Philadelphia Phillies: Hope within the 2017 epic failure
By Rick Soisson
All is not lost near the end of a seriously awful Philadelphia Phillies season. There are a few glimmers of hope that are seemingly genuine.
Before the deluge of words about the Iggles drowns us all, perhaps a last word about the woeful Philadelphia Phillies is in order. A week ago I insisted that the team’s homegrown player strategy was a failure, that things are dismal for them, generally.
Don’t mistake that for regular Philly carping, however. First of all, I came of age elsewhere, and although my wife might disagree sometimes, I can be an optimist. And optimism is warranted in a small dose about the Phils. There is hope in this season’s failure.
More from Section 215
- 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
- Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
- Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles
Moreover, that hope is not only spelled H-O-S-K-I-N-S. Rhys Hoskins is the newest reason to cheer, but not the only one. The team can lose 17-2 to the Chicago Cubs, and the Inquirer can cover the front sports page with Hoskins as they did Sunday, but there are other promising glimmers too.
In July, team president Andy MacPhail nearly agreed that the team has no “untouchable” player, but that’s certainly not true now. After belting ten HRs in his first seventeen games, Hoskins clearly belongs in the untouchable category. Yes, fastest to ten HRs is a bit of a “designer record,” but one doesn’t touch a player who sets that record. Going into play 8/27, Hoskins was also hitting .300 after starting out with a dozen hitless ABs.
But who are the other players to definitely keep?
Four Keepers Only
I would cautiously assert only three should remain Philadelphia Phillies.
First is Aaron Nola, who is the only current starting pitcher with appropriate numbers at this point in his career and who passes the eye test as a major league pitcher any time he goes to the mound. The phrase “poor man’s Greg Maddux” comes to mind with Nola, but he may well be a richer man’s Maddux in a year or two. He just needs a better offense in support.
Next is Aaron Altherr, who is – yes – injury prone, but when he’s healthy, he’s a problem for the opposition. He’s big, fast, a potential .290-.305 career hitter, and possibly a Gold Glover.
You may pick the third untouchable, but your choices are only shortstop Freddy Galvis or second baseman Cesar Hernandez. Both were once thought to be place holders; now that’s not so apparent. However, you only get one because room must be made for Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ infielder Scott Kingery.
The rest can be exchanged to help fill the team’s most pressing need: starting pitching. (Yes, that means you too, Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco.) And “starting pitching” does not mean here big, strapping, hard-throwing Single-A pitchers. We’ve tried that. We need people currently excelling at the Double-A, or, preferably, Triple-A level. Or in the majors – of course.
Next: Philadelphia Phillies: Where will Rhys Hoskins play in 2018?
For those begging for more hope, Jorge Alfaro, Andrew Knapp, and Hector Neris are in the nearly untouchable category, and like that guy in the old Monty Python movie, the Philadelphia Phillies are “not dead” yet.