Luke Arcaini Interview: Mick Abel, Power Bats, and More - 05/17/25

Luke Arcaini joins Mark Henry Jr. and Sean Barnard to talk all things #Phillies and #MLB.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Spreads, totals and all the prop that's in between. It's
the Gambler.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome back to the Talco Radio show right here on
Fox Sports.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
The Gambler switching gears here, although I.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Will say we might have to get into some Aze
Bailey talk with our next guest who is right here
with us, stranded on aceh Island, Luke Arcaney. You can
follow him on Twitter at Urcaney. Luke, how was feeling
about Ace Bailey?

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Lu I mean, let's not make a mistake. Let's let's
not try and do something cute. Let's let's not try
and make a mistake. Let's let's draft the athletic guy
and the Sixers can actually develop a prospect.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
And we passed on Tatum once. We can't do again.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
No, we can't do it again.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
I know I just said he's more Jalen Brown the Tatum,
but still, well, maybe we'll get it. Maybe we'll get
more into that towards the end here, but let's talk
Phil's last night. We got a gift that we don't
get off in here on the Tough Cover Radio show.
So often they lose on Friday nights and make me
and Sean have to have a negative conversation or talk
about you know, the boo birds and the sickos and

(01:24):
the perverts who want the Phillies to lose out there
that our Phillies fans somehow, but I can't thank them
enough for not blowing that game in the ninth inning
with Daniel Robert. I had some fears that we were
going to be having a negative conversation this morning on the.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Show, but not the case.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Jose Alvarado regredibly has to come in and finish it out.
But Phil's got to win. Luke, what was your biggest
takeaway from last night?

Speaker 1 (01:53):
I think Ranger. I think it's good to see him,
you know, go go back to backs seven in New Stars.
I think that was big. I answer out after the
game just like said what he thought of his night
and really and I the same exact thing, routed that
it was only one bad pitch. It was it was
the one bad pitch the three run home or other

(02:13):
than that. I thought he was really good. His his
off speed was the best looked in his first three starts.
He's he's finding it slowly. I think when you are
a guy like Ranger in the last two years, where
you continually are either on the I l on to
sort of start the year, or there's something wrong and

(02:34):
you're not starting a normal season. I think it's hard
to just jump right into things, but I think he's
looked really, really nice on the out over the last
two starts.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
Sean, you want to you want to follow up on Ranger.
I know that's your guy. He's a pure hooper. Yeah,
that is my guy.

Speaker 4 (02:49):
And I guess on the back of Aaronola obviously hitting
that ale which you kind of referenced there with a
Ranger spending twenty plenty of time there himself, what sort
of the plan for the pitching staff as a whole.
Obviously we're getting the Mickabel debut tomorrow. What are your
expectations for that and what is the plan for the
whole pitching staff moving forward.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yeah, I'll be down there for the debut tomorrow. I'm
really excited for that one. It's it's cool because that's
a prospect that was once. You know, I wouldn't necessarily
throw work busts out there, because I think that's a
big word for prospects, but he was ching towards the
bust thing every year of his minor league career. Continually

(03:28):
got worse. He went on the development list last year
that to me and to a lot of people was
more of a mental thing than it was a physical thing.
I think his head was just really really out of
it last year. But yeah, I mean he's he's earned
it over his last eight starts. His the ra's under
two to five. He's earned the spots. I mean, that's

(03:48):
what it's gonna be. It seems like it's not really
gonna be any more. Rob said yesterday that they already
told Able that it'll just be one start for now.
He's going to start someday. He's gonna right back down
to the minors after that, tinue to pitch in the
minors for now. Obviously with Nola on the I L
I don't think they're going to rush Noel off the aisle.
But at the same time, I will say, and there

(04:11):
was a lot yesterday of is this even an injury?

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yes? It is.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
It seemed like a pretty weird ankle injury. He he
tweaked his right ankle doing an agility drill that he
does every day in the outfield. It's just he he'd
rolled it the wrong way, or there's something he has
some to sleeve on it right now. But their biggest
worry with Nola, and they started to see this was
that Wednesday night when he obviously had probably the worst

(04:38):
part of his career was he started to overcompensate and
he's he started to feel a little bit in his back,
which I think, you know, sort of leaving everything on
your upper body and sort of not trying to put
pressure on his right ankle. He was sort of starting
to overcompensate and and feel some things on the back,
which they don't They don't want that. There's never been

(05:00):
a good history with starting pitchers and back injuries, so
they want to get him out of there. They want
to get him a few weeks off, but I think
it's a good just opportunity to just sort of get
his mind right. I will say my favorite part about
Noel speaking to us yesterday was just how excited he
was for Able, a guy that hasn't been on the

(05:20):
IL since twenty and seventeen. He actually found out, which
is crazy. Yeah, so he was.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
He was.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
He was on the IEL for a week in twenty
twenty one, but that was for COVID. He actually had COVID,
so it wasn't like a physical, you know, injury in
baseball kind of thing. Twenty seventeen. Yeah, that was the
last time he was officially on the il with a
body injury, which is just crazy to think about. But
so he was he was really excited for Able, and

(05:50):
I thought that was cool for a guy that's going
on the injured list for the first time in eight years.
He was pretty down in the dumps yesterday. You could
tell he just really wasn't himself. It was sort of
weighing on him a little bit. He wants to be
out there every start, no matter how he's pitching. But
he actually found out that Abel's debut was going to
be on Sunday in our press conference with him, and
like his eyes just lit up. So I thought that

(06:12):
was really cool.

Speaker 3 (06:12):
From no as today, Yeah, it is really cool. And
Nick Abel a guy who we really gave up on.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, And I guess what I'm saying is, should Philly
fans be hoping for this guy to come out and
show enough that we feel like he's a part of
the future, or should we be hoping that he comes
out and shows enough that we're dealing him at the
deadlines and taking a big move.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
It's more second one than the first one. For me.
I don't expect, I don't want this is you know,
this is the issue with with big debuts and these
prospects that you've you've known about forever. I worry that
Phillies fans are expecting able to go out on Sunday
and throw seven shutout innings and if it's not that,
it's a really dead start and that's not the case.

(07:00):
But yeah, see, I think it's a mix of both.
I don't think they're actively trying to deal with Able,
like I don't think they're like, please send this guy
out of here type of thing. But I mean, if
they truly do want to go for a reliever or
a bat at the deadline, they're not trading pain or
they're not trading Miller. I don't think they're trading Crawford.

(07:22):
I don't think they want to trade it more of
Taye right now. I don't even know if they want
to trade it. Maybe even a ruin Escobar. Right now,
there's there's four or five guys that I don't think
they're very high on trading right now. So you know,
if if Abel goes out and he posted two five
E r A and Triple A, and and he goes
out on Sunday and he shows some things that maybe

(07:45):
some teams would like. I mean, I think that's the
best case scenario for the Phillies. But I think, like
Noel said yesterday, I think, you know, it's a cool
day for Abel, it's a cool day for the Phillies.
I mean, we were talking about this last night during
the most unnecessary Ragino lay in the history of baseball.

(08:05):
The last number one, the last first round pitcher draft
pick that the Phillies had debut, was actually Aaron Nola.
So it's kind of a full circle moment for them.
And I would say the last starter, I would say prospect,
because there's been guys that have come up from from
from Lehigh Valley, but the last starting pit prospect I

(08:29):
would say that's you know, debuted for the Phillies is
probably Spencer Howard. So it's it's been a while since,
you know, a true starter had made their debut as
as a some sort of blue chip prospect kind of thing.
You know, these these guys that come up for one start,
but it's really been you know, two years ago you

(08:49):
had Kirkering out of the bullpen. You had the stock
boom back to back years kind of thing. But since
Spencer Howard, this is really the first starting pitcher that
we've seen make his debut. Because I'm it's gonna be
exciting tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
I'm excited for him, and not to mention on the
other side of things. You got Paul Skins, Yeah, that's
gonna be great. We've been robbed twice at the skiing
Sanchez game. Now first in spring training. Now on Sunday, you.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Got a chance to watch him in the bullpen.

Speaker 1 (09:16):
Oh dude, it's it's ridiculous. Like I was sitting there
and like I I I actually got out of my
seat to watch this guy throw a whole Like it's
just like watching what he does. Like he does like
three pitches. He'll do one drill and then the next
drill he's throwing a weighted ball, and then the next

(09:38):
three pitches he's using that he's he's like he's like
whipping the towel drill. Like, dude, watching him throw a
bullpen is fascinating, Like he is he's he skins with me, like,
and I don't think he's something like big scientific nerd
analytics kind of thing. But when you watch him pitch,
that's like kind of what it seems like he's a freak. Man,

(09:59):
I am so excited to watch a bitch tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
That's that's why he thinks that.

Speaker 4 (10:04):
Like when I think, we forget just how crazy all
these professional athletes are from like an athletic and skill set,
Like when I was on the beat for the Sixers,
that was one of the things that was the coolest
to me was just to go watch warm ups and
it would literally be Andre Drummond going like eighteen for
twenty from three and you just think, like even the
worst player in in professional sports is so good at

(10:25):
that sport their play that it is really crazy there.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
It's insane, like even like just like their builds, like
this is obviously my first year, like really down there consistently,
but like dude watching like Christopher Sanchez come out from
the dug. That dude is so tall, Like some of
these dudes are just like freak athletes watching like even
like guys like Jose Ruiz and like Alec Boone come

(10:47):
out Like these guys are just like athletes, man, Like
it's it's insane. But yeah, no, I'm excited for Abele
I it was gonna be awesome for Sanchez. I'm still
very excited were Able because I mean, once again, I
think he's he's he's earned it. And I think, you know,

(11:07):
this could have been a spot start for Walker and
they could have kept the rotation the same, or they
could have brought up Joe Koonele or you know, Nabel,
Chris Matt. But I think it speaks a lot that
they're giving Able a shot like this wouldn't have happened
in years past. And I think, you know, because he's
earned it. I think rightfully, they're sort of getting him

(11:30):
a shot on Sunday versus you know, one of the
best arms in baseball.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, it's definitely gonna be fun to watch for sure.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
And then I guess the next kind of thing, if
you know, we talked about Abel, we talked about Skens.
Painter is in Lehigh Valley now throwing seventy seventy five pitches.
I think he's supposed to get up to ninety to
ninety five pitches. I don't know if it was next
start or by the end of the month. I forget
what it was, but when or when can we expect
Painter kind of what can we expect from Painter. The

(12:00):
think this is he starts the regular starts the rest
of the regular season once he gets up, and then
transitions to the bullpen or kind of what's the read
on Painter right now?

Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah, I don't know their exact plan for later in
the season. I think that's very up in the air,
to be honest, I don't even know if they know
what they want to do yet. They just have a
lot of starters, which is a really good thing. You
look at a team sort of like the Dodgers, and
I know we talked about this the other day. Mark
they've used like seventeen pitchers already this year and the Phillies.

(12:31):
The Phillies have used one more than the minimum this year,
which is his help has been on their side for
the Nola IL. But as far as Painter yet, the
whole throw Wednesday in Lehigh Valley, they said, I think
five innings or ninety ish pitches. I don't expect him

(12:52):
to go much higher than ninety, but this is starting
to see me like he may come up a little earlier.
And then we thought, I know, they said July ish,
that's their their whole timeline for the whole thing they've
always put ish at the end. It's it's just sort
of a play it by ear kind of thing. If

(13:13):
if he looks ready, he's he's probably gonna come up soon.
If he seems like he needs more time, they're gonna
leave him down there. So whole third ninety on Wednesday,
I'm not rolling out middle of June. I think July
is probably the safest be I think early July. I know,
I believe it was Jim Southberry sort of mentioned the

(13:35):
other day that there's a series early in July that's
on the road that would seem maybe a bit like
could be his debut. And I did find it interesting
what he diday, because I think maybe on the road
might make a little more sense for his debut. Obviously he's,
you know, this this big top prospect, but he also

(13:59):
this team, and he needs to realize that, you know,
he's he's he's not the number one guy right now.
And and I don't think they want him going into
sit in Park in a huge series for his debut
against some big team and going out there and being
forced to, you know, go out there and throw like
seven shutout in Hi. I're gonna kind of ease him
into his debut. So I'm listen. They they said July ish.

(14:23):
Originally they were thinking later July. I wouldn't be surprised
if it was early by. I think we'll probably throw
you know, two to three normal starts. I would say
this Wednesday's probably his first you know, normal start, ninety
ninety five pitches, but yeah, I would expect him to
probably throw two more after that, and then, you know,

(14:43):
you never know, if he's ready, they're gonna bring him up.
Like they're not gonna waste one hundred pitch outings in
Triple A from your top prospect if they have him
on an innings limit, which it seems like it's gonna
be around that one hundred and ten thirty mark, I
would say, as far as majors and Triple A, they're

(15:04):
not going to waste those innings in Triple A. So
if he's ready, he's he's going to come up. My
guest still right now is sort of the end of June.

Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yeah, so you mentioned like the timeline is still kind
of up in the air at this point. The one
part of the messaging that has been clear is that
when he will be coming up, he will be a
starting pitcher. Now we know the crowded rotation already, what
is the specific pushback, and particularly when you factor in
like when we get to the playoffs, they're obviously shortening
that rotation in general. And I kind of think personally,
like the best thing for him could be getting a

(15:35):
little bit of taste, a little bit of a taste
of playoff action out of the bullpen. Is there any
possibility that he's moved into that type of role or
what is the logic behind making sure he kind of
stays in his routine there?

Speaker 1 (15:46):
Yeah, I mean there's definitely a possibility. Okay, I just
honestly once again, and I mean they obviously, you know,
have a long term plan, but I don't. I don't
know if they have a plan completely set. And so
he's a guy that you know, is off of Tommy John.
They don't want to throw him out of his routine.
He's on an innings limit. He's also going to be

(16:06):
a number one two starter in notation for Probade the
next ten years. So I don't think they're gonna try
anything stupid with them. And I'm not saying the bullpen
is stupid because it's not. But my only sort of
pushback on the bullpen is it's a completely different routine.
And if you get a guy coming off of Tom

(16:28):
John that's used to throwing every five days, throwing a bullpen,
you know, three days after his start, and then you
sort of toss them from the rotation into a bullpen
like months after getting Tommy John surgery or sort of
coming back from Tommy John. I don't know if they
love the idea of it, but at the same time,
you know, he's got some legal stuff to be a

(16:49):
guy out of the bullpen for them as playoffs. You know,
I think his future is pretty obvious. I think with
the Ranger sort of heading to free agency, I think
there's a pretty slimmer chance that Ranger's back. Unfortunately. I
know we all love Ranger, but you know, he's He's
a good starter on a team that has four really
solid starters and and the number one pitching prospect in baseball.

(17:13):
He's going to want a lot of money his agent,
Scott Foris, and he's not going to take I don't
expect Ranger to take a pay cut for a non
guarantee job in the rotation. So there's going to be
a team that gives Ranger probably a lot of money.
You know, we don't need to get into that sort
of area yet. But yeah, you know, I think they

(17:35):
have options with with Painter. He's going to be a
starter at first that there's not a doubt in anybody's mind.
Once he comes up, he's going to start. But yeah,
I mean, I think everything's on the table for the playoffs,
you know, I think in a perfect world, I think
they want Painter starting this year, sort of going into October.

(17:56):
But you know, if if you take a rotation of Wheeler, Sanchez, Lozardo,
Ranger looks good, Nola comes back, I mean, I don't
know where you throw Painter. I mean, they could go
back to the Ranger Bullmend thing in the playoffs. But

(18:17):
I think everything's on the table right now, which I
think leaves it a bit open for them.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Trey Turner turned it around a bit last night two
for five. Had a big triple in the game, but
before that was really struggling for.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
About four games.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
I think he had a two for fifteen stretch during
the home stand before maybe even stretching into the beginning
of last night.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
Bob Lankle I saw kind of speculate that this was Trey.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
Once he got the three fifteen, he kind of felt
like he had that cushion to stay above three hundred,
to try to get the power swinging back a little
bit here and try to get back into what, you know,
his normal home run and slug numbers are, which they've
obviously been down. Obviously, you trade some of that from
more consistent, you know, average, which is what Topper wanted

(19:06):
and told you guys, he told Trey, which I respect
from Topper, but I do think they need a little
bit more slug from Trey. Do you think that's a
good kind of take from Bob and what was probably
going on here?

Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yeah, I think so. You know, I think Trey being
a veteran off of a really hot streak knowing that,
I mean, he probably felt invincible walking up to the
play for about three weeks with how he was hitting.
I mean, he had like nine multi hit games in
like twelve games. He was he was really feeling it
at the plate. I think that was a good time

(19:39):
for him maybe to mess with a few things and
just see, you know, if sort of meet in the
middle thing, you know, not completely changed the contacts thing
that he had maybe see if he can sort of
get back into the power a little bit. But yeah, no,
I mean I I've said for a while that, you know,
I think you know, it's it's nice to have the

(19:59):
homers tray because it gives you Originally when Forward was
leading off, you had one, two, three, four, all the
hit home runs for you, which was big. But I
think it also speaks volumes that over Tray's like three
week Hot Street that was the best three week stretch
of the season from films that you know, they weren't

(20:20):
if Trey's getting on base and just causing havoc on
the bases like he's been and and you know, even
if he's not his twenty seventeen speat tray anymore, I
mean he's still really fast. So just being able to
hit singles, doubles, obviously the triple last night, and continue
to just you know, just be a nuisance. I always

(20:42):
think that's a good word for the number two hitter
in the lineup. You know, lead off, you want to
get on base, the three four, you want to you know,
like hit balls of the gap, hit home runs. The
number two hitters job is to just be a nuisance,
Just get on base. Get ll do yeah, do do everything,

(21:02):
Just do everything possible at the plate, just just get
on base. And I think the whole three D on
base thing is big because you know, if if you're
getting this MVP type season out of Swarber and you're
really starting to get Bryce back, who I really think
is sort of finding the swings slowly again, you know,
having a consistent tray on base for those two guys,

(21:25):
even Nick Casianos, who's had a nice season so far flatable.
Having that speed on the base for those three guys
is really big. And if you're getting the on base
percentage from Scott, I know he had a bit of
a rough you know, week or two lately, but you know,
if you can put Stott and Trey on base for Harper, Schwarber, Casianos,
that's just huge.

Speaker 3 (21:45):
Man.

Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, I want to move to Bryce here because there's
been a lot to talk about Bryce. Obviously, numbers are
a little bit down. I think people are being insane.
He's now set seven straight games on base, fifteen of
the last seventeen games he's gotten base. I think he's
got a walk in six straight games now.

Speaker 4 (22:04):
Ops fifty points higher than Trey Turner, by the way, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, we don't need to go into that, because Trey
Turner's been a better hitter of this year than Bress Harper.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
We don't think in that conversation I disagree with that.
I would disagree with that as well.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think I've gotten to the point that I think
OPS is like the end all be all, honestly.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, yes, I think Bryce has been
the better here this year.

Speaker 2 (22:29):
But I don't even think they're like they're just not
similar hitters. Especially it's like Luisa Rayahs to Bryce and
it's just totally different for at least what this version
of Tray is like the last couple of years of Tray,
it'd be different.

Speaker 3 (22:45):
But Bryce, how many games are we in here? Seven
and forty four?

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Like, yeah, so he's on page for what about twenty
homers and twenty steals?

Speaker 3 (22:56):
I think we're we all know that that number is
going to end up around twenty.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
Five to thirty probably believe Yeah, so he'll pick up
the pace a little bit. But eight hundred ops is
not like a problem like and you know this is
now you look at the last coup eight ninety eight,
nine hundred eight seventy seven, ten forty four, nine sixty two,
eight eighty two. Like I think if you made me
guess where that is at the end of the year,
it's probably like eight seventy eight, eighty high eight hundred,

(23:20):
maybe even gets to nine hundred. And we're sitting at
eight hundred with them only hitting two forty eight. He
hasn't hit below two eighty five in five years. So
I do think Bryce picks it up a little bit
down the stretch. I think we're already seeing it here.
He hasn't picked it up from the power perspective recently.
But I have no concerns about Bryce Schrever and Bryce

(23:42):
will be the top two hitters in this lineup, and
I have no concerns about them. It's what comes after
that that that I think we have to start talking about.

Speaker 3 (23:50):
And being concerned about it terms of a third power bat.
Is that fair?

Speaker 1 (23:54):
Yeah? No, I know you're you know a little has
been about that third you know, big money power kind
of thing, which I think is completely reasonable because you know,
Short hits a lot of home runs. Harper hits home runs,
you know, maybe not as much as he did anymore

(24:14):
in years past. I still think he's going to have
a straight to year where he has nine home runs
in twenty games, five.

Speaker 3 (24:21):
Hundred OVP over the last week exactly.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, Like he's going to climb out of it. He's
he's going to find it. But it really is that
you know, that third, that third impact, because Trey has
been an impact in the lineup this year, but you know,
he's he's not a thirty thirty five homer guy. That's
just it's not what he is. That's never what he's been.

(24:44):
He's never been a home run guy really, But you know,
what do you get out of Cassianus, What do you
get out of Bowl? What do you get out of Kepler?
What do you get out of JT? Who I think
has started to turn it on a little bit over
the over the last you know, two weeks. He's still
having a hard time against lefties, which is weird because

(25:05):
it's always sort of been reversed for him. But he's
just not seeing lefties great this year. But it's really
about that third guy other than Schwarber, Harper, Tray, Like,
what what do you get at that third true impact?
You know, if you get a twenty five homer season
with an eight hundred ops from Nick Castiani's I think

(25:26):
that's good enough. You know, if if you get Bomb
up to a two eighty average with a seven ninety
ops and eighty RBI's fifteen home runs, I think you
can get away with that. But it's just, you know,
what do you get from those guys later, because you
know right now what they're nine games over five hundred
something like that. And you had the worst start about

(25:49):
Bow's career. You had Bryce Harper who was pretty bad,
you know, in the month of April he was a
I mean he was his his stat look looks are
getting better now. He was a bad hitter in April
he was a bad hitter. Bom had the worst start
to his career. Marsh was one for his first thirty.
You know, Trey didn't get into that trade mode, you know,

(26:11):
until probably about like two weeks into the season. Real
Mutah was abysmal. Castianos was really the only one him
and him in probably early season Max Kepler were probably
the two guys that were really hitting them all well
for you. So you know, now that you're getting Bryce back,
you continue to have Schoreberg doing saying Trey's contact like
you know what do you get out of the death part,

(26:32):
because I I think I think five through seven in
this lineup is just as important this year as one
through four.

Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yeah, and that's kind of where I'm concerned. I just
I don't know who that third guy can be. Castianos
is putting up, you know, similar ob ops to what
he had last year, but it's the got four homers
right now, even less homer less home on pace than
than he usually has, someone.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
Who's really really picked it up.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
As of lately.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
I want to get the proper kind of stretch of
time here for JT, who's up to seven to twenty ops. Here,
seven sixty ops over the last twenty five games. I
think you could even if you made that a shorter
sample size, I think.

Speaker 3 (27:19):
It'd be higher.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
If the last seventeen games it's an eight hundred ops,
that's what we want from JT. Like if he's around
a high seven hundred, it's low eight hundreds ops. With
what he's giving you behind the plate, we're talking about
a guy we need to bring back next year.

Speaker 3 (27:36):
Is that where you're kind of at with JT?

Speaker 1 (27:39):
Yeah? I am, And you know his ops a month
ago was like six oh three, So it's it's been
a good, you know, last threeish weeks for JT. And
I think going into this year it was, you know, obviously,
and it doesn't matter what JT this year, It doesn't
matter what ranger was this year, subs won a nobody's

(28:03):
close to him on the ranks of who they need
to resign. I think that's obvious to everybody, But I'm
I'm continuing to slowly work myself back into you know
what jteans to the clubhouse and to the pitchers and
to this team over the last you know what six years.

(28:26):
I think JT is a guy I think they have
to find a way to to sort of bring back.
It doesn't need to be a crazy number, It shouldn't
be a crazy number. But I also think JT just
just screams like a guy to me that will take
less money to stay here. He just seems like he's
he's really close with Bryce, Trey Nola, all those guys.

(28:49):
I mean, has basically raised his family here over the
last seven years. But that's a guy that, you know,
sort of the traditional position with the catchers has always been,
you know, when and the ninehole was the pitcher, it
would it would be seven the catcher the pitcher right,

(29:10):
and if if there's a possible way that you can
go into twenty twenty six with JT hitting eighth in
your lineup, you know, a nine in that area. If
they continue to make upgrades this coming off season, I
think he's too valuable in every other aspect of the
game to not bring him back. Then it would be

(29:30):
just to sell him because he's a catcher with a
seven hundred OPS, which I believe for catchers is almost
above league average. So you know, it's not a deep
catching system. We have one good catcher and he can't
even vote, so's it's top like. It's not like we

(29:50):
have like an Adlee Utchman like the Orioles did two
years ago that was just ready to come up after
being like a top five pick and just be ready
to be the catcher for the next ten years. That's
not the situation that the Phillies are in and going
in the next off season. I don't I don't think
I can name the catchers that are free agents on
one hand next offseason that are better than JT. And

(30:11):
the overall aspect of the game.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
If I ask you to guess what Alec Boom's doing
over the last twenty five games.

Speaker 3 (30:19):
What do you what do you think?

Speaker 1 (30:20):
He's slashing probably three ten, three seventy.

Speaker 2 (30:30):
Three, eighty five, three forty one.

Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, two for eighty two, wow.

Speaker 1 (30:41):
Eighty eight. He's fine, He's fine to it. And then
that was another guy. I mean, that was the biggest one.
I mean, I think we all know the whole marsh
you know, one for thirty, you know, hitless and April thing.
But Albaum is so much more important to your lineup
than Brandon Mars. Like, it's not in close.

Speaker 3 (31:03):
Even if you want.

Speaker 2 (31:04):
To extend it, if you want to extend it to
twenty seven games, we're talking about three thirty three eighty
five obp four sixty four, slugging in eight forty nine ops.
That's how bad he was for the first what if
it's been. I mean, he's hitting three sixty four, four
thirty one, five forty five with a nine to seventy

(31:25):
seven ops in May. So he's finding it, man, And
like that's why.

Speaker 1 (31:30):
I also think you're slowly starting to see him move
up in the lineup a bit more, you know, I
I think ideally Bomb hits before JT in this lineup,
and you know, if you get the boom you have
last year, ideally bomb hits before casts in this lineup,
if you have the first three months of twenty twenty four,

(31:53):
voe because I mean that was the starting third basement
in the All Star Game. And I don't like to
use All Star games as a metric because there's a
lot of guys it shouldn't be in the All Star
Game that are in the All Star Game. But Alec
Bohm being starting third basement in the National League for
the All Star Game, like, that's not nothing. And dude,
I heard them say that the other day, and I like,

(32:14):
forgot for a little bit that Alec Bowm is in
the home run derby after a month and a half
of no home runs for Alec Boum. Yeah, yeah, that's funny.
But if if you can get that bone, I mean, listen,
if it's it's just the matter of once again it
falls on the third guy. And I don't like it's
hard for me to put Trey in there because if

(32:35):
they're accepting the role that they want out of Trey
this year, he's he's that contact hitting number two hitter.
You know, it's it's it's not in that Bryce Schwarber tier,
because that's not what he's being asked to do. He's
being asked to get on base and score runs. But
who is that third guy? Because if it's Bom hitting

(32:55):
nine to seventy seven OPS over the last month, then
that is that is good, especially pairing that all with
the Bryce coming back and an MVP like season from Troman.

Speaker 2 (33:07):
If I'm going to bring up all that positivity, I
do have to bring up one negative thing, and it's
a guy who I was in on. It's a guy
who had been really good, I think for the for
the first month or so over his last forty plate appearances.

Speaker 1 (33:19):
Yeah, it's been rough.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
Max Kepler has three hits.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, it's been rough.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
He's for his last thirty five.

Speaker 4 (33:26):
He looked like he looked like he was finding it
for a stretch too. And then we're back off the clift.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, he's in a rot.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
He's at eighty six in his last eleven games with
a two eighty nine OPS and with Boom coming around
the way he has, even with Marsh has had some
moments since he's been back at the plate.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
Ross.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
Yeah, Rojas is obviously filled in I think admirably with
what we want, what we need from him. I think
it's becoming more and more clear that the spot that
they need to upgrade his left field, it's going to
have to be the kept Yeah.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
Yeah, I'm I'm not insanely against it, you know. I
I think if if that's a spot where I think
you can upgrade, where you go get a guy that
you know is a good hitter, but you know specifically
hits hits left handed pitching really well. Ideally, and I mean,
you know, this offseason, the ideal move was a right

(34:22):
handed bat that hits for power, and they got a
left handed bat that hits for sort of power.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
So, and listen, I I liked the player in Kepler.
I didn't really think it fit great. And listen, I
don't think he's going to finish the season with a
two twenty average. But it's, you know, if if you're
going to upgrade at some point, it's it's going to

(34:53):
be that you know, left field spot, because you know,
if if you can get and you know, there's there's
not an I don't have a ton of names off
the top of my head. I don't want anything he
sounds on there. I think that was the lightning in
the bottle a few seasons for Orioles actually went to
a place where he had to be the face of
a team and everyone realizes he's not that good. I mean,

(35:17):
all my problems would be solved if if, if, if
a Rooker could just play the outfield, every everyone's problems
would be solved, because that would be the most ideal.
Speaking of the Orioles, did you see that red before
we came back.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
To breaking They actually asked you about it earlier. Fifty
something games.

Speaker 1 (35:37):
Unbelievable, and that is that is a that is a
management problem before it's a coach problem. That that that's
the team that lost. That lost. Anthony sat on there
and burns and didn't do anything after that. They signed,
like i've they signed O'Neill, who who is one of
the worst hitters in baseball this year.

Speaker 3 (35:56):
I think yea below I.

Speaker 1 (35:59):
Wanted him to Actually, I was definitely not out on
him at all for the Phillies.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
I'll take it.

Speaker 1 (36:10):
There you go, there you go. What's the price on Gunner? Yeah,
but it's it's yeah, that's a massimum problem before a
coach problem. But you know, if if you're a team
with Gunner Henderson Atleie Rochman. You know, all these these
guys and all these prospects in the future, then you
got to start making some sort of move because that's

(36:32):
not a team that should have the fifth worst record
in baseball. They have the worst they have. They have
the worst comed R in the American League, and they're
not that much farther behind the Rockies, which is a
little bit concerning for them. But I mean their issue
going in the season was I said it back in
like February, they had no pitching. They barely had pitching

(36:54):
last year. They went into the season, lost Corbyn Burns
and didn't get anything else. They they their number two starters,
Kyle Gibson with like an eleven to five R. Like
I I was looking at splits today, Kyle Gibson has
an eleven six four yard in the shit wow, Like
it's really bad and it didn't seem like it was
gonna get any better. I never thought that he could

(37:18):
manager in the first place. Brandon Hyde, I thought he
was just a guy that was sort of getting carried
by a few young stars. But I mean this was
the time to make the move, because I mean it's
May seventeenth, you were predicted to potentially win the American
League East and you have the second worst record in
the American League. I think it's really bad in a

(37:40):
in a fairly winnable division too. Yeah, Like I think
the Yankees are really good and I and I was
a lot higher on the Red Sox in the arm
right now. Granted, the Red Sox just can't pitch. They
have noble pen, their lineup is good, their starters are good.
They just blow every game. So but that that's not
some throwaway division, Like that's a division of the Orioles

(38:02):
were able to win if they actually cared, then let
their owner put some money into the team. But I mean,
here we are. They fired the manager of forty games
in the season after getting shut out last year by Woffs.

Speaker 3 (38:15):
The Kepler thing.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
I just want to say here because I dove in
only a seven to ten OPS against the righties. Like,
if you're going to be a strictly platoon bat, who's
here to hit righty's, I need better than seven ten
OPS when you're hitting like five hundred OPS against lefties.

Speaker 3 (38:30):
Like he's just not good enough at what we brought
him here to do. And I liked I liked the move.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
I thought I loved him for the first couple of
weeks there. He's just been really disappointing. I'll throw some
names at you, like ten fifteen seconds or less on
any of that interest you.

Speaker 3 (38:44):
George Springer thumbs up, thumbs down.

Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yeah, he's a he's a playoff warrior.

Speaker 3 (38:49):
Yeah, you don't.

Speaker 1 (38:50):
You don't need a You don't need a perennial star
on this team. You need a guy that can sort
of perform in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (38:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
I would actually be very or.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
Take a swing on Buckston. Just hope he stays healthy.

Speaker 1 (39:02):
The I mean, I mean health is the only thing,
because when he's on the field, he's good. He's not
as good as he was four years ago, but he's
he's still good.

Speaker 3 (39:11):
Rooker.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
We already talked about Lawrence Butler. Probably not a trade guy.
He's probably hold on to him. Maybe the swaggiest player
and my new guy guy Swag.

Speaker 1 (39:21):
Yeah, the Phillies need swag. They need big chains, they
need they need everything they need. Yeah, they need some Yeah, yes, yes,
Lawrence Bolar.

Speaker 3 (39:31):
Speaking of swag or hay so laire, I know that
a lot.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
All the way in I've been I've been begging for
Horace Sailaire since twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
That's all I have there.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
I have two tweets a year if you look up
Horace Claire on my Twitter, I have two tweets a
year for the last five years begging for them to.

Speaker 3 (39:47):
Sign Horace leftfielder Reee Hoskins. I'm joking. I'll move on
all in Spencer year.

Speaker 1 (39:53):
I am. Now.

Speaker 3 (39:54):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (39:56):
Out of the guys you've listed, he's probably the bottom,
but I wouldn't work. I wouldn't hate taking a swing
at a low price.

Speaker 2 (40:02):
It's a little marshish, like taking a swing a guy
who was a big problem, maybe not even a big prospect,
but had a really good start to steer his career
and he's really struggled since. And then a guy who
this is maybe like the most pie in the sky one,
a guy who were playing this weekend, but as someone
who drafted him high in fantasy, he has sucked this year.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
Brian Reynolds.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Is there any any you know, maybe taking a swing
on Brian Reynolds or is he on the downside at
this point?

Speaker 1 (40:28):
I think he's on the downside. Yeah, I don't. I
don't think so. I'd be out on that. He'd probably
be on the bottom of my list out of.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
All the guys you need. He's got like four or
five more years at pretty good.

Speaker 1 (40:43):
I think he's a slightly above average baseball player who's
been riding on a really bad team. And I think
he's one of those guys that you can be like, oh, well,
you know, he might just need a new team and
then he could come here and just be the same
expac player that he's been. So so he's probably on
the bottom of my list.

Speaker 3 (41:02):
But yeah, I'm all in this. Robert we're talking about
at this point, right, So Robert, he's just not good anymore.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
He's he's he's gonna be that guy where all the
people that watch forty baseball games a year coming with
the deadline and say they needed Trey Ada Miller for
Luis Robert and not realize he's like bottom fifteen hitters
in all baseball.

Speaker 2 (41:22):
He's just not good anymore. I don't think Brendan Donovan.
I like Brendan Donovan. I don't know if he's a
fit for the I think we need power with the slot.
Yeah it's worth it with Brendan Donovan.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
Yeah, that fair. I don't hate that though.

Speaker 1 (41:36):
I don't hate that.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
But in the last one, I know you'll like Cedric Mullens.
I know you like that. Yeah, yeah, that'd be awesome.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
Yeah, I would love having him and left. Granted, I
would still prefer right handed. I think having another right
handed bat in the lineup would be big.

Speaker 3 (41:54):
But yeah, no, I would. I would love there he is.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
Should I do that name or no? Dude, the dude
might just rite he has one less home run than
Bryce Harp for this year, Like the dude might just ran.
It's almost like he had a freak injury that no
one's ever heard of in baseball, and maybe he wasn't
a horrible player like tends to happen. Still the crazy listen,

(42:21):
I don't think he's some great baseball player, but like
the craziest part about that whole sequence was that the
Phillies are differing at the deadline. He had a freak
injury that no one's ever had in baseball, and then
they just like non tender them, like weird, Like that's
what's the difference between him and like Cal Stevenson on
your team? Like what, like what did you not? Like

(42:43):
I don't know bringing back as.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
Bring him back there. He is Luke Arkane. You can
follow on Twitter at r Kaney.

Speaker 2 (42:50):
Luke will be down there on the diamond for skeens
Able tomorrow, So keep it locked till Luke Twitter.

Speaker 3 (42:57):
Thanks so much for coming on, Luke.

Speaker 1 (42:58):
Sorry, thanks, that's he took me off.

Speaker 3 (43:03):
He took me off. Wow, I'm jerking. Uh, that's gonna
do it for the show, Sean. Should I read my
five non lottery guys or should we save that for
another week? Say we got plenty of time for draft talk,
save it for another week. Just know right now, yackxell Leinborg.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
That's me.

Speaker 3 (43:22):
He needs to know.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
He's the man.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
Yaxelllenborg.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
Still weighing his options. By the way, Uh, it's crazy
if a team doesn't give him a first round guarantee.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
So Gavoni said that he makes more than the twenty
fifth he'll he'll make more than the twenty fifth pick
or higher.

Speaker 4 (43:37):
It's three million dollars off I heard from Michigan.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
Yeah, he needs to go from what Gavoni said. I
think he needs to go twenty five or higher. Needs
to have a promise.

Speaker 3 (43:46):
I had him eleventh.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
That's my passionate I Am and for sure Fleming. We'll
talk about him in another time too. That's gonna do
it for the Tough Cart Radio Show. We'll be back
next week. Thanks so much to Luke, Thanks Chamberdog on
the ones and twos. Tough Cover Country's