The Philadelphia Phillies finished with an 80-82 mark a year ago. The team raised a few eyebrows during the year, being in first place as late as August 19th before having the season come apart. The Atlanta Braves won the National League East with a 90-72 mark. During the offseason, the Phillies made a few changes to their roster, but the biggest move was made after spring training had begun.
Making a Run at October
The Phillies added catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Jean Segura during the offseason. They also added former all-star Andrew McCutchen. Those moves are significant position upgrades from last year’s roster. General Manager Matt Klentak then opened up his checkbook and signed Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million deal. He believed Harper was the missing piece and that Philadelphia could close that 10-win gap. October baseball was within their reach at last.
Surely Klentak did not envision hitting Harper leadoff. He is a middle-of-the-order bat. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And the Phillies were in a pretty desperate situation this weekend.
Phillies Try Bryce Harper at Leadoff
Philadelphia had lost four games in a row headed into a home series with the lowly Miami Marlins this past weekend. The Phillies had scored only six runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of Harper’s former team, the Washington Nationals. They also suffered a 15-1 drubbing at the hands of the Braves, a team the Phillies led by three and one half games on May 29th and now trail by five and one half. The team was stagnant offensively. Manager Gabe Kapler decided to try something drastic. The results were less than impressive.
The Phillies’ offense remained stagnant. Over the course of a shocking three-game sweep at the hands of the worst team in the National League, they managed to score only eight runs in the series. Harper was impressive at times, notching five hits in 14 at-bats in the series with a couple of RBI. Then again, it’s curious that the Phillies should pay so much attention to where their new star hits when he is clearly not the problem.
Bryce Harper is Doing Fine
It is true that everything hasn’t exactly been perfect for Harper in his first year in Philly. The career .277 hitter is hitting only .251 as of June 26th, and his slow start to the season has him still quieting some boos. His power numbers are still on par with previous years. Harper is on pace for 48 doubles and to drive in over 100 runs. He’s slugging .467 with a solid OPS of .837. In short, he’s doing what they paid him to do. Moving him to the front of the order was most likely to try to jar loose some offense from the other bats in the order.
Bryce Harper Moves Back to Hitting Third
The experiment failed miserably and was abandoned on Monday. The result was a merciful end to their seven-game skid in a thorough pounding of Steven Matz and the New York Mets. The game saw the Phillies break out for 19 hits as they won a slugfest over New York, 13-7. Harper, hitting once again in the third spot, chipped in two hits while four of his teammates left the yard.
Bullpen Woes
Despite the offensive outburst and the victory, all is not well in the City of Brotherly Love. The trouble starts 60 feet and 6 inches away from home plate. The starting staff has been both good and bad this season. They’ve received largely solid performances out of their two aces, Jake Arrieta and Aaron Nola. Despite his own struggles on Monday night, Zach Eflin is pitching very well in his third major league season. His ERA of 3.26 in 15 starts marks a career best. Those three provide a solid base for the staff despite some questions on the back end of the rotation. Still, the bullpen is struggling mightily.
The group was supposed to be anchored by the veteran presences of sidearmer Pat Neshek and former Yankee David Robertson. Neshek had pitched wonderfully out of the pen for Philly since being acquired during the 2017 season, but he owns a 5.00 ERA in 20 appearances so far this season. Robertson is a postseason veteran with a great resume. He signed a lucrative free agent deal during the offseason but pitched in just seven games before landing on the 60-day IL with a sore elbow.
Bullpen Outlook
Hector Neris is having a fine season as the Phils’ closer, but right now the bridge to the ninth inning is occupied by mid-level veterans like Juan Nicasio and Jose Alvarez. They are hopeful that Neshek will return to form. They also continue to hope that David Robertson can return before the end of the season. But it does leave them with some decisions to make.
Buyers or Sellers?
The hard trade deadline of July 31st forces teams to decide a bit earlier whether their dream of playoff baseball is a realistic one. The Phillies believe this team is capable of winning it all. That is the reason they spent so much money on Bryce Harper, but there is a significant hole in this roster. The time is now for them to make a move.
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