The Phillies find themselves at 26-25 thus far through the 2016 season. Although they are stuttering as of late, 2-8 in their last 10, still being a game over .500 at this point is nothing short of a miracle.
Through the first 51 games, it has become evident that the Phillies will need to make some moves to better the present team, and benefit future Phillies squads.
1. Release Ryan Howard
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The 36 year old first baseman enters Tuesday’s game with a .157 average and an OBP of only .219. With the emergence of Tommy Joseph, who is averaging a home run every 12 at bats, as opposed to Howard who is averaging one per 17.5 plate appearances, the former MVP may be out of a job. Joseph also plays exceptional defense and is also in far better athletic shape than Howard. On a team building for the future, there’s no reason for a 36 year old to be blocking the development of a 24 year old, especially when the younger player is the better player at this time. With no team interested in acquiring the left handed slugger, it may be best for the Phillies to move on from Howard (and his strikeouts) and focus on grooming Tommy Joseph into an everyday position player.
2. Trade Carlos Ruiz
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This would not be as imminent of a move as releasing Howard, but I do feel that at some point before the trade deadline, the team should explore the possibility of trading the veteran catcher. Only hitting .222 with 3 home runs this season, Ruiz has been anything but an offensive threat. His behind the plate presence still makes him valuable, especially with all the young pitchers on this staff, but the Phillies should also look to the future again and try to give prospect Andrew Knapp some reps behind the plate. Ruiz’s defense and experience gives him some value, a lot more than Howard, which is why if Matt Klentak can find an appropriate deal, he should consider dealing Ruiz in hopes of receiving some young talent in return and giving Carlos the chance to play for a contender. Ruiz shouldn’t be traded for the heck of it, but if the right deal comes along, its a move the Phillies shouldn’t pass up.
3. Promote Scott Kingery to AA
Many have wondered who Chase Utley’s permanent replacement will be, because it is more than obvious that it will not be Cesar Hernandez. The answer may be 22 year old prospect Scott Kingery. Kingery is hitting .273 with 19 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 homers for high A Clearwater. Already 22 years old, the second baseman should be sent to the higher levels of the organization. When Crawford was sent to AAA I believed Kingery would take his roster spot in Reading, that was not the case. Despite his batting average not being as high as it would be liked by the organization, it would be a mistake to keep Kingery in high A much longer.
4. Send Adam Morgan to AAA
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One word to describe Adam Morgan: Inconsistent. The 26 year old lefty has been anything but stellar since replacing the injured Morton. With a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 6.67, Morgan’s only quality starts have come against the worst offense in baseball, the Atlanta Braves. It may serve both the organization, and Morgan best if he was to be sent down to Lehigh Valley soon, with him scheduled to start tomorrow. The Phillies should either give David Buchanan another chance in the majors, or give the nod to one the two top prospects in triple A, Zach Eflin and Jake Thompson. Thompson, the Phillies #1 pitching prospect has an ERA of 3.48 in nine starts this season, to go along with an opponent batting average of .234, I think the Phillies will wait a little longer with the 22 year old, but he’s defiantly a possibility. Eflin on the other hand, may be deserving of the call up right now, the 22 year old has an ERA of 2.81, a WHIP of 0.88, and an opponent batting average of .207 in nine outings. Eflin may be ready to take Morgan’s spot, and it may also benefit Morgan as he tries to regain his consistency in the minors and be ready for the call up if Hellickson was to get traded or another injury occur.
5. Promote Nick Williams to the Majors
This is another move that I don’t think will happen within the next week or two, but it definitely should be considered in the near future. With Peter Bourjos only hitting .200 out of the right field spot, the Phillies are in dire need of an upgrade in the outfield, Williams is the only internal answer. The 22 year old is hitting .287 so far with 5 homers and 7 doubles along with 22 runs batted in for triple A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies would probably like to see their top outfield prospect higher his average to around .300, but he’s made large strides lately after a rough month of April. With David Lough and Bourjos being the only ones in his way, there’s no doubt that Williams should be starting in the outfield at some point this summer and adding a lot more pop than the current Phillies right fielders.
I expect all of these moves to happen in the near future and all of them will benefit both the Phillies and each individual player as the Phillies stride towards being a contender again in the not so distant future, stay tuned.
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