves as the Southeast Regional headquarters. The Cordish Companies operates a Live! venue down there, almost an exact copy of what they did with Xfinity here in Philly, and the still-relatively-new casino and hotel as well. There’s a music venue at the Battery operated by Live Nation, so it’s a familiar cast of characters and companies. You get the sense that they will replicate as much as possible here, the difference being mass transit access through the Broad Street Line and possible expansion into the Navy Yard, FDR Park, and Bellwether District.

There’s also this:

If you’re wondering why every American sports team wants to build a mixed-use development around its venue, “The Battery” earned the Atlanta Braves $59 million in revenue last year. It’s now the team’s 3rd largest revenue-generating category (+ growing 10% annually). Incredible. pic.twitter.com/4LgEiuhqOF

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 14, 2024

As you can see, The Battery doesn’t have a lot of surface-level parking. It’s mostly garages dotting the perimeter. Depending on what the Eagles decide to do, the tailgating scene in South Philly may never be the same. We can argue about that on social media later. With the Phillies involved, and the Sixers and Flyers now partnered, Jeffrey Lurie’s franchise is the last remaining holdout. Their lease at Lincoln Financial Field still has a little more than eight years remaining, so they will have to decide on their future sooner rather than later, as we’ve discussed in previous articles. Their decision will steer the developmental ship.

The biggest question is whether or not this is good for Philadelphia sports fans, and the answer depends on what you like and don’t like. If you enjoy driving down there, parking, tailgating, and going home, then a mixed-use development is not ideal. But if you want a different experience and think the current setup is lame, then you’ll enjoy this.

Here are some pics of The Battery from the firm NELSON Worldwide, which designed the project:

The post If it Wasn’t Obvious Before, Comcast and City Officials Want to Turn the South Philly Sports Complex into Atlanta’s Battery appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Per a source, Jeff Hoffman had a potential deal that was nixed when he failed a physical with the Braves’ medical staff. Hoffman also reportedly failed a physical with the Orioles before signing with the Blue Jays

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 13, 2025

If you haven’t been keeping up with the Jeff Hoffman drama the last few days, the former Phillies reliever had a 3-year, $40M deal on the table with the Orioles. Hoffman failed his physical with Baltimore due to an issue with his throwing shoulder, and Baltimore backed out of the deal. He’d eventually sign a 3-year, $30M deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

But before Hoffman failed his physical with Baltimore, he failed a physical with Atlanta as well, per Mark Bowman at MLB.com:

“Another source said the Braves’ deal with Hoffman would have been a five-year deal worth $45-48 million. The right-hander could have been given a chance to start before spending his final years of the deal as a reliever.” 

It’s been rumored all offseason that Jeff Hoffman wouldn’t be opposed to try and become a starting pitcher again. Hoffman started 50 combined games with the Rockies and Reds before coming to Philadelphia, logging a 5.64 ERA across 237.2 innings of starting ball with 47 home runs allowed.

With the way the reliever market has been this Winter, Hoffman had a chance to get a pretty nice payday, but this shoulder injury obviously held him back. In totality, it seems like he lost $10-$15 million.

Good on Dave Dombrowski for avoiding a new contract with Hoffman if something is clearly wrong with his shoulder, but thank god he’s not an Atlanta Brave.

The post Jeff Hoffman Nearly Signed With the Braves appeared first on Crossing Broad.

@3ryceharper

Do I make this a regular thing? #baristabryce #coffee

♬ original sound – Bryce Harper

This latte definitely just called me poor. Lions mane mushrooms in the beans. $20 Madagascar Vanilla Bean Maple Syrup. $11 dollar grass fed whole milk. Super special custom round ice trays like he’s got a Burger King ice dispenser in his kitchen. Apparently my K Cups are full of mold because they’re not organic. The life of the rich and famous.

Why the hell has a latte from Starbucks never looked like this? Have mercy:

Me after I watching the perfect pour and the extra foam fit perfectly in that cup:

We’re like a week from Bryce filing a trademark for a new coffee company called “B3aned Up”. If he opens a coffee shop in Fishtown we’re throwing hands.

P.S. Ngl I’m a little worried about this guy’s eyes. I’m not going to pretend like I understand the toll having three kids takes on your sleep schedule, but those eyes look like he’s harboring the stress of having to put the Phillies on his back this year. Jesus man. You gotta check those bags? Can someone introduce Bryce to Patrick Bateman’s morning skin routine?

The post Bryce Harper Just Gave us the Perfect Vanilla Latte Recipe Right Before the USA Nukes TikTok appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“Rollercoaster” is a good word for it. His rookie year with the Twins was a fairly impressive start, logging 93 hits in 113 games with a .734 OPS. His peak season was 2019, when he slashed .252/.336/.519 with 36 homers. But everything started to unravel after that.

He tallied just 37 homers the next three seasons, had a bounceback year in 2023, but struggled again last season, logging just a .682 OPS in 368 ABs. He’s ready for a fresh start, or, as he called it Thursday during his introductory media session, a “new chapter” –

“I’d even consider it a new chapter in my career,” Kepler said. “I’m excited, nervous, and I’d say a little anxious. It’s like walking into a new school on the first day.”

Kepler hasn’t known any city in the last 10 years other than Minneapolis. Philadelphia will be just the 2nd team that the 31-year-old has played for. The German-born outfielder started with the organization back in 2009, signing with the Twins for $800,000 after being identified by international scout Andy Johnson.

Phillies fans were a bit confused by the Kepler signing at first. The main hole before the signing was left field, a position Kepler has never played at the Major League level. He’s logged 7,363 innings in right, 1,236 in center, and 0 in left. But Kepler’s ready for the challenge:

“The only real thing is that there will be a lot more righties pulling the ball to left. Obviously, I’m just going to have to try to play the slice differently than in right. It’s really just flip-flopped. The last game I played left was in the minor leagues in High-A, which was a long time ago. I’m going out to Clearwater early, I’m going to be out in left as soon as I can get there. I’ll be tracking out here in LA as soon as I can get out there. I’m excited for it all. The outfield, to me, I always say…Center is the hardest,  I’m obviously a corner guy, and I’m very easily adjustable. I’m not worried about the transition to left. I’m ready to see how the park plays. I think I’ll actually be able to reach over the wall for once and rob homers now, opposed to that big right field wall in Minnesota.”

While the power comes in waves, the defensive metrics have always stood out the most in Kepler’s game. He leads all right fielders in Outs Above Average in right field since 2019, and it isn’t particularly close.

1. Max Kepler: 30
2. Jason Heyward: 17
3. Mookie Betts: 13
4. Brett Phillips: 12
5. Daulton Varsho: 11

Kepler hasn’t ever really gotten the chance against left-handed pitching. He touched on the Twins being a platoon-heavy team, especially last season, but he’s excited to be an everyday player for this Phillies team in 2025. While he didn’t get many at-bats, he hit .273 last season (77 ABs) with a .416 slugging percentage.

“I don’t view myself as someone who struggles against lefties,” Kepler explained. “Statwise, I fared better against lefties last year better than righties. We were stuck in a platoon situation last year, lefties didn’t get to see a ton of lefties, righties didn’t get to see a ton of righties.” 

Max Kepler said he plans to see Kevin Long before Spring Training to start working for the 2025 season.

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) January 9, 2025

There’s no better atmosphere during postseason baseball than Citizens Bank Park. Kepler, while he wasn’t there, got a taste of it this past October. He was in Philadelphia for surgery during the Mets series and wanted to attend the game.  He had it on TV, and his Mom asked if he wanted to go watch in person. Kepler, who said he was “definitely a little drugged up after surgery,” said it probably wasn’t the best idea to go to CBP in a non-sober mind in a wheelchair.

He wished he got to see it in person, but Kepler said he’s ready for the 2025 season to feel the crowd as a player on the good side.

“I just wanted to go to a team that was capable of winning…and capable of going all the way…It supplies me with raw energy and adrenaline to step on that field again.”

The post Max Kepler is Excited for “New Chapter” with Phillies appeared first on Crossing Broad.

• Jesus Luzardo: $6.225M
• Ranger Suarez: $8.8M
• Bryson Stott: $3.2M
• Brandon Marsh: $3M

Source: Jesús Luzardo, Phillies settle at $6.225 million, avoiding arbitration.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 9, 2025

Kinkead: EDIT – they’ve now also settled at $7.7 million with Alec Bohm, and $3 million with Edmundo Sosa, avoiding arbitration

Luzardo was acquired back on December 22nd, along with C Paul McIntosh, in exchange for Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. Luzardo was projected by Spotrac to make $8.6M 2025.

Luzardo will slot into an already-elite Phillies rotation that includes Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez, with Andrew Painter waiting in the wings down in AAA. Luzardo logged a 3.32 ERA with Miami in 2022 and a 3.58 ERA with 208 Ks in 2023.

No surprise here with Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott, and Ranger Suarez. Edmundo Sosa and Alec Bohm are the two remaining players that still need to agree if the two sides want to avoid an arbitration hearing.

I’ll update the story throughout the day once we hear more information.

The post Report: Phillies Agree on 2025 Contracts with Four Players (UPDATED) appeared first on Crossing Broad.

December marked the 15th anniversary of Crossing Broad, which began in the winter of 2009 with a post titled “Happy Halladays!” in which Kyle Scott wrote about the prize addition of Doc while lamenting the departure of Cliff Lee at the same time. It feels like a hundred years ago. Back then, Trent Cole was the Eagles’ sack leader, Joel Embiid was living in Cameroon, Blair Betts was a Flyer, and the Philadelphia Union had yet to play a game.

35,712 posts later, we’ve hit a milestone of sorts, reaching the same age as a high school freshman. But the site has more maturity than a 9th grader, depending on whom you ask. Long gone are the days of Morning Carts and the comments section, but we’ve grown site traffic and social media to levels that were once a pipe dream. The site has been acquired twice in five-figure transactions and the local colleges even ask us to come speak to the students, to impart our infinite wisdom among P.O.D.’s youth of the nation.

This all warrants something special to celebrate the anniversary, so what I am going to do is unload all of the merch I’ve accumulated over the years. All of it. This is everything I have from the various media games, gifts, and playoff promotions, basically everything that they give us but we feel slimy keeping for ourselves. I’ve unloaded some stuff for IASIP events, but kept about 90% of it and I am going to put it into a pot for a charity giveaway. What I have:

1. a limited-edition can of Jason Kelce “Legend Edition” Campbell’s Chunky Soup. The expiration date is February of 2025 so you’ll have about a month to eat it, or you can just dump it and keep the can and put it on your mantle.
2. Kyle Schwarber “Philly Standard” Yards merchandise – two t-shirts, size large, a patch, sticker, keychain, pin, and two free beer tickets.
3. a Major League Soccer X Apple TV scarf
4. an XL Adidas “Aeroready” jersey with MLS and Apple TV on the sleeve
5. a Philadelphia Union Bimbo-branded clear bag
6. Philadelphia Union training shorts, size L
7. a ONE Championship mixed martial arts longsleeve shirt, size L
8. a Philadelphia Union small pennant, water bottle, and Koozie
9. an Adidas x Philadelphia Union jacket, size L
10. an Adidas x Philadelphia Union training top, size L
11. MLS notebook
12. Premier Lacrosse League hat
13. Philadelphia Waterdogs: hat, t shirt, and crewneck, size M
14. a 9.14 Pictures Slayer-themed t shirt, size L
15. a Goal Zero phone power bank
16. a large 76ers patch, 6.5 inches by 6.5 inches
17. more random stickers, notebooks, koozies
18. two special-edition 76ers X Red Bull boxes with Red Bull glass and notebook, art by Glossblack

The stockpile is more than 25 items amounting to maybe $500 in retail value if I had to guess. But a lot of these things are limited edition or no edition, like they weren’t even available for purchase at all, so there’s an opportunity to snag some unique stuff here to add to your collection, or give out to friends and family.

Let’s keep it simple. All you have to do is click on this link and make a $10 donation (or more) to Manayunk’s Starfinder foundation, which runs soccer programs for underserved youth in the Philadelphia region. Screenshot the receipt, email it to me at k.kinkead@sportradar.com, and then I’ll put you in a drawing to win the entire pile of merch. We’ll give it about two weeks for people to jump in, then we’ll pull a name and declare the winner.

Sound good? Good. And thanks for supporting the website over the years. Thanks for all of the emails and DMs. Without readers, we’d all be learning how to code.

The post Crossing Broad’s 15th Anniversary Charity Giveaway appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Phillies have agreed to terms with right-hander Joe Ross to a one-year deal, sources tell @TheAthleticMLB.

Ross would fill a swingman role for the Phillies. He had a 3.77 ERA in 74 innings for Milwaukee last season.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) December 23, 2024

Ross, 31, has been a swingman his entire career. He’s appeared in 123 games throughout his seven years in the pros, with 86 of those games being starts. Ross is coming off a solid season with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he started 10 of 25 appearances and tallied a 3.77 ERA in 74 total innings.

Ross has succeeded at a way higher clip as a reliever, specifically last year. In 10 games as a starter, he logged a 4.98 ERA. In 15 games as a reliever, he tallied a 1.67 ERA. Opponents slugged .401 off of him as a starter with a .733 OPS, compared to just a .280 slugging percentage and a .575 OPS out of the bullpen. The back half of Ross’ season is what the Phillies are hoping carries over to the 2025 season. Ross had a 2.81 ERA in the 2nd half, compared to a 4.50 ERA in the 1st half of the season.

The price on Ross’ contract has not been named just yet, but the 31-year-old made $1.75M last season with Milwaukee. He’s now the third notable pitcher that the Phillies have acquired this offseason and the second pitcher that will most likely slot into the bullpen, alongside Jordan Romano.

Dave Dombrowski will speak with the media at 5:00 PM about the Jesus Luzardo and Joe Ross acquisitions.

Joe Ross’ 3.77 ERA in 2024 is nice, but diving into his splits intrigues me even more.

– He had a 1.67 ERA as a reliever compared to a 4.98 as a starter
– Hitters slashed just .226/.279/.331 against him away from American Family Field last year
– Ross had a 2.81 ERA in the 2nd…

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) December 23, 2024

The post Phillies Agree to One-Year Contract with Pitcher Joe Ross appeared first on Crossing Broad.

This offseason has featured a lot of “where is Dave Dombrowski?” on the timeline. The Kepler and Romano deals aren’t “flashy” ones. They’re risks on two guys who have had a lot of success in previous seasons, but injuries plagued their 2024 campaigns. The Luzardo trade is fantastic. Sure, I wanted Juan Soto like you did. I want Teoscar Hernandez playing left field at Citizens Bank Park next year. I want Tanner Scott in our bullpen. But the Phillies are in an interesting situation with their payroll at this moment.

So I ask you this… would you consider this offseason a “success?”

I think it’s fair to call it a toss up, but I lean success rather than failure.

It’s not a perfect offseason, and maybe you wouldn’t even consider it “great.” I still really hope the Phillies get one more bat, preferably a right-handed hitter. This lineup at the moment doesn’t stack up well against a team like the Dodgers; I think that’s obvious to everyone. Another bullpen arm would also be ideal. While I still think there are places to improve, I think we’ve gone a little too far this offseason in criticizing the roster.

I’ve really come around on the Kepler deal. You don’t need 30 home runs out of your 6-7 hole, which is probably where he will hit next season. But you need a threat, and Kepler is that when he’s on the field. He’s not the perfect baseball player; he’s not some All-MLB outfielder that’s going to be in the MVP race. But do you want to watch a Marsh/Rojas LF/CF experience for 162 games? Or would you rather take a chance on a guy who is a year removed from a 24-homer season with an .816 OPS? I know my answer:

• Kyle Schwarber
• Trea Turner
• Bryce Harper
• Nick Castellanos
• Alec Bohm
• JT Realmuto
• Max Kepler
• Bryson Stott
• Brandon Marsh / Johan Rojas

You can put those 9 guys in whatever order you want. That’s not really the point. There were a ton of reports that the Phillies wanted to “shake up” this lineup. I don’t think a shakeup would hurt them at all, but you don’t just change things to change things. Bohm, who has been the most rumored bat to leave this offseason, has been treated like he’s the worst player in the entire sport by many people. I’m not saying I haven’t said shop Bohm, because I absolutely have. But you don’t just dump a 100-RBI guy just to get rid of him, especially when he’s under team control for the next two seasons.

The Phillies, the front office, and fans are all going to have to look themselves in the mirror sooner rather than later and realize that the talent is good enough, but it’s up to the guys in the clubhouse to get the job done. They all talk about how bad they want the trophy. All of them want Red October. This lineup is capable of doing big things, but they have to do it at the right time. That lineup was good enough to get the job done last year, they just flat out crumbled when it mattered. Their approach was horrendous. It’s like they saw a ghost all throughout the NLDS. You need more timely contributions from veterans if you want that World Series trophy back in Philly.

Should the Phillies go after one more bat? Absolutely. I still think there’s a chance to continue to improve this lineup. But watching Twitter warriors sit back and say this lineup sucks and the World Series window is closed is insanely exhausting:

• Zack Wheeler
• Aaron Nola
• Cristopher Sanchez
• Jesus Luzardo
• Ranger Suarez
• Andrew Painter (soon)

That is just nasty. Combine stuff, durability, past playoff performances, and potential, and this is the best rotation in baseball. I’ve heard a lot of Dodgers this, Dodgers that over the last 48 hours. Once the LA pitching staff stays on the field for a full season, they can have the “best rotation in baseball” crown. Does a World Series mean more than having the best rotation in baseball? Absolutely, no doubt. But if you put these rotations up against each other, I’ll take the Phillies all seven days of the week.

The Phillies have never had more versatility in their starting rotation throughout the Bryce Harper era than they do now. You have two workhorse righties at the top with Wheeler and Nola. You have an emerging star in Cristopher Sanchez. Luzardo is just 27 years old and is one of the best lefties in baseball when he’s healthy. We all know what Ranger Suarez is capable of, and the switch that flips when he gets into October. I haven’t even mentioned Andrew Painter yet!

Now to this:

• Matt Strahm
• Jordan Romano
• Jose Alvarado
• Orion Kerkering
• Jose Ruiz
• Tanner Banks

This is where I think things get a little dicey. You always have that guy from the minors come up at some point in the season and become a surprise. Matt Strahm is still a fantastic reliever. I’m very excited for the Romano addition. Orion Kerkering is only getting better. Jose Alvarado is great at times, but we know the rollercoaster that comes with his outings, and his 2024 wasn’t good enough.

I still really need one more reliever. If the Carlos Estevez “sweepstakes” continue for another month or so, the Phillies should try and land him back on a one-year deal. I think signing Jeff Hoffman is getting less and less likely as the days go on, especially after the addition of Kepler to the payroll. Could Dombrowski still make some magic happen and find a way to get Hoffman back? Absolutely, but it seems like Hoffman is going to get some serious money this offseason, and I don’t expect the Phillies to be in the driver’s seat of that bidding war.

If Suarez stays for the entire 2025 season, one of your starting pitchers will be coming out of the bullpen. The Phillies have made it known in the past that they don’t love the 6-man rotation. Could Suarez be inserted into the bullpen once Painter is up? Could throwing Andrew Painter in the bullpen just for 2025 be a way to limit his innings, like they already said they’re planning on doing? Both are on the table for me.

Do the Phillies stack up with the Dodgers right now as a whole? No, just like the other 28 teams in baseball don’t either. But looking at this offseason as a whole, I wouldn’t call this a failure. I’d still love one more reliever and one more bat, I think everyone would. If you have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, it eventually comes down to the players in-house getting the job done. Am I 100% confident that they’ll do that? No. But you’ve acquired three players that could make a serious impact on your baseball team in 2025, and there could (and should) be another move or two coming. Being able to say that before the new year isn’t the case for many teams across the sport.

The post Is this Phillies Offseason a “Success” So Far? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

In addition to Luzardo, Phillies are getting minor-league catcher Paul McIntosh from Marlins, sources said. Full trade: Luzardo and McIntosh for Caba and Boyd.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) December 22, 2024

The Phillies will be sending #4 prospect Starlyn Caba and their 23rd-ranked prospect Emaarion Boyd to Miami. In addition to Luzardo, the Phillies have also acquired minor-league catcher Paul McIntosh.

Dave Dombrowski is doubling down on pitching this offseason. He’s been in the market for a handful of guys, including Garrett Crochet and Brady Singer, and he finally lands his guy.

Luzardo, who’s just 27 years old, was hurt in 2024, throwing just 12 starts. 2022 and 2023 were Luzardo’s breakout years. He tallied a 3.32 ERA in ’22 with 120 strikeouts in 100 innings, and logged 208 Ks in 178.2 innings in 2023.

He’s under team control through the 2026 season.

In an offseason that’s been a bit of a question mark, Dombrowski continues to stress the importance of pitching. The Phillies, who already had one of the best rotations in the league last season, just solidified themselves with the best rotation in baseball heading into 2025.

• Zack Wheeler
• Aaron Nola
• Cristopher Sanchez
• Jesus Luzardo
• Ranger Suarez
• Andrew Painter (when he’s ready)

This is truly an awesome trade for the Phillies. If Luzardo is any bit of his 2022-2023 self, this trade will be highway robbery in no time. Caba was still almost 3 years away from the pros.

If the Phillies aren’t going to go big in the hitting market, they need to load up on pitching, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. Having the decision of Suarez or Luzardo to be your 4th starter is an unbelievable problem to have.

Luzardo thrives off of his 4-pitch mix. A 4-seam fastball, his slider, which he throws 29% of the time, a changeup, and a sinker.

Kinkead: remember when rolling out the 5th starter was a Doc Rivers-inspired “schedule loss”? not anymore

The post Phillies Acquire Left-Handed Starter Jesus Luzardo appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Sources telling @feinsand and me that the #Phillies and OF Max Kepler are working on a one-year deal, pending a physical. Kepler, 31, has spent entire 10-year career with the Twins.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) December 20, 2024

Kepler, 31, has spent all 10 career seasons in Minnesota with the Twins. His best season came in 2019, when he put his name on the map by crushing 36 home runs, 90 RBIs, and logging a 123 OPS+.

Everything since that has been pretty meh. His batting average stayed under .230 from 2020-2022. He had a bounceback year in 2023, slashing .260/.332/.484 with an .816 OPS, but dealt with injuries in 2024 and logged just 8 homers in 399 PAs.

I’m intrigued by the signing and upside of the bat itself, but the fit confuses me at this point. Max Kepler has played 7,363 innings in right field, 1,126.1 innings in centerfield, and zero career innings in left field.

The Kepler signing screams to me that something else is coming. I’d be shocked if their plan is to run Kepler in left in his age 31 season for the first time in his career. Granted, he’s been an unbelievable defender throughout those 10 years, so the Phillies might think a transition would work. Nick Castellanos could potentially move to left field, but he’s only played 99 career innings on the left side.

The Phillies are floating around that third surcharge, which would give them a 110% tax on all overages. Tim Kelly did a great job of outlining where the Phillies stand in his most recent article.

It doesn’t seem like Dave Dombrowski wants to go over that third tax, but just adding Max Kepler to an outfield that struggled in 2024 would be underwhelming. I like the bat, I like the upside, but it feels to me like there’s a missing piece to this story right now. Is there a trade coming? I think that’s absolutely on the table. It feels like they could try to dump a big salary to open up money. Castellanos is a name that’s been in trade rumors this offseason.

This move also doesn’t help the chances of Jeff Hoffman’s return to Philadelphia. Hoffman is going to make big reliever money. The Phillies don’t necessarily have that right now if their plan is to stay under the third surcharge.

The post Phillies Sign Max Kepler… What’s Next? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

 

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“The promotion was too successful so we cancelled it.” This is coming from the same organization who wants to squeeze every last dollar out of you. Remember the Commemorative NLDS Ticket email before the wounds even healed? If you think one of the reasons the Phillies cancelled DDN because it was “too successful” I got beachfront property in Idaho I’d like to sell you. They freaked out because Phillies fans throwing hot dogs made national headlines and some goofy season ticket holders complained. The same season ticket holders that abandoned you during the playoff drought and will abandon you again when the team stinks. And the second the Phillies start to stink again they’ll bring Dollar Dog Night back. They might even bring it back this year the way free agency is going.

Man you can tell the suits really hammer “family friendly environment” to their employees, huh?  I counted three times this dude said it in a 49 second clip. It’s ironic they love to shove that phrase down our throats, but also embrace the “Red October”, “Four Hours of Hell”, and “Bedlam at the Bank” mantra because they can slap it on a t-shirt and hawk more merch in their now expanded team store.

And I’m not getting on this dude. He’s the lamb being sent to slaughter. You couldn’t pass the buck faster than this guy did. The problem I’ve always had is that it felt like the Phillies tried to pass the blame rather than fix it. They cite “unruly behavior” and long lines. It’s the Tim Robinson “We’re all trying to find the guy who did this!” meme. It was a couple people throwing hot dogs. Why punish the entire fanbase? The lines were too crowded? Well figure out a better system. They were the ones who stopped taking cash so transactions became longer and they didn’t deploy enough hot dog guys around the concourse. They put in a limit of four per transaction. Maybe it should’ve been two. Maybe there needed to be more than three per season. The Astros have one every Tuesday home game and they are consistently top-5 in attendance. Aramark is perfectly fine with hiring people when their workers go on strike why not just bring in extra reinforcements when you know there is a DDN? I’m a solutions guy. Feels like we need a couple in the Phillies’ org.

Instead it felt like they were looking for any reason to cancel the promotion and got a gift when fans started throwing them to a guy who wanted to set his hot dog PR. And now it’s led to a BOGO Night and the Mets enjoying your ex-girlfriend:

DOLLAR HOT DOG NIGHT – April 30

https://t.co/ubkH7NThRk pic.twitter.com/ESVgjnzr5Y

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 22, 2024

The post The Phillies Can’t Wait to Bring Back Dollar Dog Night the Second They Suck Again appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Deal would indeed be 3-for-1: Tucker for Paredes, Wesneski and Smith.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2024

So the Cubs shipped out their All Star third baseman, who will be a really nice fit for Minute Maid Park. They also moved the former Yankees prospect, Wesneski, and a prospect of their own in Smith. Good deal? Bad deal? It really hinges on what happens with Tucker after this season. He only has the one year remaining on his current deal, so Chicago will have to get a new one done.

It was reported earlier by Jim Bowden that the Astros rejected a Phillies trade offer of Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos for Tucker. No Juan Soto, which seemed like a long shot to begin with, no Garrett Crochet, no Devin Williams, and no Kyle Tucker either. The Phils added Jordan Romano on a one-year deal but nothing beyond that. You can sense that the lack of activity has the natives becoming restless. We’re waiting for Dave Dombrowski to do something, anything.

The post Kyle Tucker Will Not be a Phillie, or a Yankee appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Dave Dombrowski reportedly offered Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos for Kyle Tucker.

“2 for 1, and was turned down”

–@JimBowdenGM

pic.twitter.com/pxpLN0rPiw

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) December 13, 2024

That audio is Jim Bowden and Steve Phillips on MLB Network Radio.

Here’s the full quote:

 “Dave Dombrowski made that offer. He offered Castellanos and Bohm for Tucker…2 for 1, and was turned down. The Astros don’t like Bohm defensively.I know that Rob Thomson told us at the Winter Meetings that he thinks he’s a good defender and has gotten better…the metrics were in his favor this year…and Rob Thomson told us that as well, but the Astros evaluation is different. They don’t view him there as a third baseman. And Castellanos is a guy that chases out of the zone, he’s older, he’s inconsistent, but he gets big hits. You have to ask yourself, would you do Bohm and Castellanos for a year of Tucker?” 

There were nuggets all over the place from Bowden and Phillips throughout this time on the air regarding Tucker. They talked about Seiya Suzuki and his no-trade clause, and it seems as though he won’t waive it to go to Houston. The Yankees are also reportedly a little hesitant to give away Luis Gil in a Tucker package.

New York has to be scared of another Soto situation. Tucker is set to hit the free agent market after the 2025 season, and there may have not been a bigger winner in the Soto sweepstakes than Tucker himself. Tucker will probably make north of $400 million following next season. How much is the right amount to trade away for a guy that you potentially only get one season of?

Whatever team gets Tucker is getting a superstar. The 27-year-old slashed .289/.408/.585 in 78 games in 2024 with 23 HRs, 49 RBIs, and a 4.7 WAR. Tucker’s WAR would be good for 2nd out of all Phillies position players, and he only played half of a season. His OPS+ hasn’t dipped below 129 since 2020. He finished 2024 with a .993 OPS while also swiping 11 bags. He hit into just five double plays in 78 games.

I’m all in on Kyle Tucker. If the Phillies are going to make a huge move this offseason, this is certainly the one I want it to be. But it seems like Dombrowski is going to have to up his offer if he wants any chance of Tucker in red pinstripes on March 27th.

The post Astros Reportedly Declined a Phillies Offer for Kyle Tucker appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Juan Soto. New York Met. pic.twitter.com/EleJZD3aek

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) December 12, 2024

Juan Soto looking awesome in pinstripes for the rest of his career. pic.twitter.com/hDeuNShewC

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) December 12, 2024

Oh Kyle you’re being ridiculous. He’s got two months and then the entire Spring Training to get in shape? 

Oh yea? Everyone knows after 25 your body is cooked. You can’t bounce back like you used to. Beer pitchers and a late night Cheesy Gordita, Chicken Quesadilla, Nacho Supreme and a Beefy Layer Burrito order start to catch up. Hangovers get worse. Last time I checked Soto is 26. This dude officially has an expiration date stamped on him. Look at these buttons holding on for dear life!

Juan Soto and the Cohens pic.twitter.com/FeH3Z3oCtv

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) December 12, 2024

It’s going to be hard for Juando Sandoval to catch up to a Zack Wheeler four seamer while his man boobs are in the the way. Juando shouldn’t have the same body as me. He’s sucking in like I do when I’m trying to fit into a dress shirt my first wedding back after winter:

And whose idea was it to dress a fat guy in a turtleneck? Must’ve been like fitting a watermelon through a garden hose.

Look at him clawing at it just so he can breathe:

Juan Soto, welcome to Queens pic.twitter.com/SLubkomVed

— MLB (@MLB) December 12, 2024

I can tell his A1C’s are off. He’s probably pre-diabetic. If he doesn’t lose a foot in Queens then 15 years of bodegas and 24-hour diners are going to have him looking like Chris Christie in the NYPD game:

Juan Soto leading off in 2030 pic.twitter.com/R42YF2DUjc

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) December 12, 2024

UPDATE: Every photo continues to get worse and worse! He’s fat as shit!

Alright it’s not even a joke at this point. Every picture he looks worse and worse. Juando Sandoval is FAT! pic.twitter.com/KGI9Dnv7s4

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) December 13, 2024

The post Juan Soto Looks Fat appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The White Sox are receiving four of the Red Sox top 14 prospects based on @MLBPipeline‘s rankings for Garrett Crochet. pic.twitter.com/pwMttCLu5C

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 11, 2024

Information on the Phillies’ trade packages was shared on Wednesday night.

An article from Matt Gelb of The Athletic states that the Phillies were willing to send Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford to the White Sox in exchange for Crochet, but not Andrew Painter:

“Multiple major-league sources portrayed the Phillies and White Sox as near trade partners in July. At one point, sometime close to the July 30 trade deadline, the Phillies upped their offer to acquire Crochet by including Aidan Miller along with Justin Crawford and lower-level prospects, according to the sources.

Those talks never culminated in an agreement. The Phillies believed they had satisfied Chicago’s stipulation for two top-100 prospects. The White Sox, who had insisted on top pitching prospect Andrew Painter’s inclusion, pushed back. There was no deal. The Phillies, who envisioned the 25-year-old Crochet as a powerful top-of-the-rotation presence for years to come, were disappointed.

But they never offered Miller and Crawford together this offseason when discussing scenarios with the White Sox, according to league sources.” 

The package the Red Sox sent to Chicago for Garrett Crochet Wednesday afternoon was hefty. All four of those players are among the top 14 prospects in the entire Red Sox organization. Kyle Teel was the 25th-ranked prospect in all of baseball and the 3rd-ranked catcher, according to MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects. Braedan Montgomery was the 2nd ranked outfielder in the Red Sox organization.

This is the first time that we’ve heard Aidan Miller’s name brought up in trade talks. The situations are different when comparing the trade deadline to the offseason. One of the bigger reasons that talks started to diminish was the loss of a year of control over Crochet. If the Phillies traded for the lefty at the deadline, they’d have him for three postseason runs. Now, they would’ve had him under contract for just two.

What’s telling about this quote from Gelb is that the Phillies never put Miller and Crawford in the same package, which I agree with. If there are three guys to choose from that could be the future of this baseball team, it’s Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford. It’s not smart to throw two of those three in the same package for a left-handed starter who’s never pitched a big game in his career. Not wanting to do this deal doesn’t make the Phillies prospect hoarders. We can sit here and say trade everyone all we want, but they have to think about the future simultaneously.

The Phillies value these three prospects at a very, very high level. It seems to me that teams aren’t valuing Justin Crawford as high as the Phillies themselves. But if a deal for Kyle Tucker miraculously gets done, at least one of these three will certainly be on their way to Houston.

Here’s Gelb’s full story:

Last July, the Phillies thought they had the workings for a Garrett Crochet deal when they upped their prospect package at the trade deadline. But they never budged on Andrew Painter, and Crochet slipped away to Boston. Story: https://t.co/ZYWbCtCjgr

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) December 11, 2024

The post Phillies Reportedly Included Aidan Miller in Trade for Garrett Crochet, Not Andrew Painter appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“More and more, it is appearing as if the Astros are open to trading Kyle Tucker and the Yankees are among the teams most seriously pursuing the star outfielder, The Post has learned.

The Yankees, though, might not be the most determined pursuer of Tucker as the Winter Meetings neared an end. The Cubs are seen as a strong player for the lefty-swinger and the Giants are also involved in talks with the Astros.

The Phillies also had been among the teams that at least inquired and tried to find a package that would work with the Astros…The Astros are prioritizing major league-ready corner infielders and starting pitching if they move Tucker.” 

Astros GM Dana Brown said Tuesday that the Astros are willing to listen to teams on trade offers for both Tucker and Framber Valdez, who are set to make a combined $35.5M in 2025. After a “down year” for Houston, they’ve started to enter a re-tool phase, and both Tucker and Valdez could bring back some hefty packages to set up the future.

The Phillies should be all in on Kyle Tucker.

He’s a free agent after this season, and is set up for a huge contract in 2026. Tucker slashed .289/.408/.585 in 2024 with 23 HRs, 49 RBIs, and a 181 OPS+ in 78 games in 2024. The right fielder dealt with a shin fracture for 3 months and was sidelined, but in the 78 games that he was on the field, he accumulated a 4.7 WAR.

Kyle Tucker accumulated a 4.7 WAR in 78 games with the Astros in 2024.

Only Bryce Harper (4.8) and Zack Wheeler (6.1) had a higher WAR on the current Phillies roster, and it took them a full season.

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) December 11, 2024

Nobody was a bigger winner from the Juan Soto contract than Tucker. The 27-year-old will earn a massive contract following the 2025 season. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suarez will all be off of the books after this upcoming season. I’d assume the Phillies are interested in bringing Schwarber back, but there will be more money to work with next offseason than this one. If Tucker were to be traded to the Phillies and has a Tucker-like year, letting him walk after the 2025 season wouldn’t go over too well with the city of Philadelphia. If the Phillies made this trade, I’d assume they’d have all the intentions of re-signing him to a mega deal after 2025.

The Astros, as Sherman stated, are looking for “major league-ready corner infielders and starting pitching” in a returning package for Tucker. Alec Bohm and Ranger Suarez have arguably been the two biggest names regarding trade rumors this offseason, so if the Phillies were serious about this, their package could start there. A prospect or two would most certainly be thrown in as well.

I thought the fit for Tucker in the Bronx made sense for the Yankees, and now that Soto is gone, it feels like Tucker is bound to be a Yankee. But the Phillies interest in Tucker is huge news. This is one of the first big bats we’ve heard the Phillies’ name linked to this offseason.

Get it done, Dave.

The post Report: Phillies “Inquired” on Astros Slugger Kyle Tucker appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Closer Jordan Romano and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a free agent contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Romano, 31, was nontendered by Toronto earlier this offseason and joins a Phillies bullpen that lost Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to free agency.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024

Romano, 31, is coming off the worst season of his career. He made just 15 appearances in 2024, then was sent to the IL in the beginning of July and would later have an arthroscopic procedure on his right elbow. Romano attempted to make a return at the end of the season, but Toronto shut him down.

The Phillies are hoping they signed the 2020-2023 version of Romano. When healthy, he’s been unbelievable. Romano has logged 105 saves since 2020, and 95 from 2021-2023:

• 2020: 1.23 ERA in 15 games
• 2021: 2.14 ERA in 62 games
• 2022: 2.11 ERA in 63 games
• 2023: 2.90 ERA in 59 games

I fully trust Caleb Cotham to get Romano back to his old self coming off surgery. We’ve seen the levels that Cotham has taken Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Jose Ruiz, and more.

This can’t be the only bullpen move for the Phillies. Dave Dombrowski said a few weeks back that there’s a chance they’d only replace Hoffman/Estevez with one guy, but Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that the Phillies are still interested in a Hoffman reunion. We don’t know the price of Romano’s contract just yet. Ken Rosenthal reported that it’s above Romano’s projected arbitration number of $7.75M, but Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting $7.75M.

I like this move a lot. Romano is in the top tier of backend relievers when he’s healthy. Get the arm back to where it was and this has the potential to be one of the best contracts in the league.

The post Phillies Sign Jordan Romano to One-Year Deal appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Roki Sasaski is now expected to sign with an #MLB team between January 15-23rd. #Padres #Mets #Yankees #RedSox #Rays #Cubs #Dodgers #Phillies among the teams in the mix. Potential income from endorsements, chances to win & pitching development will be 3 key factors in his…

— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) December 9, 2024

The 23-year-old Japanese phenomenon is one of the best starting pitchers on the market. Sasaki has been a workhorse in the Japanese Pacific League for the last three years. He posted a 2.02 ERA in 20 games in 2022, a 1.78 ERA in 15 games in 2023, and a 2.35 ERA in 18 games in 2024. He struck out 437 batters in 331.1 innings the last three seasons while walking just 72. He had a 12.0 K9 in 2022, 13.4 in 2023, and 10.5 in 2024.

The Phillies are not the favorites to land Sasaki at all. The Dodgers and the Padres have that crown, due to their location. But I continue to stress how deep in the pitching market the Phillies are. We’ve now gotten rumors on Blake Snell, Garrett Crochet, Sasaki, and more. It’s blatantly obvious that Dave Dombrowski is continuing to look to improve his already-elite rotation.

It’s going to be hard for an East Coast team to land a Japanese player like Sasaki; but the Phillies have now shown two years in a row that they are going to continue to try and build their relationship with the Japanese Baseball League and Japanese players. They reportedly offered a $325M contract to Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year before he signed with the Dodgers. Will they land Sasaki? Probably not. But it’s good to see them in the market for these players.

Sasaki was posted this morning. A team has until January 23rd to sign him. The closed period begins on December 15th and ends on January 15th. Sasaki plans to wait until the 2025 international amateur signing period starts on the 1/15, per Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com.

Jonathan Mayo, also of MLB.com, added this:

“Sasaki is subject to international bonus pool money restrictions, as he’s under 25 and has less than six seasons of service time in a foreign league recognized by MLB. So we won’t be seeing a Yamamoto type of deal here (12 years, $325 million). This is similar to when Ohtani came here in 2017, when he received a bonus of $2.3 million from the Angels”

The post Phillies Reportedly Among Teams “in the Mix” for Roki Sasaki appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Dick Allen’s family reacts to his induction to the Hall of Fame pic.twitter.com/K6ia70P95F

— James Fegan (@JRFegan) December 9, 2024

Allen is one of the most underrated players in the history of the game, and it’s awesome that he’s finally getting the recognition that he deserves. Allen won a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and was elected to the All-Star Game 7 times. He accumulated a 58.7 WAR across 15 seasons, and a 35.4 WAR in 9 years with the Phillies. Allen slashed .290/.371/.530 in Philly with 204 home runs, 655 RBIs, 86 stolen bases, and a career .902 OPS. Across his entire career, he hit .292 with a .912 OPS and a 156 OPS+.

It says a lot about Dick Allen when you see how many people have campaigned for him, especially this year. Legends all across the sport insisted that Allen deserved his spot in Cooperstown, and now he has it.

“I am overjoyed that the Classic Baseball Era Committee has recognized that Dick is worthy of being immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said John Middleton in a statement. “It has been a long time coming. The Phillies look forward to celebrating this honor with Dick’s family.”

Dick Allen’s number was retired by the Phillies back in 2020. At the time, Allen was the only Phillie to have his number retired that was not in the Hall of Fame. The Phillies honored honored him in 2020, and he passed away on December 7th of that year at the age of 78 after battling cancer.

“What a tremendous, well-deserved honor for my friend Dick who has always been a Hall of Famer to me,” said Larry Bowa. “He meant so much to the Phillies organization throughout the years. His experience and leadership were instrumental in the development of players like Schmidt, Bob Boone, Greg Luzinski, Gary Maddox and myself. He taught me how to play the game the right way. I am elated that he is finally going into the Hall of Fame.”

The voting results from the 16 members of the Classic Baseball Era Committee election today (12 needed for election):

Dave Parker 14
Dick Allen 13
Tommy John 7

Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris and Luis Tiant fewer than 5 votes.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 9, 2024

The post Dick Allen Finally Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm has been the most popular named linked to the Mariners in trade speculation early in the offseason.

In initial trade talks between the two clubs, the Phillies asked for one of the Mariners’ top pitchers — Logan Gilbert or George Kirby — in exchange for Bohm, a source with knowledge of the discussions said.”

The Mariners had arguably the best pitching staff in baseball last year, finishing 1st in the American League in ERA, 4th in Ks, and 1st in all of baseball in WHIP. Gilbert and Kirby were two massive pieces in that Mariners rotation that also consisted of Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, and Bryan Woo.

If Dombrowski thinks he’s getting any sort of Bohm swap for one of these two guys, he’s out of his mind. But it’s pretty telling how much we’ve heard about starting pitching this offseason, whether it’s Gilbert/Kirby, Garrett Crochet, Blake Snell rumors, and more. It’s obvious that Dombrowski wants to continue to bolster this starting rotation that was already great last season.

Kirby, 26, tallied a 14-11 record with a 3.53 ERA with 179 Ks. Gilbert, a 27-year-old strikeout machine, fanned 220 batters with a 3.23 ERA and an 0.89 WHIP in 33 starts while being selected to his first All-Star Game. Gilbert is under team control through the 2027 season, while Kirby is under control through 2028.

Mariners President of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, made it clear that Seattle doesn’t want to break up this elite starting rotation. But the Mariners need bats if they want to seriously push for a title. One of these guys might have to go to get a serious threat that upgrades their team.

Seattle already parted ways with Josh Rojas, their 3rd baseman, after a disappointing year at the plate. Rojas hit .225 with just 31 RBIs and a .641 OPS in 142 games.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Mariners and Phillies get brought up together this week. David Schoenfield of ESPN, in an article with Kiley McDaniel, suggested a potential Bohm swap for Luis Castillo, who is still owed $72M over the next 3 seasons.

I’d be shocked if any 3 of these potential deals (Gilbert, Kirby, Castillo) didn’t require the Phillies to tag another prospect along with Bohm. But if they are serious about continuing to upgrade this rotation, George Kirby or Logan Gilbert would be an awesome addition.

The post Report: Phillies Asked for Starting Pitching in Alec Bohm Talks with Mariners appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Phillies never met with Juan Soto and are not among the teams who have made an offer to the star outfielder. More on the Soto sweepstakes in this @TheAthleticMLB story: https://t.co/xeyoXZ9yNZ

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) December 4, 2024

It’s pretty disappointing to see this, no matter what you thought the Phillies’ chances were to land the superstar outfielder. A meeting can’t hurt, and whether it’s Soto’s camp who didn’t want it, or the Phillies hesitation to meet with him, you wish they would’ve at least given it a shot.

The Phillies were always unfortunately a longshot for Soto. Although the connections are there, the teams on the market seem to be pushing insanely hard. The Mets, Yankees, and Blue Jays are all serious about signing Soto as of now, the Dodgers reportedly sent an offer, and the Red Sox have emerged as a serious threat to land the outfielder.

The best case scenario at this point for the Phillies would be Soto going to the Red Sox. We obviously don’t want Soto playing for the Mets or Dodgers for the next 10 years. And who wants to see the Yankees succeed? Not me.

The contract will exceed $600M, according to Rosenthal and other reporters. The talk of the offseason has been that Steve Cohen will outbid anyone, but a difference in a few million probably won’t matter for Soto. He wants to win, and he wants to be the face of a franchise, while still getting paid a hefty chunk of money.

The expectation, according to Rosenthal, is that Soto will sign at some point during the Winter Meetings, which begin on Monday, December 9th.

The Phillies not sending an offer doesn’t mean that they won’t spend money this offseason, but it’s disappointing to think Soto is not a possibility at the current moment.

The post Report: Phillies Never Met With Juan Soto and Haven’t Made An Offer appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Manfred and other league officials always have new ideas coming through about how to improve the game, whether it’s on or off the field. Some of them are good ideas, some of them are incredibly stupid.

I’m still an old-fashioned baseball fan and disagree with the pitch clock to some degree. I hate the runner on 2nd in extra innings. I also think the throw-over rule is stupid. But this new rule that Manfred is discussing would absolutely take the top spot, and quite frankly, would be hysterically bad for the game of baseball.

Jayson Stark at The Athletic:

“There are a variety of (rule change ideas) that are being talked about out there. One of them, there was a little buzz around it at an owners’ meeting, was the idea of a ‘Golden At-Bat.” 

Baseball is a team sport. That is the entire strategy of the sport, and it always has been. Here’s an example of what the “Golden At-Bat” rule could be:

The Phillies have the bases loaded in the 8th inning. Johan Rojas is up at the plate with a chance to take the lead. The rule would give the Phillies the opportunity to just send Bryce Harper to the plate instead of Rojas. It’s basically 1 pinch-hit opportunity using a player that’s already in the lineup.

The league hasn’t settled on details. This could be just a 9th inning rule. Stark points out in the article that it could be a rule only redeemable when your team is losing. You’d only get 1 per game, I’m assuming? What if you put Bryce Harper in Turner’s 2-hole? Would he hit again in the 3rd spot back to back?

Here are some details that Stark listed in his story:

• Each team gets to pick one at-bat — at any point in the game, but only once — to play its Golden AB card. So would it save that card for The Juan Soto Moment? Or would it play it in the second inning, with the bases loaded and a chance to blow up a game? Strategy alert!
• Or there’s this option: Each team gets one Golden AB per game — except only in the seventh inning or later.
• Or there’s the variation I’d vote for — where only a team that is trailing (or tied) in the ninth or later gets to use a Golden AB. I’m a fan of less is more, and two Golden ABs every game (one per team) might be overkill.
• There’s also this potential wrinkle: The Royals use their Golden AB to let Bobby Witt Jr. lead off the ninth. He makes an out. But who’s batting second? Whaddaya know, it’s Witt’s turn in the lineup. So here he comes again. Yes, that could be a thing.

The fact that this rule is even being discussed is concerning. I’d be shocked if it goes through. But why does Rob Manfred always want to mess with the beautiful game of baseball? Money, I know. But this is just stupid.

The post Rob Manfred is Discussing the Possibility of a Dumb New Rule appeared first on Crossing Broad.

• 16-7
• 32 Starts
• 2.57 ERA
• 6.1 WAR
• 0.96 WHIP
• 200 IP
• 158 ERA+
• 10.1 SO9

I get it. If a guy like Chris Sale, a veteran in this league, wins the Triple Crown and is looking for his first Cy Young Award, he’s going to get it. He had an unbelievable season when he was on the field. Did he miss his last two starts of the Braves’ playoff push? Yes. But for the games that he was out there, he was awesome.

The issue I have with this race was David Brandt of the Associated Press. Brandt had Wheeler 4th on his ballot. He had some lousy explanation about stats this and stats that, and had Reds started Hunter Greene third:

I didn’t know that you’re only supposed to look at two stats when you cast a Cy Young vote, but I figure he should probably look at the other 8 that Wheeler beat him in as well? Eh, what do I know.

But according to Brandt, Wheeler had a “great season, all around.”

Major League Baseball posted Wheeler’s 2024 stats on Instagram a few days ago, and Wheeler wanted to let everyone know that he had a “great season, all around.”

If you have worked to get a Cy Young vote, and your explanation for the best pitcher in all of Major League Baseball is “great season, all around,” we’ve got some major issues.

The post Zack Wheeler Takes a Shot at His 4th Place Cy Young Voter appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“They (Phillies) have talked to Scott Boras about Juan Soto. They expect to meet with him, (but) they haven’t met with him yet.” – @ToddZolecki pic.twitter.com/vEFY0HaIaP

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) November 27, 2024

Zolecki: “There was a report just a few days ago that the Phillies have not met with Juan Soto yet, they’re going to meet with him at some point, but they haven’t communicated at all with Scott Boras or anybody associated with Boras. I’ve been told…no surprise, that they’ve communicated with Boras about Soto and others. I can tell you that they have not met with him. They expect to meet with him at some point, I do not know when that will be.” 

It has been reporter by multiple MLB Insiders, Randy Miller of NJ.com being the first, that 5 teams have put some sort of offer on the table to Soto:

• Yankees
• Red Sox
• Mets
• Blue Jays
• Dodgers

The Phillies aren’t going to go down in this Soto fight without swinging. They’re not the favorite. They may not even be in the top two or three. But they’re going to at least have a meeting with Soto and his camp. When will that meeting be? Who knows.

The question now for the Phillies is if they can make an impression to jump teams that have reportedly already made this first offer. The Dodgers signed Blake Snell Tuesday night to a 5-year, $182M contract with some of the money deferred. I can’t imagine this will stop the Dodgers in the Soto sweepstakes, but it does have to be in the back of their head.

The reason I’ve had the faith I do in the Phillies is because of the connections. Soto has played with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber. Kevin Long is one of the bigger reasons for Soto’s rise to the top. The Phillies are in an obvious win-now situation, with an elite core. Is that what Soto wants, or does he want to be the #1 face of a franchise?

How much does that matter for a guy that is going to get offered $550M-$650M contract offers from multiple teams? It seems that the Soto signing will come sooner rather than later. Bryce Harper didn’t sign with the Phillies until February 28th. That won’t be the case with Soto.

The post Report: Phillies Have Talked to Scott Boras, Expect to Meet With Juan Soto appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic does the Phillies Therapy podcast with Paul Boye, and noted on the most recent episode that the Phils are “less inclined” to trade outfielder Brandon Marsh.

Here’s what Gelb had to say, transcribed by Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation:

“The one thing I did hear recently — and I think this is pretty good information — is that they are less inclined to move Marsh. Marsh is a guy that’s not as available, I guess I would say, as some of the other guys. Not that they wouldn’t trade him if the right offer came around. That stands for everybody. I think he’s less among that group of guys that they are more active in trying to sell. … I think it’s more about the centerfield situation than anything. Obviously, there are no free agent center fielders and trading for a center fielder is probably, I don’t want to say impossible, but unwise given the value or the price that may be put on other center fielders. Their inclination to keep Marsh is more about the other center field options than anything. More than likely, barring a massive surprise, you’re probably looking at a Marsh/Rojas combo in center field with an upgrade in left, hypothetically.”  

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard, “The Phillies are going to shake things up this offseason,” I’d have a lot more money than I currently do. But it’s true. They aren’t happy with how the last two seasons have ended. They know there are holes in this lineup, guys who swing and miss too much, and players who aren’t in this team’s future.

Alec Bohm has been the big name so far this offseason. Multiple teams have checked in on Bohm’s availability, and it seems he’s the most likely Phillies starter to be moved right now. The 28-year-old had great numbers with runners in scoring position this past season and went back-to-back seasons with 97 RBIs. Multiple teams across baseball could use a bat like Bohm, although a Monday report from Bob Nightengale stated that the White Sox were a little hesitant about Bohm because of his 2nd half.

I agree with Gelb here. I don’t think it makes much sense to trade Brandon Marsh. He offers versatility; he’s an above-average defender and was named a Gold Glove finalist a few weeks back. He’s 26 years old and still on a small contract.

Conversely, Brandon Marsh must improve his bat this offseason, especially the swing-and-miss rate. He struck out at an alarming rate last season for a contact hitter, 154 times in 476 plate appearances. His 32.4 strikeout percentage was in the bottom 3% of Major League Baseball. He hit just .192 with a .552 OPS against left-handed pitching.

Brandon Marsh brings a spark to this team that not many guys have in them. No, he’s not the perfect baseball player. He’s not even close. But having a confident guy like Marsh in your outfield, and sometimes as a bat off the bench, isn’t seen much in baseball. I know everyone hates this word, but he brings “vibes.” I’ve repeatedly stressed that vibes matter, and it’s true, especially for a position (CF) where you don’t get a ton of production around the league in the first place.

Ideally, you find a big bat for left field and have Marsh/Rojas split time in CF. If Marsh starts hitting lefties at a higher clip, he plays more than Rojas. If not, you have a tremendous defensive split with fairly good hitting for CF based on league averages.

The post Report: Phillies “Less Inclined” To Trade Brandon Marsh appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Phillies have been checking in on Crochet since this past trade deadline. They had interest at the end of July, but weren’t willing to part ways with some of their top prospects, specifically Andrew Painter.

Nightengale gave a few nuggets about the Phillies on Monday, in his most recent article:

“…(the Phillies) have been shopping outfielder Nick Castellanos for nearly two years and now are making third baseman Alec Bohm available.

They have spoken about Bohm and outfield prospect Justin Crawford in extensive trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for starter Garrett Crochet, but the White Sox are concerned with Bohm’s struggles the second half, posting a .681 OPS with just four home runs.

If the Phillies trade Bohm, they are expected to make a strong play for Alex Bregman, whose talent and personality would fit in perfectly with the team, or perhaps sign Willy Adames and move him over to third base.

The Phillies are starting to age with their best and highest-paid players in their 30s and catcher J.T. Realmuto in the final season of his five-year, $115.5 million contract.”

As Nightengale states, the White Sox are a bit concerned with Bohm’s second half. But if you watched even one of the 162 White Sox games this past season, I think they could sure use Bohm’s production with RISP.

As pointed out by Tim Kelly of On Pattison, Chris Getz, the White Sox GM, has said that Chicago is looking for a “position player return” for Crochet, and noted that the White Sox primary focus in most trade talks is position players.

“We certainly need to improve our offense. That is very clear.” – Getz

The Phillies have a really good Top four of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, and Ranger Suarez. They have Andrew Painter waiting in the wings, who will pitch in the pros at some point in 2025. Do you dish away multiple big-name prospects to bolster a rotation that’s already elite?

We’ve stressed the Phillies’ need for outfield bats and more consistent hitters this offseason, and that should be their main focus. I hope the Phillies stick to their plan from back in July. If Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller get brought up in a talk with the White Sox, hang up the phone. While those are the top two prospects for the Phillies, the organization, rightfully so, has repeatedly shown their love for Justin Crawford as well.

Would Dave Dombrowski ship him out? Only time will tell. But the Phillies roster is going to look different in 2025. A shakeup is needed at the Major League level if this team wants to get over the hump and hoist the World Series trophy for the first time in 17 years.

The post Report: Justin Crawford, Alec Bohm Mentioned in Garrett Crochet Trade Talks appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Tendered Contracts

• Bryson Stott
• Alec Bohm
• Brandon Marsh
• Ranger Suarez
• Edmundo Sosa

Signed to 1-Year Deal

• Garrett Stubbs (price not known at this moment in time)
• Jose Ruiz ($1.225M, $20k for 30 games, $25k for 40 games, per Robert Murray)

Non-Tendered

• Austin Hays

Whenever Stubbs’ name is brought up on the timeline, you always see mixed emotions. A lot of people don’t like the backup catcher of their baseball team because he made a comment about jumping in a pool, which was the last reason the Phillies lost in the NLCS two Octobers ago.

I’m not saying Stubbs is some elite catcher. He slashed .207/.296/.262 in 2024 with a .558 OPS and a 59 OPS+. But Stubbs is familiar face, he’s loved in the clubhouse, and he knows these pitchers just as good as J.T. Realmuto.

Bringing Stubbs back was 100% the right move from Dave Dombrowski.

It doesn’t seem like Realmuto is trending upwards anymore, in fact, the decline last season hit pretty hard. He was hurt for a few weeks, the bat wasn’t old J.T., and his play behind the plate wasn’t as quick and consistent as previous years. Realmuto is a rare case in baseball. You rarely see a catcher play for this many years and still play at an above average level. While the decline is there, he’s still giving you production that a lot of team’s can’t say they have.

The Phillies want to get Realmuto off of his feet more in 2025. Dave Dombrowski said in the end-of-season meeting that the team will have the backup catcher role towards the top of their list this offseason, whether that’s somebody in-house, a trade, or a free agent. He joked about having to convince J.T. to take more days off, because the veteran catcher loves to be out on the field every day.

Rafael Marchan played 17 games while Realmuto was hurt in 2024. He slashed .294/.345/.549 with an .894 OPS with 15 hits, 3 homers, and a 147 OPS+. Marchan has now been in the Phillies organization since 2015, where he was originally signed as a shortstop and moved to catcher. 10 years later, Marchan will be fighting for the backup catcher role in camp next season.

The worry with Marchan is his injury history. He’s been placed on the Injured List 7 times over his Phillies career, and twice last season. If Realmuto goes down, and Marchan has to play an extended period of time, I worry about experience and health.

Keeping Stubbs down in AAA is the best possible option for the Phillies, and it seems like that could be their plan. Stubbs has one minor league option remaining. The Phillies have zero to no catching depth. They have Marchan, Stubbs, and a 17-year-old Eduardo Tait, who won’t be ready for years. No other player in the system would make an impact behind the dish in the pros next season.

I’d rather the Phillies target a veteran backup than just hand that job to Marchan right now. A veteran backup presence is always valuable. If Marchan comes into camp and runs away with the job, then you have your backup catcher. If he looks iffy? You have a veteran to sit behind J.T. and play 50-70 games next season to get Realmuto off of his feet.

Bringing Garrett Stubbs back was a good thing. A team that lacks in catching depth returned a clubhouse favorite that has an excellent relationship with all of the pitchers. This can’t hurt the Phillies is any single way. The guy behind the dish is one of, if not the most important position on your baseball team. Having experience ready in case something goes wrong is very important.

The post Bringing Back Garrett Stubbs Was The Right Move appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Austin Hays was informed he is being non-tendered by Phillies. Only 29, Hays suffered through a severe kidney infection after being traded to Philly. Only a year removed from an All Star and Gold Glove finalist season, he’ll be an interesting free agent.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 22, 2024

Austin Hays will now hit free agency after a failed post-deadline stint. It was an unfortunate break for the Phillies, who expected more out of the 29-year-old former All-Star. Hays dealt with a hamstring issue to start, which found him on the Injured List on August 9th. Doctors and trainers then discovered Hays had a kidney infection on September 5th, which kept him out longer.

The issue with this deadline move was never the player itself, it was the fact that Hays was your best bat acquired in a year that you could’ve easily gone all in.

Granted, this year’s MLB trade deadline was very seller-friendly, and not many elite, tide-turning bats were on the market.

Hays slashed .256/.275/.397 in 80 plate appearances with the Phillies. He logged 20 hits, 5 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, and 19 strikeouts. He didn’t draw a single walk in his time in Philadelphia.

The Phillies will have to make a decision on 7 more players before the deadline:

• Ranger Suarez
• Alec Bohm
• Bryson Stott
• Edmundo Sosa
• Brandon Marsh
• Jose Ruiz
• Garrett Stubbs

I expect six of those guys to be tendered a contract, and possibly all seven. Garrett Stubbs would be the outlier here, but I think their best option is tendering him a small contract, and bringing him back to camp knowing he still has one minor league option remaining.

The post Report: Phillies Non-Tender Austin Hays appeared first on Crossing Broad.

David Brandt of AP voted Zack Wheeler 4th…lol

This shouldn’t have been this lopsided of a race. pic.twitter.com/NDAG2gaxfF

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) November 20, 2024

Wheeler’s 2024 season was the best of his 5-year Phillies career so far. He logged a 16-7 record in 32 starts, tallying 200 innings, 224 strikeouts, a 0.955 WHIP, 6.3 Hits per 9, and 10.4 K/9. He finished 3rd in all of baseball in ERA, 4th in the league in innings pitched, and 1st in the National League in WHIP.

Zack Wheeler has finished 2nd in the NL Cy Young race for the 2nd time in his Phillies career. He loses to Chris Sale of the Braves.

16-7
32 Starts
2.57 ERA
6.1 WAR
0.96 WHIP
200 IP
158 ERA+
10.1 SO9

He didn’t miss a single start. Can’t say that about the other 2 candidates. pic.twitter.com/FqWVhaF5Wt

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) November 20, 2024

This is now the 2nd time that Wheeler has fallen just short of the Cy Young in red pinstripes, his first being in his 2021 season where he tallied a 7.5 WAR across 32 starts, good for 1st in the Majors, and finished 2nd for the award.

You tip your hat to Chris Sale, although I don’t love that he wasn’t out there for his team for the biggest two starts of their season. But he was nasty when he was on the field. He logged a 2.38 ERA and an 18-3 record in 29 starts with 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings and took home the National League Triple Crown.

Zack Wheeler received four 1st place votes, 25 2nd place votes, and 1 4th (??) place vote from David Brandt of AP. Cristopher Sanchez received two 5th-place votes, and Aaron Nola received one 5th-place vote.

Cristopher Sanchez (10th) got two 5th place votes for NL Cy Young. Aaron Nola (13th) got one 5th place vote. pic.twitter.com/M6iAiuvruM

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) November 20, 2024

Rip up those Zack Wheeler 9/1 Cy Young tickets. It’s a sad day. We were so close.

The post Zack Wheeler Finishes 2nd in NL Cy Young Voting appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“A source confirmed those talks with MLB.com, although they cautioned that the teams weren’t close to a deal and that discussions were happening with multiple teams. Two other players the Royals have checked in on are Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm and Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, according to sources, but nothing has progressed deeply yet.

Bohm is certain to have several suitors. Another righty hitter, Bohm would probably fit lower in the lineup for the Royals, like in the No. 5 spot, where his production would be welcome. The Omaha, Neb., native slashed .280/.332/.448 with 15 homers in 2024.”

This is the first actual team that has been named in the Alec Bohm rumor mill. Multiple reporters, including Jeff Passan of ESPN, have mentioned over the last two weeks that Bohm is on the trade block, and the Phillies aren’t hesitant to move him for the right deal.

Bohm would be a pretty perfect fit for a Royals team that lacked middle-of-the-order offensive production late in their season. Bobby Whit Jr. and Salvador Perez lead the way in Kansas City, but a guy like Alec Bohm in the middle of their lineup could do some damage, especially with Whit’s ability to get around the bases.

The Royals, per Rogers, have discussed a Jonathan India/Brady Singer swap, which makes sense for a Reds team that is in dire need of pitching. I wouldn’t necessarily say the Phillies are “desperate“ for a starting pitcher of that caliber, but Brady Singer’s 3.71 ERA in 180 innings from 2024 sure wouldn’t hurt this Phillies rotation if that option was on the table.

Maikel Garcia, Kansas City’s third baseman of 2023, logged just a .614 OPS in 157 games in 2023. Third base is definitely a chance for upgrade for a Royals team that is hoping to compete for a World Series for years to come.

The post Report: Royals Have “Checked In” on Alec Bohm appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Sources: The Dodgers are meeting with Juan Soto tomorrow, as @Feinsand first reported.

Yes, it’d be absurd of them to follow a billion-dollar offseason with a $600M contract. But Shohei Ohtani’s first year in LA blew away all their financial projections. And they need an OF.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 19, 2024

I’ll go full fucking Commie if Juan Soto signs with the Dodgers. Gonna tattoo a hammer and sickle on my forehead, start reading Karl Marx on a bench in Rittenhouse Square, and bother anyone I can about how unfair the distribution of wealth is in MLB. If they’re allowed to defer his salary again like they did Ohtani’s I’m gonna lose it. It’ll be the first time I ever thought the MLB needed a salary cap in my lifetime.

This would be terrible for baseball. No one wants to watch a sport with a superteam. Those years when Kevin Durant was on the Warriors were boring. Now the World Series champ is going to add the guy who is already a Hall of Famer at 26? David Stern would never allow this. And how candy ass would Soto be if he went and joined the team that beat him in the World Series? If he’s just going to run to the guys that dog walked him a month ago then I didn’t want him on the Phillies anyway. Can’t have another guy wearing red in October not have the stones for the big time. We’ve already got enough of those in the lineup.

I’ll tell you what this offseason has shown me. The Phillies need to find themselves a Japanese player. It’s a cheat code apparently. The Dodgers announce a new partnership with a Japanese company every other day and just rake in money. All we have is the Toyota Rav 4th Inning and that does more harm than good. I want those funny Japanese candy brands, a Nintendo deal, and Kobe beef hot dogs on the grill. I’ll eat sushi in 98° in the 400 level and wash it down with a Sapporo. I don’t care if I can’t read half the ads in the stadium and John Kruk starts dressing up in a kimono. It’ll be worth it when we’re signing every single free agent and winning back-to-back-to-back World Series.

But seriously. Lets not turn baseball into an auction.

Unless that super secret new investor in the Phillies is an oil tycoon from the Middle East:

Phillies Managing Partner and CEO John Middleton announced today that three new investors will be added to the team’s ownership group – Mitchell L. Morgan, Guntram J. Weissenberger Jr. and a third investor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Full release

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) November 1, 2024

The post If the Dodgers Sign Juan Soto I’m Advocating for a Salary Cap appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The 26-year-old superstar has met with four teams so far: the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and New York Yankees. Soto is set to meet with the Dodgers “early this week, possibly as soon as Tuesday,” per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Feinsand, per his source, said another “mystery team” has already spoken with Soto. He also threw the Phillies into the mix as a team that could meet with the outfielder, and didn’t rule out that the Phillies were that specific mystery team:

“One source said Soto had spoken with at least one other team besides those that have been reported, thrusting the good ol’ mystery club into the equation.”

According to sources, other teams that could meet with Soto include the Giants, Phillies, and Rays. Tampa Bay would appear to be a long shot, particularly now that the club will be playing home games in 2025 at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, following the damage to the Tropicana Field roof sustained last month during Hurricane Milton.”

Could the Phillies have already met with Soto and we haven’t heard a peep about it? I’d say that’s unlikely, unless that’s the way that the Phillies want to move through this free agency.

If the Phillies meet with Soto, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear that Bryce Harper is there, or at least plays a big part in the process. Harper was a driving force in the signings of Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber over the last two offseasons. Harper said he was going to call Mike Trout in 2020. He had a hand in the pot for the Phillies’ mobile pitch to Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

If Harper truly wants a star to come here, he’s going to try his best to get in the mix to show the player he cares. Soto has a history with Harper, Turner, Schwarber, Kevin Long, and more. If the Phillies are willing to fork up the Soto money, the connection is already there.

While the Soto race seems to be focused on the Yankees or Mets, you can’t write any team off that wants to win and has the money. The Phillies aren’t afraid to spend. John Middleton “wants his fucking trophy back.” They’re not going to go down without swinging (no, I won’t make a low and away slider joke there).

Update as of 11:57 AM EST: The Phillies have not yet met with Soto, but do plan to meet with him, per Jon Heyman.

The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet but they plan to. Not many teams want to win more than them.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 19, 2024

The post Juan Soto Watch 2024: Phillies a Potential Mystery Club? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

• Chase Utley (2nd year)
• Jimmy Rollins (4th year)
• Bobby Abreu (6th year)
• Billy Wagner (10th and final year)

The 2025 Hall of Fame ballot pic.twitter.com/1aULjT6Dsg

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 18, 2024

2025 is Billy Wagner’s last chance to be enshrined into Cooperstown. Wagner received 284 votes in 2024, falling 5 votes short at 73.8% of the 75% requirement. Wagner had a 2.31 career ERA in 903 innings, logging 11.92 Ks per 9 in 16 seasons.

Bobby Abreu hasn’t gotten the traction in voting that some expected, especially for a player with a .395 all time on-base percentage. Abreu is a 2x All-Star, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, and racked up a career 128 OPS+ in 18 seasons, 9 with the Phillies. Abreu got just 14.8% of votes last year, tied with Jimmy Rollins, who both trail Chase Utley.

There are cases for both Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, although I think Utley would have the edge as far as Cooperstown. Utley got 28.8% in his first year on the ballot, an impressive first-year showing for the second baseman. J-Roll will enter his fourth year on the ballot in 2025 after receiving 14.8% of votes last year.

Ichiro Suzuki and C.C Sabathia make up the two first-year players on the ballot that have the best chance of becoming first-ballot hall of famers. Other first-year members include Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, Curtis Granderson, Hanley Ramirez, and Troy Tulowitzki.

While his name won’t be on the main ballot, Dick Allen is on the Classic Baseball Era ballot in 2025. Allen played 15 seasons in the league, 9 with the Phillies. The Phillies retired Allen’s #15 back in September of 2020. Allen passed away on December 7th that year.

BBWAA voters must make their picks by December 31st. Hall of Fame results will be announced on January 21st.

The post Four Phillies on 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“What I’m hearing from other teams is (Alec Bohm) is going to be traded. Like he’s out there a bunch. And they say the Phillies have been around long enough to know that they could squash that if they wanted to, they could go out, they could tell whisper to their reporters ‘yeah Bohm’s not really available’. They’re not doing that.” 

This follows an earlier report from Jeff Passan, who noted that Bohm “finds himself on the trade block… his first-half OPS was nearly 150 points higher than in the second half, and the Phillies are looking to shake up their team after a disappointing postseason ouster by the Mets”

Phillies tailgate clipped the Olney audio, which has some information on Garrett Crochet as well:

Full Audio (plus some information on Garrett Crochet) pic.twitter.com/3VYUj38QoR

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) November 15, 2024

This is now multiple reports on Bohm’s trade market in the last three days. Passan’s story came out Tuesday, while AJ Pierzynski said that the Phillies aren’t happy with Bohm’s attitude, which is one of the reasons why he’s on the block.

“There are people that’ve said he basically needs to grow up a little bit”

AJ Pierzynski said today that there are some people around/in the Phillies organization aren’t pleased with Alec Bohm’s attitude and how he acts sometimes. pic.twitter.com/r7iS9OoCCf

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) November 13, 2024

Bohm was a disappointment in the 2nd half, and even more of a disappointment in the NLDS vs. the Mets. He slashed .077/.143/.077 in 13 at-bats vs. New York in October, logging just one hit, a single in Game 3 where he’d eventually get thrown out at second base trying to stretch it to a double.

Bohm has yet to post a season-long OPS over .800 in his entire career other than his 44-game COVID season. His 2024 was a step forward from the last two years, but he disappeared when it mattered, and his body language gave Phillies fans a small ounce of hope for his Philadelphia future.

If the Alex Bregman rumors have any bit of truth to them, that would require a hole at third base for the 2x World Series Champion to fill. Bohm would be on his way out, and the Phillies could use his two years of club control (through the 2026 season) to acquire an impact relief pitcher.

The post The Alec Bohm Trade Rumors Continue to Pick Up Steam appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Casey might actually win this thing!

At least that’s what his team thinks. They claim he has a narrow path because of something like 60,000 provisional ballots that still haven’t been counted. Currently the race is separated by 30,000 votes and the Casey campaign is basically you scrounging around in the seat cushions trying to find enough change to buy a Stone Cold Steve Austin ice cream bar from the Ice Cream Man. That’s basically what Philadelphia’s city commissioner Seth Bluestein is saying via Dan Snyder and Casey Kuhn at CBSNews.com:

Casey’s campaign has said it’s been waiting for outstanding votes from around the state, from mail-in ballots to overseas and military votes and provisional ballots. In Philadelphia, the state’s largest county and one where Casey has garnered more than 78% of the vote, commissioners say the number of votes left out there is running thin.

“We had about 20,000 provisional ballots to start with. We’ve already counted 11,000 of those,” city commissioner Seth Bluestein said Wednesday.

Bluestein told CBS News Philadelphia the election board wrapped up voting on outstanding mail-in votes Wednesday. He says a few thousand could not be counted for various reasons, mostly a lack of a signature or secrecy envelope.

As for the remaining provisional ballots, Bluestein said the board will take those up on Friday. But he warned, “most of those will probably end up not getting counted.”

The Department of Stats says there are about 60,366 uncounted provisional ballots and 20,155 uncounted mail-in and absentee ballots. That includes ballots for which officials still need to determine eligibility or validity.

So there are 9,000 still left to be counted in Philly and 51,000 left throughout the state if I’m reading that right. That means Bob Casey would need close to 80% of those votes to have his name on it. In a divided state. That flipped red in the Presidential election. I’m all for not going down without a fight, but come on Bobby. Unless 80% of those people aren’t red blooded Americans who love hot dogs the writing is on the wall. No recount has ever overturned the vote in the four times it’s been enacted since 2004. You’re cooked. Well, you were actually cooked when you tweeted this:

Doublesounds like a great way to fuel up for #RedOctober https://t.co/TCWxbAvi87

— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) February 29, 2024

I really hate to see our story have an unhappy ending. I thought you were one of the good ones.

P.S. Could you imagine getting the job, going through orientation, and then your boss tells you he made a mistake and hired the wrong person?  You told all your friends and family you got a new job. You saw how proud they were of you. Then on Monday you had to sit in cramped boardroom and listen to Janice from HR talk about synergies and play dumb ice breaker games with people you don’t want to know. Eat warm egg salad and dry turkey and cheese sandwiches. But at least you were getting paid and had a job for the near future. Imagine going through all of that and here comes Bob Casey out of nowhere to swoop in. Now you gotta go back to your friends and family and tell them it was all for nothing. At least if Dave McCormick loses he can just go back to his mansion in Connecticut and his billions of hedge fund dollars from <Trump voice> CHINA!

The post Even With a Recount Senator Bob Casey Has No Chance Against the Dollar Dog Curse appeared first on Crossing Broad.

BREAKING: Comcast and Cordish Companies have submitted plans for a reimagined entertainment plaza outside of Xfinity Live! This will include a lawn, a new stage, a VIP section, new bars, and more. This is all just phase one of the new plans. Would be AMAZING to see move ahead. pic.twitter.com/PjeEg6IHfk

— Jack ’Brien (@JackPhillyRE) November 11, 2024

You can see in one of the pictures all the Phillies fans are rocking jerseys with the name “Rolen” on the back of them.

Some of them have his #17 on, but plenty also have Bryce Harper, Todd Pratt, Abraham Nunez, Hunter Pence, and Jeff Francoeur’s #3 on the back of them:

I’m supposed to worry about the robots taking our jobs and they can’t even train themselves enough to know Scott Rolen hasn’t been on the Phillies since 2002? Read a book, you stupid robots. Sure they’re going to enslave me, you, and your children one day, but at least we know we can defeat them if we all start reading the Baseball Encyclopedia right now. Ask them to identify Doug Glanville, Travis Fryman, and Rico Brogna’s number and their robot heads might explode.

The new Xfinity Live! expansion is going to cost $15 million and is part of Phase 1 of a larger plan for more retail space, apartments, hotels, etc. down at the South Philly complex. I’m most interested to see what they do with the two-floor bar. Right now on gameday Xfinity Live is a shit show. That’s no shade at them. They have a place where people want to watch a game. It’s just in dire need of more space. It’s cramped inside and there are lines around the corner to get in. There’s the outdoor patio, but it’s unwatchable a third of the season when it’s cold. I just hope they make the two-story bar temperature controlled for the winter. There’s my civic two sense. Carry on.

The post I’ll Believe Artificial Intelligence is Coming for Our Jobs When it Can Figure Out What Number Scott Rolen is appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Tuesday that 28-year-old Alec Bohm is “on the trade block” after a disappointing end to his 2024 season. Bohm’s exit would obviously require a replacement, and one “rival evaluator” believes he may have the answer.

Here’s what Buster Olney had to say:

The most interesting prediction heard from a rival evaluator: The Phillies land Alex Bregman. His swing translates in that park, strong defense, lots of postseason scar tissue.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 13, 2024

Alex Bregman to Philly seems halted by a few things, most notably the desire of some Astros officials and front office members to bring him back to Houston. Astros GM Dana Brown told reporters last week that he believes the team “has a really good chance” of bringing Bregman back to the only place he’s known as a pro.

Bregman has been projected to receive a multi-year contract that could reach up to 7 years, according to some sites. ESPN projected a 6-year, $187M contract for Bregman, while Tim Britton of The Athletic had his contract in the 7-year, $189M range.

The Phillies have Aidan Miller waiting in the wings. The plus to keeping Bohm would be his contract, giving Miller some time to develop and eventually come up and replace Bohm when he’s ready. A 5-7 year deal for Alex Bregman marks Miller’s defensive future as a bit of a question mark, with the 20-year-old slated to play the third base position once he’s elevated to the majors. A position change could be in the cards, but that doesn’t seem incredibly likely at this moment in time.

Garrett Crochet has now been linked to the Phillies on multiple occasions, and every report is leading to the Phils being one of the top dogs in those talks. Buster Olney reported Wednesday morning that White Sox general manager Chris Getz spoke with Phillies management at the GM meetings. The Phillies have made it known that Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford are prospects they love, and only the perfect deal would have to be on the table for one of those guys to be shipped away.

The Phillies could ship Bohm in a Crochet deal, or a potential deal for a reliever like Devin Williams or Ryan Helsley. That could open up their path to sign Bregman, or find a replacement in the free-agent market as more of a placeholder.

Bregman was extended a qualifying offer by the Astros, and has until November 19th to accept or reject. Bregman will likely reject, meaning whatever team signs him would lose some sort of draft capital. For the Phillies, it would be their 2nd and 5th round pick, as well as $1M from their international bonus pool.

Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 in a contract year with Houston, logging 26 HRs, 75 RBIs, and a 118 OPS+. His OPS+ has never dipped under 113 in his 9-year career in Houston, and he took home his first Gold Glove this past season with the Astros, beating out Ernie Clement of Toronto and Jose Ramirez of Cleveland.

The post “Rival Evaluator” Predicts Alex Bregman to the Phillies appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Schumer spokesman: “Ruben Gallego and David McCormick have been invited to attend orientation.”

Race called for Gallego last night; some organizations have called it for McCormick but Casey hasn’t conceded yet in Pa. as ballots are still being counted but he still trails

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) November 12, 2024

Now Bob Casey is unemployed for the first time in 17 years because he went against the Dollar Dog.

Here’s one last message to him as it looks like it’s curtains on his political career. You never go against the family:

Doublesounds like a great way to fuel up for #RedOctober https://t.co/TCWxbAvi87

— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) February 29, 2024

I’m not going to lie, I can’t believe how angry this tweet still makes me. It’s just such a classic politician move. Here’s a guy whose major issue is fighting against corporate greed supporting the Phillies getting rid of Dollar Dog Night and replacing it with BOGO Night. A promotion that went from $1 hot dogs to two dogs for $5. That’s a 150% price point increase on hot dogs! Being celebrated! By a guy who apparently wants to stop corporations from strangling us with prices! You can’t make this shit up. Just another politician showing his ass. I thought this guy was different when together we got the Phillies to add another DDN to the schedule a couple years ago. It spoke to the little guy. It told your constituents that your politicians were listening. Turns out he’s just like them all of them. You don’t think people had that tweet in the back of their mind when they went into the booth last week? Of course they did. This was the tightest senate race in the country. It’s got another Senator calling his own people dipshits:

Pennsylvania is going to count every last vote.

That’s not controversial—that’s the law.

Also, Green dipshits’ votes helping elect the GOP. pic.twitter.com/KvdROvlkEq

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 7, 2024

I bet you Leila Hazou would’ve spoken out against BOGO Night if someone asked her. The Dems can’t blame anyone but themselves.

This cements the DDN curse as real. It’s a death sentence for anyone who dares betray it. Ask the Phillies. Before they got rid of DDN they had never lost to the Mets in the playoffs. Not only that, the Mets decided to embrace the event the same exact season the Phillies cancelled it:

Seymour Weiner wants YOU to come to Dollar Dog Night

https://t.co/jqCDgZM4UI pic.twitter.com/cAU0itvBul

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 24, 2024

And once again it proved to be the greatest promotion in the world:

The Mets had Dollar Dog Night tonight and set a new franchise record, selling over 44,000 hot dogs pic.twitter.com/gGP5kKK4sL

— MLB (@MLB) May 1, 2024

44,000 dogs. That’s more dogs than votes separating the PA Senate election. Makes you think.

Now we gotta deal with this guy:

Fun tailgate in Philly today

Excited to watch the Steelers throttle the Raiders! pic.twitter.com/G6RWoSVWCM

— Dave McCormick (@DaveMcCormickPA) October 13, 2024

All because Bob Casey, or whoever runs Bob Casey’s account, went against the dogs. You never go against the dogs.

The post Senator Bob Casey is the Latest Victim of the Dollar Dog Night Curse appeared first on Crossing Broad.

It looks like the plan also includes an outdoor addition to the PBR bar with a small stage and assorted seating. I’m old enough to remember when Badfish played a free show at Xfinity Live and remember thinking to myself, “you know, piss-soaked, trash-filled parking lots are cool, but this is also nice.” Of course, there are people out there who are skeptical that any of this ever gets built. They think it’s a PR stunt to combat the Sixers arena plan, which is being heard in City Council as we speak. But as the little girl in the taco commercial once said, “por que no los dos?” Why not both? Why not the Sixers on Market Street, then Comcast-Spectacor, the Phillies, and Eagles joining together to revitalize the sports complex? By the way, not sure you remember, but Xfinity Live was supposed to be much bigger when it was originally built. The first renderings showed this huge thing going right up to the Wells Fargo Center. What was built was actually much smaller, so what you’re seeing in these most recent renderings is much more similar to the original plan about 15 years ago.

The post New Renderings for the Proposed Xfinity Live Upgrades appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Alec Bohm, third baseman: Coming off a career-best season, the 28-year-old Bohm nonetheless finds himself on the trade block. While he was a well-above-average hitter — .280/.332/.448 with 61 extra-base hits — his first-half OPS was nearly 150 points higher than in the second half, and the Phillies are looking to shake up their team after a disappointing postseason ouster by the Mets.

Bohm’s name has been floated a few times since the Phillies’ disappointing loss to the Mets in the National League Division Series. As Passan says in his story, Bohm’s drop in production throughout the season lead to this point, and now the Phillies have a tough decision to make.

Recency bias has struck some fans in regard to Bohm, but it’s not unwarranted. He was benched in Game 3 of the NLDS because his lack of production at the plate, and his demeanor on the field. The 28-year-old snapped back to his past young self under the bright lights this season. The defense, offense, and attitude all weren’t good enough for a player that started the All-Star game just a few months prior.

It’s also worth noting that Alec Bohm carried the Phillies lineup for the first month of this season. He slashed .370/.448/.630 in April, has an .812 OPS in June, and it all started to go downhill from there.

The player that logged 44 doubles in 2024 and succeeded by getting deep in counts once saw 5 pitches in 4 ABs in the NLDS. Which player is here to stay?

Why would Bohm be such a sought-out trade piece across the league? Because of his contract. He has two more years of team control, and won’t become an unrestricted free agent until the end of the 2026 season. Bohm made $4M in 2024, and production like that for that low of a number is eye opening for a team that’s in need of a corner bat.

Alec Bohm, per Spotrac, is estimated to make around $8M in 2025 in what will be his second year of arbitration. Many teams could use a contact bat like his. When he’s on, he’s unstoppable, and we’ve seen that. But the lows are low. How many teams would be willing to take that gamble?

The Phillies could use Bohm as a centerpiece, along with prospects, in a trade for a reliever. Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley are the two big names on the trade block that could be dealt this offseason. Williams is a proven 6-year veteran that logged a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 innings this past season, along with a 1.53 in 2023 and a 1.93 in 2022. Ryan Helsley has canned 82 saves since the start of the 2022 season, and his ERA hasn’t been above 2.50 since 2021.

The Cardinals have been rumored to possibly deal Nolan Arenado this offseason, while the Brewers don’t necessarily have a third baseman of the future. Joey Ortiz took 412 ABs for the Brewers at third base and logged a .235 average with a .712 OPS. The need is there for both teams.

The post ESPN Insider Lists Phillies All-Star “On Trade Block” appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Well, enough time has passed to perhaps pique your interest and fire up The Turnaround, which actually is more of a short film. I kept putting it off because I couldn’t find the time, having no clue that it only runs about 25 minutes. It’s less of a traditional documentary and closer to an ESPN 30 for 30 on the filmmaking spectrum.

That being said, I’ll give you some generic observations here without trying to spoil it:

• Trea Turner actually is not interviewed in the film. It’s more of a personal story about Jon McCann, The Philly Captain, and his mental health journey.
• The movie is worth it just for Captain’s accent alone. Early in the film, you hear him singing High Hopes in the shower with a thick Bridesburg drawl, then he laments some dickhead who can’t drive their car properly down the street. Honestly, if they just followed Captain around for a day, without a single mention of baseball, it would have been a great film.
• The shots of Bridesburg and the River Wards are fantastic. They really captured that part of the city in super-accurate form. Think of Bruce Springsteen’s Streets of Philadelphia, but without the terrible music and singing.
• Most of these films include 94 WIP hosts in pseudo-narration, which is a sports documentary crutch, and this one is no different. But I did appreciate them mixing it up a little bit. Instead of the main drive time hosts, you’ll hear James Seltzer, Joe Giglio, and even Tyrone Johnson, a rare foray to the 97.5 side of the sports talk radio spectrum.
• Getting to know Captain and his struggle was compelling. It connects him to Turner in the sense of “this player and this fan are going through the same thing.” That parallel is the central theme, and helps explain the genesis of the ovation, which swaps out gloomy Negadelphia to a new type of Posidelphia.
• The film does touch on the history of Philadelphia sports fandom to give you an understanding of why the ovation was a big deal. I just felt like something was missing there, perhaps interviews with key individuals in the scene to explain why the standing O was unprecedented at the time.

Takeaway: the film was pretty good. I’d give it a 7.4 out of 10 and recommend that you watch it. My main disappointment was that it ended right when I felt like it was getting good. Even if they added 15 minutes, or made it 60 total, they would have been able to flesh it out a little bit more. I felt like I wanted more when it ended, but it was worth the time. It also needed to feature this video:

The post Film Review: The Philly Captain Documentary, also Featuring Trea Turner, Needed to be Longer appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Phillies Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer John Middleton and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski jointly made the announcement.

• Vice President and General Manager Sam Fuld is currently pursuing his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and upon graduation in May 2026, he will transition to President of Business Operations.
• Preston Mattingly was promoted to Vice President and General Manager.
• Luke Murton was promoted to Director, Player Development.
• Edwar Gonzalez was promoted to Director, Hitting Development.

“The continued growth of Sam and Preston is remarkable,” Dombrowski said. “Both of them do a fantastic job, and these promotions provide continuity in the organization for years to come.  Additionally, Luke and Edwar are both quality baseball individuals that are deserving of their promotions. I feel that they are well prepared to lead our player development system.”

“I look forward to taking on this new challenge with the same passion, competitiveness and respect that I’ve applied throughout my professional career,” said Fuld. “The opportunity to collaborate across baseball and business operations is an exciting one, and I’m honored to be entrusted with helping to build upon the many great elements of this organization.”

Fuld, who served each of the last four seasons as Phillies vice president and general manager, will oversee all business operations departments upon his graduation in the spring of 2026. In the interim, to accommodate his academic workload and increasing business operations responsibilities, Fuld’s duties as general manager will be divided with Mattingly.

A 2004 graduate of Stanford University with a degree in economics, Fuld was originally hired by the Phillies in November 2017. Over a span of three seasons (2018-20), he worked as major league player information coordinator and director, integrative baseball performance. In those roles, Fuld worked closely with the major league coaching staff and helped integrate advance metrics. Following the 2020 season on Dec. 20, he was elevated to the position of general manager.

As a player, Fuld was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 10^th round of the 2004 MLB Draft. The former outfielder played parts of eight seasons in the major leagues for the Cubs (2007; 2009-10), Tampa Bay Rays (2011-13), Oakland Athletics (2014; 2015) and Minnesota Twins (2015).

A native of Durham, N.H., he and his wife, Sarah, live in Philadelphia with their four children.

Mattingly joined the Phillies organization as director of player development on Sept. 29, 2021, and served in that role through the 2023 season. He was elevated to the position of assistant general manager, player development on Nov. 8, 2023. 

Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Mattingly spent five seasons (2017-21) in scouting roles with the San Diego Padres. He worked his final year with the club as coordinator of major league advance scouting and game planning after serving as manager of scouting for three years. In those roles with the Padres, he coordinated the distribution of information to the pitchers and worked with both the research and development department and the major league coaching staff.

As a player, Mattingly was a first-round selection (31st overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2006 MLB Draft and spent six seasons (2006-11) in their minor league system.  Following his playing days, he enrolled at Lamar University in Texas, where he served as captain of the men’s basketball team.  Mattingly graduated from Lamar in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in business.

Born in Englewood, N.J., Preston is the son of Don Mattingly, who played 14 years in the major leagues for the New York Yankees and is currently serving as bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Murton was hired by the Phillies in December 2022 as director, hitting development. For the last two seasons in that role, he oversaw the development of Phillies minor league hitters and assisted with the acquisition of amateur players for the MLB Draft.

Prior to joining the organization, Murton spent four years (2019-22) in the Padres organization as a scouting crosschecker and advisor to baseball operations and three years (2016-18) with the San Francisco Giants as a scout.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Murton graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2019. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the 19^th round of the 2009 MLB Draft and spent five seasons in their minor league system (2009-13).

Gonzalez spent the 2024 season working as assistant director, hitting development. He was originally hired by the Phillies in 2023 as Latin American hitting coordinator and special advisor to international scouting. Prior to his time with the Phillies, Gonzalez worked three seasons in the Miami Marlins organization as major league assistant hitting coach (2022) and minor league hitting coordinator (2020-21).

Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Gonzalez spent nine years as a position player in the Yankees minor league system (2002-10). He was originally selected in the 37^th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Cubs out of Seminole State College (OK).

So Mattingly is moving into Fuld’s role, and Fuld is moving to the business side. The Phillies do not currently have a “President of Business Operations,” but they do have a “Manager, Business Operations” in Justina Campana, who is part of executive management. What does it mean? We’ll find out when the press conference happens. You’d think Edwar Gonzalez has the significant role here as the Director of Hitting Development. Lesson #1: don’t swing at bullshit outside of the zone. Chicks dig the long ball but ladies love plate discipline. Remember that.

The post Phillies Make a Change at the “Vice President and General Manager” Position appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Thanks but I’d rather chew on glass pic.twitter.com/zupJ4gW0uE

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) November 7, 2024

Does everything have to be a money grab with this organization? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate they spend. BOIB for a reason. But I’ve always said for as good as the owner, players, and front office are, the suits in that place have their heads stuck so far up their asses. If it isn’t something to attract a family of four, they have zero pulse of this fanbase. Was there really no one in that meeting who spoke up and thought, “Eh maybe the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. You know maybe the wounds are still a little fresh.“? Absolutely not, because all it is is about the bottom line on that side of the house. You got your two new gigantic scoreboards that cram more ads on them than a stock car, you’re incentivizing Phillies fans to re-sell their playoff tix, you have some of the most expensive concessions in league, and you punished us with BOGO night which gave you a 150% price mark-up on the promotion from a year prior. I mean at least sign Juan Soto first before you twist the knife. Even the 9/11 coin waited a couple months. Send the email around Opening Day when optimism is probably higher. A Thursday in November when the Sixers are 1-6, Matvei Michkov just got sent to Siberia, and half the fanbase is still pissed off at the election results just rubs salt in the wound. Remember that Game 1 when your bullpen blew Zack Wheeler gem? Remember when your top-5 went 3 for 19? Wasn’t that fun! Didn’t you have fun! Commemorate it forever!

Here’s what you get for $20:

For an extra $30 the Phillies can put it in a $2 plastic frame for you! Because you had fun, right? Spoiler alert: No one did. There is footage:

 

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Actually people couldn’t wait to get out of there.

We had guys talking about Bucks County like it was across the country:

 

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And sure they won Game 2, but that didn’t come without a heart attack. Remember when it was 6-4 in the 9th and the Mets tied it up? We needed two 2-out walks before Nick Castellanos knocked in the winning run. Who even remembers Game 2 when we have Games 3 & 4 that finished what we thought would be a promising season?

The post The Phillies Emailed Fans with an Offer for NLDS Commemorative Tickets appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“I want my fucking trophy back” pic.twitter.com/ROwKFiRShd

— Kevin Kinkead (@Kevin_Kinkead) September 24, 2024

Show that video and put a $700 million check in front of Soto and there’s no way he’s leaving South Philly without a signed contract.

I mean it’s only money and we know Middleton doesn’t give a shit about the bottom line. All he cares about is winning:

pic.twitter.com/jCxij4rEZu

— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) February 18, 2023

Remember, this is the same guy who hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on his own sister just to keep his majority share of the billion dollar cigar business via Bob Fernandez at the Inky:

The Middleton parents planned on leaving the cigar company to John, the only son, court documents show. But Lucia opposed doing so, calling it too lucrative a deal for her brother.

The cigar company was instead divided three ways. But then the dispute arose over the valuation of the firm at the time when Middleton bought out his sisters and mother.

According to court documents, Nupson’s mother considered disinheriting her because of her personal problems. Both Nupson and Middleton hired private investigators to dig up dirt on one another. Nupson lives on a 40-acre ranch in New Mexico. She has been divorced twice, and is a recovering alcoholic.

If that’s not winning at all costs I don’t know what is. John Middleton will step over family to get what he wants. That’s a win-at-all-costs attitude that Juan Soto needs. Hal Steinbrenner is going to sell you a bag of magic beans. Everyone knows he’s a nepo baby with no clear vision of how to win in MLB. Steve Cohen is a natural seller. Once the going gets tough he will sell off his assets just to cut his losses. You don’t want to play for a guy who runs a team like a hedge fund.

John Middleton eats, sleeps, and breathes Phillies baseball. The team is losing sleep over not having a ring yet in the Bryce Harper era, via Bob Nightengale:

“The Phillies can’t believe they don’t have a ring in the Bryce Harper era, and after knocking on the door the past few years, they are willing to make a huge move to change their fate. Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, has not internally discussed pursuing Soto with his staff but is painfully aware they need to shake up their lineup. Simply, scouts say, they’re just too easy to pitch to come crunchtime with their big swingers and contact-challenged hitters. If someone needs a slugger like Nick Castellanos, or outfield help in Brandon Marsh, or third baseman Alec Bohm, the Phillies are listening.”

The post If Juan Soto Wants an Owner Committed to Winning, He Should Play for the Guy Who Wants His Trophy Back appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Sixto has elected free agency. It’s officially over.

His Marlins career: 3-5, 74.2 IP, 4.70 ERA https://t.co/EHo1BbpWMB

— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) November 5, 2024

The Phillies won the trade. It was a little more than five years ago when they swapped Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, and Will Stewart for J.T. Realmuto, who went on to become a two-time All Star and win two Gold Gloves. He was All-MLB First Team twice and earned two Silver Sluggers, the BCIB for a portion of his Phillies tenure. Sanchez dealt with injuries and never got his career on track while Alfaro enjoyed cups of coffee with various MLB teams and Stewart bounced around the minors. Realmuto came to the Phils with two years of club control, declined a qualifying offer in 2020, then re-upped on a five-year deal worth $115 million. The rest, as they say, is history.

The post Sixto Sanchez is a Free Agent appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Phillies can’t believe they don’t have a ring in the Bryce Harper era, and after knocking on the door the past few years, they are willing to make a huge move to change their fate. Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, has not internally discussed pursuing Soto with his staff but is painfully aware they need to shake up their lineup. Simply, scouts say, they’re just too easy to pitch to come crunchtime with their big swingers and contact-challenged hitters. If someone needs a slugger like Nick Castellanos, or outfield help in Brandon Marsh, or third baseman Alec Bohm, the Phillies are listening.

But don’t believe for a second the Phillies won’t keep spending, even if it means going beyond the third luxury-tax threshold of $281 million.

“For the right player,” Phillies owner John Middleton told reporters, “I have a high degree of confidence that Dave and I would go over the third limit.”

The Phillies are going to shake some things up this offseason, but how many current players will they actually move? It’s hard to tell. On one hand, this core can be good enough with the right supporting pieces around them. On the other hand, a lot of these players could bring back some value and give you a different look heading into a crucial 2025 season.

I don’t think Nick Castellanos is going anywhere. The contract isn’t the best, and if the Phillies wanted to spend big money in free agency this summer (Juan Soto), bailing on Castellanos’ contract in his fourth year with the team is definitely an option.

But you’d also be dishing a guy that hit .254 in 2024 with 23 homers, 86 RBIs, 30 doubles, and slashed .412/.412/.647 in 17 October ABs. Nick Castellanos is a big part of this clubhouse. He’s a leader, and was arguably the biggest reason why the Phillies stayed afloat at times throughout the regular season.

Brandon Marsh has an interesting case. Marsh has shown flashes, but the 26 year old failed once again to capitalize on left-handed pitching this season, hitting just .192/.270/.282 in 78 ABs with 33 strikeouts and 15 hits. Marsh hit well against righties, holding a .792 OPS on the season. But Marsh looked lost in October, going just 1 for 13 with 3 Ks.

Marsh is under team control through the 2027 season, and is eligible for his first year of arbitration this offseason. He was named a gold glove finalist this season, and has shown that he can thrive in situations that cater to him. But can he be an everyday player? The Phillies don’t have time for experiments.

Alec Bohm is the unknown. What version of Bohm is here for the future? The one who slashed .301/.365/.534 with runners in scoring position during the regular season, and logged a .370 batting average in April? Or the one that went 1 for 13 in October and got benched for a game in a crucial series against the Mets?

Bohm is entering his second year of arbitration after making $8.1M in 2024. He’s under Phillies control until the end of the 2026 season. Many teams in baseball would love Alec Bohm’s bat in their lineup.

This report doesn’t mean that the Phillies are actively shopping these three players. But it shows that Dave Dombrowski and John Middleton aren’t afraid to do whatever it takes to get the World Series trophy back to Philadelphia.

The post Trade Talk: Phillies are Reportedly “Listening” on Three Starters appeared first on Crossing Broad.

John Powers Middleton is John Middleton’s son and was born in 1984, so it checks out, unless there’s another mysterious “John Powers Middleton” out there who is also 40 years old. The public document notes that his mail in ballot is “undeliverable,” so someone get on the phone with him and let him know. What’s going on with the younger Middleton anyway? First he abandons a couple of mansions out in Los Angeles, now he’s got mail-in ballot issues. Get this man a secretary!

As a sidenote, the document published by the city is 58 pages long and and has about 57 names per page, so that’s 3,306 people with errors on their ballots, errors ranging from “no signature” to “ID not verified” and “no secrecy envelope.” There’s a little bit written about this in a WHYY story:

City Commissioner Omar Sabir said about 50,000 mail ballots have yet to be be returned. He called on voters to take their mail ballots to a designated dropbox; alternatively, they may be brought directly to City Hall or a satellite city commissioners office for pickup.

The city has also published a list of Philadelphia voters whose mail ballots contain errors. City officials “strongly advise” those voters request a replacement ballot at one of the city’s satellite election offices.

Anyway, if someone sees Middleton, let him know. You gotta fight, for your right, to vote!

The post Someone Tell John Powers Middleton that his Mail Ballot is Undeliverable appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Phillies Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer John Middleton announced today that three new investors will be added to the team’s ownership group – Mitchell L. Morgan, Guntram J. Weissenberger Jr. and a third investor who wishes to remain anonymous. The Middleton and Middleman families also will be contributing additional funds.

Morgan is founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Conshohocken, Pa.-based Morgan Properties, a leading real estate investment management firm. His sons, Jonathan and Jason Morgan, oversee the day-to-day business operations of Morgan Properties and represent the next-generation leaders growing the platform. Morgan Properties owns a multifamily portfolio comprising over 96,000 units across more than 350 communities in 19 states. The company is the nation’s largest private multifamily property owner and the third-largest apartment owner in the country. Through the Morgan Family Foundation, Morgan, his wife Hilarie and their children, Jonathan, Brittany and Jason, have supported countless philanthropic organizations in the Philadelphia area including a recent $50 million donation to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to create a state-of-the-art facility, the Morgan Center for Research and Innovation, and fund life-changing research. Additionally, Morgan currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Temple University. The Morgan family is also one of the limited partners in the Washington Commanders.

Weissenberger is president of Westover Companies, founded in 1965 and headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa. Westover Companies provides quality living for its residents at nearly 15,000 apartments in over 70 communities in the Philadelphia suburbs, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Florida. Additionally, Westover Companies manages commercial and retail space in the Philadelphia area. Weissenberger and his employees have been strong supporters of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Project HOME, hope+door and other non-profit organizations.

“We are fortunate to have three new investors, all of whom have lifelong, multi-generational ties to the Philadelphia region and its business, academic and charitable communities,” said Middleton. “Their significant investment is a vote of confidence in our baseball operations, and the financial resources they are providing will allow us to pursue our strategic growth opportunities and long-term goals. Additionally, their strong commitment to Philadelphia and their philanthropic leadership perfectly aligns with the Phillies, making them the ideal partners to continue to grow our franchise.”

“On behalf of the Morgan family, we could not be more excited and prouder to be a part of this world-class organization and join the ownership group of the Phillies,” said Mitchell Morgan. “We are thankful to John and the entire Phillies organization for the opportunity of a lifetime. As lifelong Phillies fans, our family is passionate about everything we do, and the Phillies is an emotional, not a financial, investment. We look forward to supporting John in continuing to build a winning culture and bringing championships back to Philadelphia.”

“Growing up near Phoenixville, Pa., the Phillies have always been a big part of my life,” said Weissenberger. “To join John and his entire team is not only fulfilling a childhood dream, but also proof that I was always destined to be a better businessman than shortstop.”

In July 2023, Stan Middleman joined the Phillies ownership group as a new limited partner, only the second time in over 40 years that a new partner was added to the group. The Buck family continues to hold an ownership stake in the club, along with the Montgomery family and Pat Gillick.

The Phillies is a limited partnership formed in 1981. No partner owns a majority of the team. There will be no change in the management of the club as Middleton will remain the club’s managing partner, chief executive officer and MLB control person.

Galatioto Sports Partners served as the Phillies investment banker in the deal, its second such representation.

Hopefully these new limited partners can help John Middleton get his fucking trophy back. This isn’t Pittsburgh. And the mysterious third investor can remain anonymous if he/she throws some cash into the pot for a Juan Soto pursuit. Anybody got an extra $50 million a year laying around? Get Scott Boras on the phone, stat!

The post Hopefully the Phillies’ New Limited Partners are Here to Land Juan Soto appeared first on Crossing Broad.

MTA bus exploded. pic.twitter.com/D3EJEqF03X

— Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) October 31, 2024

This is insane pic.twitter.com/VImbPdC1Nk

— Los Angeles Scanner (@LosAngeles_Scan) October 31, 2024

Fans celebrated the #LA #Dodgers winning the #WorldSeries Wednesday night by turning the streets into chaos and committing crimes as police scrambled to bring it under control. Full story in bio!

: ANG News/KNN News pic.twitter.com/NHzF59UMpW

— TMZ (@TMZ) October 31, 2024

Fireworks in the bus? Now why do you gotta put fireworks in the bus? Fireworks go in the air! They don’t go indoors!

What’d the bus do to deserve this?

Fireworks set the bus on fire. pic.twitter.com/FDq5sqhtc7

— Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) October 31, 2024

This is a celebration? In which language? It looks like the end of civilization. Like the President just told us an asteroid is coming to Earth and we have three hours to live:

Could you imagine Jim Gardner having to cut away from the celebration on Broad Street because he had to go down to Chopper 6 to give play-by-play of a Nike store getting looted? That’d be insane. It would mar the entire celebration.

People on every talk show and every website on every platform in the country are just talking about Juan Soto free agency and if the Dodgers can repeat. Not even a peep about Dodgers fans lighting businesses on fire and stealing. There would be an entire black eye on the Phillies championship if this happened and people were cheering them on:

Looters in Downtown Los Angeles carry out boxes of shoes from the Jordan Store #Dodgers #Looting #Looters #DTLA #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/WtjE8GguL0

— Arrow (@arrowhead03) October 31, 2024

From stolen bases to stolen laces! Looters take advantage of Dodgers celebrations, breaking into a Nike Jordan store downtown. Vandals also set fire to a Metro bus. The bad behavior marring a great night for Dodger fans. This morning at 6 from ABC7 https://t.co/XWGVCYurKr pic.twitter.com/obsPkPaoM3

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 31, 2024

Nothing makes my blood boil more than people fucking with other people’s property for no reason:

dodgers fan kicking car pic.twitter.com/sJRXNDPEL3

— Paul Poluszny Lover (@paulpozluvr) October 31, 2024

Fires are being lit in East LA as Dodger celebrations continue. LASD has declared an unlawful assembly #worldseries pic.twitter.com/s4cJYSFb4a

— News Dude (@news__dude) October 31, 2024

Despicable behavior all around and it shouldn’t shock you it’s from a fanbase that treats home games like they’re in a Gladiator arena. One cop was a couple seconds from turning into Lt. Dan for Halloween:

La cop m80 pic.twitter.com/q9ZMLkHe86

— Paul Poluszny Lover (@paulpozluvr) October 31, 2024

A dispersal order has been issued at 9th and Flower due to an unlawful assembly and a hostile crowd that is throwing fireworks and projectiles at officers. Leave the area immediately and follow all officers orders.

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 31, 2024

What a time to be alive. Can’t sleep at 3am so watch Dodgers fans in LA burn a tree and police shoot rubber bullets to back up a crowd. Insane. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/p4joRVAag7

— bëtlèbūp (@betlebup) October 31, 2024

One Dodgers fan went full Jason Pierre-Paul with a firework. Dude’s gonna be handing out Halloween candy with nubs. I’m not gonna embed it in here, but here’s the link (Warning: Graphic).

Bro if this was Philly we’d never hear the end of this shit. I think there was like one arrest the night of the Super Bowl. Somehow there were only 12 last night. There were probably 12 arrests in Bucks County from kids egging houses on Mischief Night. People are rioting in the streets of LA and there were only 12 combined?! TWELVE:

We got riots in LA on Sweatergxd’s stream.

I swear only Dodgers fans would turn a celebration into a riot. They’re looking for any excuse to burn down the city lmao. Imagine if Trump wins, that city is gonna get obliterated. pic.twitter.com/Nfmlc55GGq

— Tropah (@TropahPalm) October 31, 2024

Unrest looting, shoplifting, destruction of property, and simply no respect in Los Angeles California over the last 9 hours. After the dodgers won the world series. pic.twitter.com/SSgEhuuBuJ

— Casimiro Cervantes (Casimiro Media Productions) (@CasimiroMedia) October 31, 2024

What in the Tobias Funke was going on in LA last night?

Tobias Funke pic.twitter.com/2JFXOkd0Je

— Paul Poluszny Lover (@paulpozluvr) October 31, 2024

The post Now if Philly Celebrated the World Series By Looting and Setting Buses On Fire it Would Be National News appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Juan Soto was asked if he expects the Mets to go after him in free agency:

“I don’t know what’s the teams that are going to come after me. Definitely, I’ll be open to this and every single team. I don’t have any doors closed. I”m gonna be available for all 30 teams pic.twitter.com/3VICeWeney

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) October 31, 2024

If someone asked me if I wanted to get married to my fiance and I said I was open to anyone and don’t have any doors closed does that sound like I want to get married? Personally, if I was Juan Soto I’d be too embarrassed to ever play in New York again after what happened. How can you look anyone in the eye ever again after blowing a 5-0 lead IN THE WORLD SERIES? How can you go to Queens knowing they’re an even worse-off franchise that has been cursed for years? How can you return to a team that you already know peaked? When you needed your guys the most they shrunk under the bright lights. Three major errors in one inning! One by the team captain on a routine fly ball? Another by your shortstop of the future spiking a Donovan McNabb dirt ball? The last by your ace forgetting to cover first base? How can you want to go back to that? These ain’t your father’s Yankees anymore. This franchise is the poster boy for ordinary. A zebra might not be able to change his stripes, but Juan Soto can.

Look at how distraught this guy was after the final out. He just sat in the dugout like a statue for what felt like an hour doing nothing:

Juan Soto was the last Yankee sticking around to watch the Dodgers celebrate pic.twitter.com/RpfJY7fymq

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 31, 2024

That point to the sky at the end there was telling. Feels like that was a guy who knew he just played in his last game in the Bronx. Then after the game the reports about his preference to stay in New York seemed exaggerated.

Juan Soto on the perception of him preferring to stay in New York:

“I don’t think so. I’m really happy with the city, with the team, how these guys do. At the end of the day, we’re gonna look at every situation, every offer that we’ll get and take the decision from there” pic.twitter.com/hAfOh4g7Uf

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 31, 2024

“Hey Juan you want to stay in New York like all the reports are saying, right? You love the team and the traffic and trash and rats everywhere and the taxes and homeless people shitting on the sidewalks, right?”

Juan Soto: “Fuck you. Pay me.”

He could come to Philadelphia and save a third of his future $700 million paycheck. And before you say you don’t want him watch this:

Then watch him lay off this 1-2 splitter and remember there’s like one guy on the Phillies that could do this:

Guy just posted a 1.012 OPS in the playoffs. He had his best season at the plate with Kevin Long in DC. He’s boys with Bryce and Trea. I’d pay $72 for a hot dog if it meant bringing him here. I don’t care if CBP looked like a stock car. Sell a million sleeve and helmet patches. Time for John Middleton to put his money where his mouth is, via Scott Lauber at the Inky:

“How much money did the ‘27 Yankees make? Or the ‘29 A’s? Or the ‘75-76 Big Red Machine?” Middleton said. “Does anybody know? Does anybody care? Nobody knows or cares whether any of them made any money or not. And nobody cares about whether I make money or not. If my legacy is that I didn’t lose any money owning a baseball team on an annual operating basis, that’s a pretty sad legacy. It’s about putting trophies in the cases.

It’s about putting trophies in the cases. BOIB.

The post It Doesn’t Sound Like Juan Soto is Set on Staying in New York appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“Well, A for effort.”

Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024

Everything about these guys is great! The double chin, the one guy a couple seats down from him who had on a sliding mitt on like Aaron Boone was about to call him to pinch run, the quotes after the game about D’ing up their space. All of it!

Swap the blue pinstripes for some red ones and these guys are one of ours:

Dude on the left is wearing an evoshield sliding mitt in the stands. pic.twitter.com/R9EBn8b7fD

— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) October 30, 2024

Meet Austin Capobianco (middle), the fan that interfered with Mookie. I was talking to him at a local bar when a bunch of other fans asked him to take a pic with him and for his autograph. He was a beaut. Story up soon at ESPN: “If it’s in our area, we’re going to ‘D’ up.” pic.twitter.com/0XDpfsifvq

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 30, 2024

That guy is going to be a water cooler legend at the Bronx Mitsubishi dealer tomorrow pic.twitter.com/vkcTSQS7gl

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) October 30, 2024

People want to complain like “if a Phillies fan did this blah blah blah.” Absolutely it’d be national news. Because we fucking rule. Not many fanbases can drive talk shows and blogs. Show me a fanbase starved for a championship that wouldn’t have a plan in place if the ball came into the stands. If this happened in CBP and a Phillies fan backed away he deserves to be called a pussy for the rest of eternity. Your favorite team is about to get swept and you’re going to run and hide? Anyone comes in your space you make them remember. You don’t think Mookie’s head is going to be on a swivel the rest of the series? It’s mental warfare. This is what the Bronx used to be. It had this aura around it where teams were scared to come and play. Now it’s nothing but a bunch of suits and people who look like the Costco guys.

My dad told me a story once about attending a game during the Subway Series where he saw a foul ball land a couple rows in front of him. Yankees fans swarmed it, one of them threw his arm in between the seat-fold and the back of it, secured the ball, but Yankees fans wouldn’t let him get up until he dropped it. They started crushing one of their own’s arm using the seat-fold as a weapon. All of this for a foul ball. That’s how you win 27 championships, folks.

And the best part is the situation was handled, those guys were kicked out, no one was hurt, and Mookie Betts didn’t even give a shit enough to talk about it after the game:

Yankee fan who grabbed Mookie Betts gets tossed by Stadium security. Fan deserved it. @JomboyMedia @TheAthleticMLB pic.twitter.com/tHWpV2ydlJ

— Navy Yard Nats (@NavyYardNats) October 30, 2024

The two Yankee fans involved in the fan interference with Mookie Betts were walked out to the concourse. (Video via a fan on the concourse.) pic.twitter.com/dJzopMRSMe

— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) October 30, 2024

Mookie Betts wasn’t interested in talking about the incident with the two fans in the first inning, calling it “irrelevant” to the final result of the game. pic.twitter.com/t1TJKdvG25

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 30, 2024

The Yankees won and it looks like the fans will be back in their seats for Game 5, according to Jesse Rogers at ESPN:

Capobianco and Peter were escorted out of Yankee Stadium but said they were told they would be allowed back for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Yankees did not immediately respond to ESPN’s request for comment regarding if that was indeed the case.

“I know when I’m in the wrong and as soon as I did it, I was like, ‘Boys I’m out of here,'” Capobianco told ESPN. “I patrol that wall and they know that.”

In a world where no one wants to be held accountable anymore I gotta give it up to this  Capobianco guy. It’s his job to patrol that wall, but he knows when he fucked up. Can’t teach that.

Is it a hot take if I actually think the Dodgers fan who interfered in Game 1 is more of a dumbass than these guys?

pic.twitter.com/Aro6hhT6DZ

— dubs408 (@dubsvidstouse) October 26, 2024

That’s blatant dumbass-ness. Guy reached over the wall by two feet and almost cost his team the game.

The post I Can’t Help but Fall in Love With These Yankees DBags Defending Their Turf appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Free agents? A big trade? Signing guys from overseas? Maybe a mix of everything? We’ll see. My Phillies Mailbag always kicks off on Twitter, where you can ask all of your questions. Let’s get into it.

Going to do another mailbag today for @CrossingBroad.

Drop any Phillies offseason questions down in the replies!

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) October 29, 2024

What are the chances Johan Rojas is starting on Opening Day?

I’d say about 40%. The Phillies like Rojas, but both Dave Dombrowski and Rob Thomson have addressed that he’s going to need to hit more to be an everyday player in this lineup.

Rojas’ goal coming into the 2024 season was focusing on contact, spraying the ball the other way, and being able to get more bunts down. It wasn’t pretty, but he was more successful when it comes to bunting. Rojas slashed .243/.279/.322 in 2024 with a .601 OPS and a 0.7 WAR in 2024. He accumulated a 2.4 WAR in 59 games in 2023. Do what you want with WAR, but that means something.

I wouldn’t say Rojas took a step back this past season, because it’s hard to compare his two years when one of them was two months worth of games. But the Phillies need Rojas to hit more, and they need a centerfielder that can get on base.

Will Jeff Hoffman or Carlos Estevez be back?

I think it’s one of the two. If you’re looking at the free agent market, their best move would be both of those guys returning; but I don’t think that’s likely. Don’t buy too much into Hoffman’s postseason ERA. It was bad, no doubt about it. But Hoffman also tallied a 2.17 ERA in 66.1 regular season innings. The stuff is there for the 31 year old.

Estevez was better in Philly than people made it seem. He logged 18 Ks and walked just 7 batters in 18 innings of regular season ball for the Phillies, and without a middle-middle pitch to Francisco Lindor in Game 5, I thought he was actually pretty good in October.

I’ll ask you: Hoffman or Estevez? I’d go Hoffman, but I would love both of them back, and I think that’s the best move for the Phillies based on the free-agent class.

Will the Phillies be in on Roki Sasaki?

They absolutely should be. I think they’ll struggle because teams with just as much money need him a lot more. The Mets will definitely be in. The Dodgers will throw out a number. The Yankees will be in the mix.

Sasaki has a career 2.02 ERA in the Japan Pacific League. He’s struck out 524 batters in 414.2 innings. Just watch this offspeed. Oh, and guess what he’s young: 

Go get this guy, Dave.

Roki Sasaki’s Disgusting Offspeed Stuff.

Good luck.

And, yes, he’s 21 years old. pic.twitter.com/s7G2H8rFgT

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 20, 2023

What month will Andrew Painter first pitch with the Phillies?

The Phillies are going to take their time with Painter; they’ve emphasized that multiple times. There is absolutely zero reason to rush Painter into a rotation that already has Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, and Ranger Suarez.

What the Phillies do with the 5th starter role to begin the season will be interesting. I assume they’ll look for another Turnbull-like contract elsewhere. Taijuan Walker will most likely still be here, but he will have to earn the spot back.

My prediction for Andrew Painter’s first MLB start: July

Do you still expect Brandon Marsh to be on the Phillies next year? If yes, would he be the starting in left or center fielder and who do you think his platoon partner will be with the expectation marsh won’t start much against lefties?

I think the Phillies are starting to realize that Brandon Marsh isn’t an everyday player. The splits against lefties aren’t getting better. He struck out nearly 50% of the time against southpaws last year.

Brandon Marsh is a good bench bat. He gives you a spark with the way he can play. Another impact star this offseason should be at the top of the list, but good outfield depth needs to be right behind that. Maybe it’s somewhere in the organization, maybe it’s a free agent, maybe it’s a trade.

How realistic do you think landing Juan Soto actually is? And if we miss out on him, who is another outfielder you’d like to see in Philly?

Money talks, it’s as simple as that. But relationships matter, too. I think Soto’s past with Harper, Turner, Schwarber, and Kevin Long is going to play a factor. If we’ve learned anything about Bryce Harper in the offseason, he’s going to do what he can to help recruit.

I’ve talked a lot about Jurickson Profar, but with just one good season, it’s a bit of a risk. Tyler O’Neill can make an impact, but if you’re looking for a guy with quality at-bats, I wouldn’t dig too much into O’Neill. Cody Bellinger doesn’t make sense anymore.

Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernandez are the big ones. Two power bats that are proven to be elite. I’d prefer Teoscar there, but I don’t know if he leaves LA, especially if they win the World Series.

The Phillies have options, it’s just the matter of how the cards turn.

If the Phils don’t land Soto, do you see them pivoting to another FA, or trying to work out a trade for someone like Kyle Tucker or Luis Robert Jr?

I think a big trade is just as likely as a big signing. Kyle Tucker in this lineup would be a dream. He’s 27 years old, he’ll be 28 on Opening Day 2025. He’s a World Series Champion, 3x All-Star, Silver Slugger winner, Gold Glove winner, and has a career 139 OPS+.

He struck out 92 times in 157 games in 2023. He’s a disciplined hitter. Throwing Tucker into the 2-hole of this lineup would be incredible.

Who do you think will be delivering the blank check to Juan Soto?

I’ll do it. Just let me know how much he wants, and I’ll write it.

The post Phillies Mailbag: Roki Sasaki, Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto, and Bringing Back One or Both of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Phillies signed righty reliever Cody Stashak to a minor-league deal. The South Jersey native had 72 innings in majors with Twins from 2019-22. Spent 2024 at Triple A in Giants org. Phillies will take a look in spring.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) October 30, 2024

Stashak hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2022. His best season was his first with Minnesota, when he logged a 3.24 ERA in 18 appearances with just 3 homers allowed and 25 strikeouts. He’s reportedly added some strikeout stuff and has thrown his slider nearly 50% of the time in his career.

Stashak is a 2012 graduate of Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing. He went to Cumberland County College for two years, then transferred to St. John’s University in 2015 and helped lead the team to a Big East title. The 30-year-old spent the 2024 season in the Giants organization, logging a 5.45 ERA in 27 games before being released in August.

The Phillies are going to get all of the pitching depth they can. There’s no guarantee that Stashak will still be in the organization come Opening Day 2025, but any minor-league deal is worth a shot.

The post Phillies Sign South Jersey Reliever to Minor League Deal appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Andrew Painter touches 99.2 mph as he spins his first scoreless start of the fall:
3 IP
1 H
0 R
0 BB
3 K
32 pitches; 26 strikes@Phillies | @PhilsPlayerDev | @MLBazFallLeague pic.twitter.com/Cg91vPr1wc

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 24, 2024

Painter allowed just one hit across his three innings of action vs. Salt River, fanning three batters. He threw just six balls in 32 pitches, showcasing the command we’ve been waiting to see at its best this fall.

We also saw a new pitch from Painter… kind of. His fastball topped out at 99.2, his curveball was moving, and he didn’t throw a single changeup due to a righty-heavy lineup, per Sam Dykstra of MLB.com. But we saw a slider, something we haven’t seen yet from the 21-year-old top prospect:

“It’s a slider. It’s the same pitch, same grip, just a different thought process. One of them, the slower one, is for a strike most of the time. When I get to two strikes, it’s the same grip, but I’m just thinking to go gloveside away to a righty and in on a lefty. I’m just thinking more heater with it. Same grip though.” – Andrew Painter postgame via Dykstra

Painter is experimenting with a slider this fall. Like he said, it’s the same grip, and “technically” the same pitch. But he’ll use it as a put away pitch, which makes his arsenal even more elite.

It’s great to see the Phillies top prospect back on the mound following Tommy John surgery. Painter has impressed so far this fall, with his fastball touching 100 in his first start two weeks ago.

Andrew Painter in the 2024 Arizona Fall League

• 3 Starts
• 7 IP
• 6 H
• 3 ER
• 1 BB
• 7 K
• 3.86 ERA

The job will be there for Painter to take in the spring, if he’s ready. Dave Dombrowski said in his end of the year press conference that the 5th starter spot will be earned in 2025. It is not promised to Taijuan Walker, for obvious reasons. Dombrowski also said they won’t rush Painter, as they know he’s the future of this pitching staff.

The post Andrew Painter Spins “New” Pitch in Dominant Arizona Fall League Outing appeared first on Crossing Broad.