High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Reaction To Alex Bregman Signing With Boston & Phillies Pitchers and Catchers Reporting To Clearwater

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

Jack Fritz is flying solo, discussing how the Red Sox signing Alex Bregman affects the Phillies and giving all his thoughts the Phils after pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training earlier this week. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the high hopes podcast On the Odyssey app in sports radio 94 WIP I Feel a little less alone Listen if you thought a little Super Bowl was going to deter me and deter this podcast from continuing to exist You are sadly sadly mistaken. Welcome on in It's a little solo edition of the high was podcast because I've been ditched. I've been left behind by, by James Salter. I know you didn't hear a yo. I know you didn't hear how we usually open the podcast as always presented by

Miller Lite and that's because it's time to get back to business here. And I can't find Salter. I mean, he, he might as well as be floating on, on cloud nine. Like I just haven't, he just won't stop smiling, which is about, about as on brand as I've ever seen for, for James Salter. All I can think about is, is the little football team and I just, it's pitchers and catchers. I know, I know they won the Superbowl in dominating fashion and

destroyed Patchamahomes and it was phenomenal. And there's a parade tomorrow. But hold on, man. We had Tywan Walker first picture to the mound yesterday. I'm sure he was gunning it in there at about a nice, tidy 89 miles an hour. That's called living. So there's a lot I wanna get to,

a real quick kind of episode here. Dayton Brown, if you talked yesterday, some of the things that he said, comparing, you know, this Eagles team to this Phillies team and could there be some kind of a correlation? But I actually want to start with the big news that happened overnight, not Nick Pavetta, although never a doubt. I mean, it's, it's over. Pavetta's obviously a damn good pitcher,

but he's now creating a problem for the Phillies. We need Pivetta in the National League Championship Series, or in the playoffs next year, and see how he would handle pitching in Philadelphia. If I had to guess, it probably wouldn't go very well. But regardless, yes, Nick Pivetta is a padre. The rich get richer. The rich get richer. But Alex Bregman is a is a Padre. The rich get richer, the rich get richer.

But Alex Bregman is a Red Sock. And after I saw that contract, thank God. I mean, $40 million a year. I know there's deferments. That's not the right term, I believe. The deferrals and like, listen, it's short amount of years. There's opt-outs we'll see he plays the three years I'm sure that if he plays well and reestablish his

market he's gonna want to go back on the free agent you know get back into the market and see how that goes but on it's on it on the service level in 40 million a year 40 million a year for Alex Bregman seems insane and especially when you factor in the the Phill's tax situation where I know we don't want to feel bad for billionaires but that $40 million goes to, it equates to $80 million a year because of the being over the luxury tax threshold that they are currently in. So I'm perfectly fine without adding Alex Bregman. And now I know that the other name out there is Nolan Arundado.

Again, hard pass, hard pass. I think Bohm is better than both players. I think he's equal-ish enough to Alex Bregman. I don't think Alex Bregman is $32 million better than Alec Bohm. And I'm really curious to see what Alec Baum looks like in camp. He could come into camp sulking, he could come into camp motivated.

And given how Dave Dabrowski talked yesterday and how the coaches, I guess, have seen Alec Baum, it seems like he is taking the route of being motivated by what happened last off season. And if you get a motivated Alec Baum, listen,, he's, he's never going to be a 25 to 30 home run guy, like he, I think we projected by this point, but he still is going to drive in hopefully over 90 runs, maybe gets over the a hundred threshold and the reality is, is that he's two years away, two seasons away from being paid.

And it's time for him to really start laying the groundwork for his free agency. I don't think the affiliates are gonna extend him one of those like, braves kind of deals. I think that they're gonna let him maybe test the market. I don't think there's this big eagerness to sign Alec Bohn to a long-term deal here. So he has to be thinking about his next contract right now.

And I think that there's a shot here that you're gonna get a different version of Alec Bohn. And I know we said a lot this off season on the podcast about if he can handle this, if he cannot handle this. And I think both of us were a little too negative on the idea of him not being able to handle this. When you're a young player, you come up through the system, you are billed as the future,

and then it doesn't kind of go very well. Like you start learning about the business of baseball. And I think that that's what BOM learned this off season is the business of baseball. And it matures you, I think. I think it humbles you. And I think it that's what Bohm learned this off season is the business of baseball. And it matures you, I think. I think it humbles you and I think it hardens you. And maybe Alec Bohm, now you're gonna see a different version of him.

So, I think I'm leaning towards being on the positive side of him handling all the trade rumors this off season, how the Phillies managed him and getting Alecc Bohm with the first half was insane. And one of the things that I think does have to be thrown into the mix here with how we evaluate Bohm heading into the 2025 season is just how affected he was by that wrist injury. I mean, the wrist injury had to affect him. It was one of the reasons why he didn't play in game two of the Mets series, I believe. And it's why his number's craters.

So you factor in the big money to Bregman, Aaron Otto, I mean, the fact that he's even talking about changing positions. Buddy, your value now is still being a really good defensive third baseman. It's not your bat. Alec Bohn is going to be the good defensive third baseman. It's not your bat. Alec Bohm's gonna be the opening day third baseman. And I think there's a real chance here that a motivated Alec Bohm could bear a lot of fruit for this Phillies team, and they need that. They need that guy.

And especially given the conversations that seem like is happening with the lineup where I think we're gonna see a lot more Turner, Harper, Bohm, Schwaber to try to protect Bryce Harper and get speed up the top. Bohm in that three hole is gonna be massive. So, a sulking out Bohm, huge problem for the Phillies. A motivated out Bohm helps them a ton.

So, I do think the lineup's gonna be something to watch this spring training because like Schwaber,ab really won a lot of games there. It was a great bit for a long time, and I think he's a good leadoff hitter. Ultimately, it has not led to a World Series. It has not led to a parade down Broad Street like we're gonna experience tomorrow. And I actually think that the line-up decision change is more about October than winning regular season games. And I think they'll stick with it longer than they did in 2023.

2023, they moved off it really fast. They moved off the Trey Turner leadoff thing really, really quickly. And I just, I think that their singular focus heading into spring this year is finding the way to play good baseball heading into October because the more and more you see it, it's what matters the most. And last year they obviously did not. They had a bad week, they had a bad stretch and all of that.

And what has happened in the last, in two straight post seasons, three straight post seasons, if you wanna go back to the Astros series, is teams just decided that we're not gonna let Bryce Harper beat us. And when he's batting third and you have Bohm or Castellanos behind him, they weren't making opposing pitchers pay enough. So if you bat him second, then you have a bunch of bats behind him.

You have Bohm, you have Schwaber, to where they can't just pitch around him, put him on base, and deal with the guys After him, so I think the the the move for this is not about sure being a bad leadoff hitter Not about clogging the bases not about you getting some speed at the top It's nice to have speed at the top in a perfect world You have high average high on base and at the top, and hopefully Trey Turner can provide that. And I do think Trey, now, I think he's gonna run more,

because in a perfect world, well, not in a perfect world, but in, it does create optionality from the standpoint of, let's say Trey leads off the inning, I don't think he's gonna run with Bryce up, because I think it's, I don't think that's a very smart thing to do, even though Trey will likely steal the base. Still, you don't wanna he's gonna run with Bryce up, because I think it's, I don't think that's a very smart thing to do. Even though Trey will likely steal the base, still, you don't want to have him off the base

with Bryce always having the ability to pop one. But, you know, so let's say Bryce pops one, back to nothing. Also Trey Turner on first base, Bryce Harper gets out. Now, with, with Boam up, who is a good bat to ball guy, can hit the ball to the right side of the infield Then you can have a first third situation you get a hit run situation you have Trey stealing that so I think you can

see Trey go from 25 to 30 stolen bases to hopefully 40 to 50 stolen bases because I Think the last couple years he would decide not to run because Bryce Harper was there batting third and you don't want to take a Potential base runner off the board When when that guy's the plate so I think we're gonna see a lot more Turner Harper boom Schwab er and then figure out the rest of the lineup But I think that's good. I think they want to give that some leeway see if those guys can get comfortable with it I don't think they, it's funny, because last year was all about, we gotta start hot,

we gotta start hot, we gotta start hot. Ultimately, it didn't matter. They won the NNC, wow, they won the NL East, and obviously we're done in a week. So I think that, I don't think they're super concerned about getting off to a hot start, and I think that they are using a lot of the early months of this season, I'm gonna try my best and this is me being honest

to not overreact to some early season losses when they're trying to iron out some of the issues here. Maybe think about October in April and May. It's gonna be hard. We know how this goes. But I don't think they're super concerned with getting off to a lightning fast start so that they can kind of have to coast down the stretch.

But I think that lineup to start the season, give it a lot of leeway, you get to July, you get to August, you need to step it back up, you're kind of hovering around 500. Okay, maybe that's when we see Schwab back in the leadoff spot. But I want to see them give that a chance so that heading into October,

we don't see the teams just pitching around Bryce. All right, everybody, it's here. The March to Spring trending and opening day is officially upon us. Hey, I'm Rob Bradford from Baseballs & Boring, and we'll have you covered every single day with instant reactions to late breaking signings, determining which players are yes, truly in the best shape for their lives and behind the

scene stories from all the excitement and intrigue that spring trending brings. Follow baseball isn't boring in the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up NBA fans is Danny green here. or wherever you get your podcast. the association's top storylines, as well as breaking news and so much more. Be sure to subscribe to Inside the Green Room on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, uh, I did talk about Taiwan at the beginning. It's interesting because they say he's ahead of where he was this time last year. There is a scenario to where he gets some velocity back.

Maybe last year was just dead arm and he can be serviceable. I don't think he's ever gonna be worth the rest of that contract. But I really do still believe that Taiwan is here pitching and auditioning for other teams more than the Phillies. I know you say that you can never have enough pitching. And while that's true, you don't need like all the pitching in the world.

And they have a pretty set rotation with some, with Aidan Miller, or sorry, with Andrew Painter also coming through the system as well, to where they have a plethora of starting pitching. So I think the Taiwan thing, and getting them out there and having them pitch in spring, seeing the velocity can tick back up, back closer to 95 rather than 92,

is more about is he gonna pitch interestingly enough to where another team might say, okay, well, at least he's not gonna be a disaster for us, and the Phillies don't have to give up a super big prospect to attach and get off that money. That's my assessment of the Taiwan situation. And maybe there's an injury in spring training, and they have to go and pitch Taiwan in the regular season.

Sure, I guess that could be the case. The old adage is you can never have too much starting pitching. But they also have a lot of starting pitching. So I think that's what the Taiwan Walker's situation is more about the painter situation. David M. Browski said July-ish earlier today. He also said that could mean June, that could mean August. Depends how he's throwing, depends how his health is. There's always these great plans heading into spring training of what they're going to do. One of the plans is we're going to use the entire field with our hitters now, our major league hitters who have been in the league for six, seven, eight years.

We're just going to start going the opposite way, start using the whole field. Again, I'll see it when I believe it. I think a lot of these guys are locked into their own ways and it's hard to change the art. Now, Schwab did last year and it was great. But with Andrew Painter, I know the plan is July, but if he's dominating or an injury happens, I'm sure they're gonna want to get Andrew Painter

up here as fast as possible. So, and Tim Kelly also, very important report today, appreciate Tim asking the important questions on if it's Andy or if it's Andrew. And Andrew Painter said that out there is Andrew. So I think we can nip that in the bud. No longer have to call him Andy Painter because it just sounded like Toy Story.

And we can't be having that. I need Andrew Painter to be a top of the line horse for this team for after the Zach Wheeler years. And Andy Painter, it just doesn't hit the same as Andrew Painter. So either way, it seems like July, they have to balance. What I'm going to find interesting is let's say all their guys are pitching well, there's no injuries. They're probably going to have to manage Ranger,

but also Ranger is in a contract here, he's gonna wanna prove he can throw 180 innings. What do they do if all the guys are perfectly healthy and throwing the ball well? I don't think they're gonna phantom I.L. someone. Do they then start transitioning Andrew Painter into the bullpen? Do they start trying to find a way,

like let's say the deadline, they don't wanna give a big prospects to go out and get a closer or another high leverage guy in the back end, is that when they start thinking about Andrew Painter in that instance? I don't know, but again, they have all these plans, they have all these ideas, they have all these ideas. The other plan is the JT idea

that he's gonna take more time off. That sounds great in theory, but let's say you're, again, hovering around 500, you're, like, you need to start making your move. I find it very hard to believe that you're gonna be able to say to JT, you're out today, especially when the guy's trying to play for another contract. I just don't think that's realistic.

And he did play what, 99 games last year? Obviously that had to do with the knee as well, but it's a lot of talk, I think, in spring training that we'll see if it comes to fruition. The JT thing, the painter thing, the hitting to all fields, we'll see if it comes to fruition. The JT thing, the painter thing, the hitting to all fields, we'll see. Again, if they need to start winning baseball games, I don't think they're just gonna start sitting JT. And JT's not gonna wanna come out of the lineup

because he needs to prove that he's worthy of another long-ish term contract and is not a, I don't know, throwing out there like 10 to 15 million dollar player. I think he wants another 20 plus million dollar a year kind of contract. And maybe that's with the Phillies, maybe it's not. So a lot of plans being thrown out there at the Phillies that, you know, we'll see if they come to fruition.

The other thing that Dembrowski said yesterday that I thought was was was was fun and I mean, I don't know if I've stopped thinking about it since frankly is like Aidan Miller and the idea of him possibly being up here this year and Dave Dembrowsy talked about how he talked to Al Kailin when he was the Tigers, and he said, and Al Kailin would tell him that the great ones come fast.

And it's, I think he stopped short of saying he thinks that Aidan Miller is gonna be one of the great ones, but just the fact that that was his first thought when talking about Aiden Miller, was comparing him to what Al Kailine said, who I believe won a batting title when he was 19 years old. So the fact that that's already implanted in Dave Dembrowski's head,

and he said that I have no worries about it, this moment's gonna be too big for him. I really think that we got a special one here. I think Andrew Painter, I think Aidan Miller are two cornerstone special type talents coming up through the system that we just haven't had in a while. Bow and Stott are good players.

I'm excited about a possible bounce back Stott after the elbow thing last year. I'm excited for a motivated bone, but a homegrown star, that's not something we've had in a while. And I really just continue to, I've like tried to temper my excitement for Aidan and Andrew Painter,

but it just becomes harder and harder, especially when a guy like, the Broussies who's been around Major League Baseball since like the 70s and has talked to all these Hall of Famers, he is not, Dombrowski is not in the business of slowing down hype trains, especially when it comes to prospects.

We remember a couple of years ago with the entrepreneur thing where it's like, yeah, you can see him in a rotation at 20. What? It's crazy. So that quote and the talking about Aidan Miller and they want to keep him at shortstop might have to work on a new Cory Seeger of the right side kind of comp for for Aiden Miller a big shortstop, but like he said they listen he could take some balls at their base, but they seem committed to having him as as a shortstop and You know, obviously that comes into the tray situation situation we'll see what happens the center field this year but does that turn into Trey's job next year if Aiden Miller's like burst onto the scene and Trey if

Johan Rojas doesn't like take off is that is that the situation they put him in let's say Stott does have a a downish year or gets off to a slow start I mean last year they platoononed Edmundo Sosa and Bryson Stott. Now, this is talking about this year, I think the Turner thing is after this year, but for this year, I mean, they platooned Sosa and Stott towards the end of last year.

Does that possibly turn into an Aidan Miller-Stott platoon if Aidan Miller is having a really, really good year down in Reading and probably by that point up at Lehigh Valley. So that's exciting. And the other prospect thing, and I don't want to jinx this guy, and I know I've been down on him, but I think there's a real chance that Mick Able pops this year. Griff McGarry, not really there. And Mick Able has to work on some things, 100%,

it's command and all that stuff. But I believe he's been working more and more with the major league staffs, like the Coffins of the world this off season, to really try to nail down and get him right and possibly get to the big leagues because he's pitched more innings in minor league baseball than I think anyone in the last two years.

He's been a workhorse for them. Now, that's great, the results haven't been there. Stuff's still there, results not there. And Debrause said he looked phenomenal yesterday. There's still a chance that he is a, some, listen, some prospects are Andrew Paner and they, they fly through the system and bang pitching is, is it a really tough thing? It's a lot of feel, there's a lot of finding command.

It's got to work on new pitches. It's got to like, there's, there's, there's some guys that just take a little bit longer to develop. And the Phillies have been steadfast and holding onto Mick Able, not trading him. I'm sure they could have, but they've placed a high, high price on Mick Able in trades.

And I just, I can't wait for spring training. I can't wait for the games because I think that we might be getting a different version of Mick Able this year. And I was encouraged when Dave Zabrowski said yesterday about how great he looked in his bullpen. Went out of his way to talk about McAbel. So I just I hope I hope that this is the year that he finally puts it all together because he's still super young. I mean he is a super super young kid and I mean

having more pitching is never a bad thing. The one thing and the last thing here before we wrap it on up, is the idea of the Eagles motivating them. And Todd's lucky to talk to John Middleton about how Middleton was in the box, in the suite with Jeffrey Lurie, and they were, he was acting like a lunatic and freaking out as the Eagles were winning the Super Bowl.

And then he walked back to his hotel that I guess was about a mile walk, and Philly's fans were coming up to him saying, it's your turn now. And when you're an owner and you hear that, I'm sure these players see the Eagles win the Superbowl. I'm sure they all had a, a similar feel. And the Eagles had a lot of chips on their shoulder adding to this year. There's a lot of things that, that they wanted to use as motivation.

And maybe the thing that this Phillies team can use as motivation, the core of it, is everyone told us all off season we didn't add anything. Maybe that can be their rallying cry to get them locked in, ready to go, and to try to bring this thing home. They can win the World Series.

There's no doubt about it. I know that, permission to be positive about the Phillies, they have a top five team in baseball. I know the Dodgers are really good. I know that the Mets added Juan Soto. I know there's other, there's good teams. The Phillies are also one of them. I'm frustrated they didn't add more to. But, but, it's still a really, really good teams. The Phillies are also one of them. I'm frustrated they didn't add more to.

But, but, it's still a really, really good team. I mean, I think 92 wins at the least feels like a 92 win ball club. So using the Eagles' motivation, saying that you didn't add anything this off season, why are we supposed to believe in you? There's a good amount of negativity around the Phillies. Sometimes negativity can bring a team closer together.

No, the big bad WIP, it can unite a team. And the other thing that I find interesting off of the Eagles in a little correlation, I'm sure we're gonna get into this more with when Salter eventually wants to do a Phillies podcast again, is the idea of Rob Thompson versus Nick Sirianni, not pitting them against each other, just the comparisons to the two. Sirianni, at the end of last year, they had the collapse,

and there's a lot of questions about his job, and they took what, like a week and a half after the season to decide to keep him, so I think they were mulling over some things. And Rob Thompson talks about did he lose the locker room? Did he, they pretty much, I mean, they played what, 500 baseball since the Brewer series before London last year. So, you know, it's not like the Eagles collapsed

where they lost six to seven, but it was not great. And then they went out pretty limply in the postseason. So, and the Phillies decided to keep Rob Thompson. They actually gave him an extension. So it seemed like they're all in. Could there be like a little Thompson, Sirianni, no one believes in this guy anymore. And then bang. Now I don't think, I don't think Thompson's going to be as fired up as Nick is and start, you know, running down the dugout. If they hit a home run, I think Thompson's going to be pretty even keel.

But those guys believed in Nick Sirianni. They said it all off season. They said home run, I think Thompson's gonna be pretty even keel. But those guys believed in Nick Sirianni, they said it all off season, players loved them, and these Phillies players feel the same way about Rob Thompson. So sometimes you gotta believe the guys, even though you could say, well, what else are they supposed to say?

I said that all last off season about Nick Sirianni. And maybe this time around, giving the guy the extra year, knowing that the players like them and, and seeing how it goes could, could come to fruition and hopefully have our own parade down Broad Street. God, that sounds sweet. Two parades in one year would be nothing better. So thanks for listening to the ramblings of a madman.

I think that's what the solo pods usually are, is just going and talking. I've got so many Phil's thoughts. We'll get more Phil's thoughts as we go along. Again, I'm gonna have to pry Seltzer off of the art museum steps tomorrow, but we'll be back. Next week we'll be back with a full on regular high hopes and and from that point on fully locked in fully good to go but I had to get

some thoughts out here on a lot of things that's kind of cathartic so appreciate you as always and we'll talk to you soon on a full edition of the high hopes podcast