Blinksportsnews247Comedian Joe Conklin cracked a joke at the expense of former Philadelphia Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel at the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet Wednesday, prompting laughter from those in attendance.But as bad as Kimbrel pitched in the postseason, he had a stretch in what turned out to be his only season with the Phillies, pitching at a very high level.
That helped the Phillies overcome a summer in which José Alvarado was on the injured list twice and Seranthony Domínguez was generally ineffective. For the most part, Kimbrel was the workhorse of the bullpen, playing in 71 games, his most in a season since 2011.Kimbrel, 35, likely contributed to his postseason collapse in 71 games during the regular season.
But now that Kimbrel is a member of the Baltimore Orioles, manager Rob Thomson must replace the 69 innings Kimbrel logged in 2023. Some of that could come from the outfield, though, as the Phillies are interested in free agent Robert Stephenson. By Jon Morosi of MLB.com. However, there will have to be several people who step inside to make up for the loss of Kimbrel.
“It’s tough because there were times … well, most of the year he played really well,” Thomson said of Kimbrel before Wednesday’s PSWA dinner.
“But it was just a situation where we have [Orion] Kerkering … we have some other guys that don’t have [minor league] options that have been really good for us in the past. So I think we can fill that void, though Craig has been very good for us.Kerkering, like Kimbrel, hit a wall in the NLCS. If one of them had done it against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies probably would have been in the World Series for a second straight season.
There is reason to believe that the 23-year-old will play a key role in the Phillies’ bullpen in 2024, though it’s probably wise to remember that he started last season in Single-A and played just four regular-season games between triple-A Lehigh Valley and major leaguers. In other words, hope for the best, but don’t plan because there’s no way he’s going to wrestle at any point this season.
One veteran reliever the Phillies definitely need to power themselves more consistently in 2024 is Gregory Soto. Acquired by the Detroit Tigers last season, Soto’s first season with the Phillies was uneven. His 4.62 ERA led you to believe he was struggling. In fact, of the 23 earned runs he gave up last season, eight came in multi-run games. Those trips were bad, no doubt about that. But Soto often dominates in his 61 other appearances in 2023. Left-handed hitters hit just 127 off the southpaw. If he can limit the strikeouts, Soto could use some eighth and ninth innings with Kimbrel gone.
Thomson said this week that the Phillies believe the visa issues that caused Soto to miss three weeks of spring training last year won’t be an issue this time around. That’s one of the factors the Phillies hope will help the 28-year-old pitch at a higher level this season.”I think it will help a lot,” said Thomson. “And the fact that he’s in his second year here, so he’s a little more comfortable. He knows the guys, he knows Clearwater, he knows the complex. I think you’ll see improvement with him.”
One reality facing Thomson and the Phillies in 2024 is that they have quite a few players without options, especially in the bullpen. Injuries are always going to happen, but it’s possible the Phillies will ride on some relievers or assign them to potential loss on waivers.”Yes, it can be a challenge,” Thomson admitted. “It depends on who makes the club … what we have in Triple-A or Double-A and how we run them. But that’s what we always talk about every year in spring training.
“Alvarado, Domínguez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm are ineligible for Triple-A. Soto has one option left, but using the Phillies would require disaster. Kerkering has three options, but the Phillies want him in the team. That’s already six spots, and it’s possible Andrew Bellatti and Dylan Covey will be on the Opening Day roster to maintain the organization’s depth, as both are out of options. The Phillies would likely lose either if they waived them – Bellatti would certainly be needed. Even if you don’t love both pitchers, you want to get as many hands as possible during the season.
That leaves the second group of pitchers likely at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, though they’ve contributed the last two years with minor league opportunities remaining. Think Nick Nelson, McKinley Moore, Yunior Marte and Luis Ortiz.Connor Brogdon also has an option, which could mean he spends much of 2024 in Allentown as well. But of the five names mentioned, he is the most difficult to come up with.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old blew things up. He had 3.27 ERA in 47 games in 2022 and ultimately played a key role in reaching the 2022 World Series. However, Brogdon had a 4.03 ERA and 5.15 FIP in 27 Phillies games in 2023, but did not appear in the major leagues. anytime after June 4th.
What went wrong for Brogdon in 2023?”Yeah, it was right, he got out of the strike zone quite a bit,” Thomson said of Brogdon. “And then he probably got to the point where he tried to do a little too much instead of just being himself and relaxing and going out and hanging out. He’s got a lot of great things, but he’s got to get through the strike. zone.
He’s got to hit. .”The remaining option will likely make it difficult for Brogdon to break camp with the big league club. Regardless, he’ll be an interesting person to watch in Clearwater, as he’s shown to be capable of throwing high-speed innings at times. And even if it’s not in April, there’s a good chance the Phillies will need him sometime in 2024 as they try to replace the loss of their top reliever from a season ago..
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