Aug 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (53) reacts after a victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Brett Davis
Every Tuesday, On Pattison's Tim Kelly and Anthony SanFilippo will answer your questions from social media pertaining to the Phillies. Let's get to it.
@BevieMiller on Bluesky: Are we going to re-sign Carlos Estévez? If not, who do you think would be a better fit for this team or alternatively, do you think we are done?
Tim Kelly: In the limited interactions I had with Estévez, I found him to be a really likable guy. I think from a clubhouse sense, he was a great fit and would be welcomed back if the Phillies do re-sign him.
But the output on the mound was disappointing, in my opinion. He gave up multiple hits in three of his last six relief appearances during the regular season. He allowed Jose Iglesias to drive in inherited runners that meant the Mets didn't need to use Edwin Díaz in Game 3 of the NLDS. And in Game 4, he inherited a messy situation from Jeff Hoffman and allowed Francisco Lindor to put a nail in the coffin of the Phillies with a grand slam.
Look, if he takes a one-year deal, that's worth the investment for someone given that he had a 2.45 ERA over 54 games last regular season. But the Phillies have to pay a 110% tax on any signings from here on out, so I don't think they will be the team to sign Estévez.
The Dragon Ball Z Celebration by Phillies Closer Carlos Estevez is a Tribute to Akira Toriyama
Feature story from @AntSanPhilly
Read here: https://t.co/7RtKGz3vJw pic.twitter.com/9HZLD210tR
Anthony SanFilippo: I admit that I let this same thought creep into my head recently. But I never let it escape because, like Tim, I don't think it makes sense — and not just from my perspective, but the Phillies' as well. Hell, I didn't think trading for him last season made sense compared to other relievers who were available, but the Phillies sure did. And the concerns I had were that despite impressive numbers with the Angels last season, Estévez has never been a strikeout pitcher, which is very odd for a closer. Guys coming into those spots need to have lethal stuff.
Estévez is one of those good but not great relievers in his career and it's one thing putting up solid numbers in the obscurity of Colorado and Anaheim. It's another thing pitching high leverage in Philadelphia.
He was good, at times, for the Phillies, but when the chips were down, he couldn't get the job done — even if the last moment we will remember was a hell of a spot to be put into that very few in the history of the sport would have been able to worm out of unscathed. That said, he can't give up a grand slam either.
So why did I let it enter my head in the first place?
Because I'm not as convinced as the Phillies are that they have the horses in the bullpen that they need. I liked the Jordan Romano signing, but there is still a question mark there. I too think there's room for Orion Kerkering to take another step, but will he? I agree José Alvarado still has nasty stuff, but can he focus enough to tame it like he did in the second half of 2022 and when he wasn't injured in 2023, or will he be the wildly inconsistent 2024 version of himself? The Phillies like José Ruiz, but is he more than a mostly effective fifth guy?
In short, there are two many question marks that need to all be answered positively for the Phillies bullpen to be improved. That's never a good way of going at it, which is why I'd advocate for one more upgrade and there are relievers out there still.
But Tim's right, money matters. Now, more than ever, because the team is being taxed at a rate of 110% for every new dollar. If you are going to spend that kind of money, it better be for a near certainty. Estévez, great guy that he is, is far from certain. So, pass.
@Thirtyballparks on Bluesky: Not a baseball question per se but how do you think the new Sixers/Flyers arena deal will affect the Phillies, if at all?
Tim Kelly: Anthony is more the expert on this topic than I am, but I'll point to the renderings that were released last year when the Phillies signed onto the Comcast-Spectator plan to develop the Sports Complex. If it wasn't already clear, Comcast is probably more powerful than any politician in the city, and maybe the state. So I'm inclined to think they will get their wish in developing the Sports Complex. While I reserve the right to bitch about increased traffic in the future, my biggest issue with the Sports Complex currently is that there's not really anything to do other than attend one of the games. It's a ghost town when there isn't a game or concert down there. In the not-so-distant future, I think that will change dramatically.
Anthony SanFilippo: I love that I'm the "expert" because I used to collect a paycheck from Comcast-Spectacor. News flash, the last one I got that wasn't part of a severance package was in May 2014. So, it's been a bit. And yes, I'm still plugged in with the company, but it's not like people are calling me to talk about engineering concepts.
Those clarifications aside, the announcement of a new arena yesterday should only speed up the development of the entire Sports Complex plan to turn that section of South Philly into a destination location not just on game days, but every day.
The Cordish Companies — who is the developer Comcast-Spectacor worked with initially on the plan when they tore down the Spectrum to build Xfinity! Live — are still on board for this re-imagined concept that is similar to other multi-use entertainment areas that they have developed in other cities. Philly Mayor Cherelle Parker waxed exhaustingly about The Battery, the retail and entertainment area outside Truist Park where the Atlanta Braves play. Cordish handled that as well. And the fact that she was given that tour by Comcast-Spectacor CEO Dan Hilferty and Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton tells you all you need to know about how they want to model the Philadelphia version.
How will it affect the Phillies? It'll become more of a place to be before and after games. Maybe it makes for a small section of the crowd to be late-arriving because they got caught up shopping or dining or whatever, but the Phillies will reap the financial rewards, too, so not sure that's too big a concern. In short, it will have a greater impact — and if I'm making a prediction, I'd say a positive one — on the city and the sports-loving fan base, than on the Phillies directly.
@Mark84mckn on Bluesky: Why isn’t Nick Castellanos moving to left field? Doesn’t Kepler in right make the defense better?
Tim Kelly: Castellanos is a creature of habit. When something clicks with him, you're best not to mess with it. The defensive metrics don't necessarily bear this out, but he's worked very hard and shown some improvement there the last couple of seasons. If you remember early in the 2022 season, he looked pretty uncomfortable in left field. Not messing with him is probably the right decision.
With that said, I think right field is a more important defensive position, particularly at stadiums that have large right-center field gaps. Kepler has 48 defensive runs saved and 57 outs above average in right field in his career, so a healthy version of him would be a clear upgrade over Castellanos. It should be noted that when Kepler met with the media via Zoom last week, he seemed pretty confident he'll be able to shift to left field. He even mentioned that after playing his home games at Target Field, he's excited to potentially have the chance to rob home runs at Citizens Bank Park.
Nick Castellanos operates as his own agent. He told @ChrisRose in a recent podcast appearance when it is he takes trade rumors seriously, and even cited an example of when he directly texted Dave Dombrowski to check on a report's validity. @OnPattison https://t.co/fQljFqFBPo
Anthony SanFilippo: Tim pretty much covered it, but there's something I want to add — and I don't have an scientific data here, but just an observation — the Phillies must think left field at Citizens Bank Park is trickier to play than right field. Even when Castellanos struggled defensively, he was never the guy who was pulled for a defensive replacement. It was always a change in left field or center field.
But I go beyond that.
Remember when they first acquired Cristian Pache? Dude has an elite outfield glove. But where did they put him? Left field. When they wanted to give Johan Rojas an extended chance in center, where did they shift Brandon Marsh, a quality defensive outfielder in his own right? Left field. Now they get Kepler, who has a track record as a very good defensive outfielder. Where do they put him? Left field.
The Phillies must see something in the way the ballpark plays to be stubborn about this. And it does seem like more balls are hit to left and left-center than right and right-center. It may be marginal in the grand scheme, but teams are always looking for advantages in those margins.
All that said, I'd switch them. But that's why I just write about the team and not manage it.
@MrEd315 on X: So are you guys all warm & fuzzy about the Phillies for Spring Training? If not, what do they need to do?
Tim Kelly: The high in Philly today is 30 degrees. I'd feel all warm and fuzzy about watching the White Sox in Spring Training if it was taking place in Clearwater.
Anthony SanFilippo: Unlike Tim, I don't mind covering sports in the cold. More than a quarter century of time in hockey will toughen you up a bit. But, I admit, getting to go to Clearwater, even for only a few days, is a great respite in a seemingly long winter. That said, I'm not completely convinced the Phillies are done. If they are, fans have a reason to complain that this was an underwhelming offseason. Romano, Kepler, Jesús Luzardo and Joe Ross are all individually solid major league players — and some, or all could continue to be good for the Phillies. But it doesn't seem to have rectified the Phillies most glaring weaknesses. And until those are addressed, there's not going to be anything to feel warm and fuzzy about with this team.
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