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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1h

Starting the Phillies offseason with who the Phillies will need to make roster decisions on this offseason.

Phillies 2025-2026 Minor League Free Agents/Rule 5 Eligibility

The offseason has not officially begun for baseball, but it is effectively here for the Phillies as the front office will begin to have to make some quick decisions on minor league free agents and Rule 5 protection. Here are the players with important roster status milestones heading into the offseason. Major League Free Agents C J.T. Realmuto DH Kyle Schwarber…

philliesminorthoughts.com

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 6h

Mike, they are being reckless with his health and jeopardizing their chances later in the postseason. They had a 5-1 lead no need to have your bullpen get cold.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 15h

It isn’t going to feel better if the Dodgers crush everyone, but the Phillies were a very small number of events away from beating them and I am not sure other teams really stand a chance

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 18h

This is a bit rambling and incoherent, but one of the things about postseason series is that they involve intentional strategy and there is a tendency to view a players struggles absent the strategy and think that not following the plan that is working will also work.

Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 19h

Some of this is team makeup, but Ohtani came to the plate 20times in the NLDS 1-18 2 walks 9 strikeouts. Here are all of his PAs against RHPs.
G1: Duran - Walk (5 pitches, 0 in the zone)
G2: Duran - Strikeout (6 pitches)
G3: Nola - F7
G4: Duran - IBB
They weren’t letting him beat them bs a RHP

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 19h

Some of this is team makeup, but Ohtani came to the plate 20times in the NLDS 1-18 2 walks 9 strikeouts. Here are all of his PAs against RHPs.
G1: Duran - Walk (5 pitches, 0 in the zone)
G2: Duran - Strikeout (6 pitches)
G3: Nola - F7
G4: Duran - IBB
They weren’t letting him beat them bs a RHP

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 19h

So it can be hard in the moment to do macro stats in postseason, and while I had a feeling I didn’t have the numbers. So this is in relation to the IBB of Ohtani in Game 4. The cry had been that they had him in hell all series, why not attack him with your closer. But that ignores why he struggled.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 19h

He has made some mistakes, he has also had some tactical moves and game plans over the last 4 postseasons that have just straight up won them games and series. But it is hilarious to your point to look at over managers and go “he is overmatched”

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 21h

I would look at third, but also I am mostly saying keep Marsh, get him an actual partner, and then you have two other outfield spots to make changes in. I just don’t see a better player than Brandon Marsh you are getting at his cost

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 21h

I am not giving Bader the years he probably wants given his age and inconsistency. I would give Crawford the chance to win the job and get another RH hitting platoon partner for left

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 21h

Not to keep offseason posting. For me a creative offseason isn't revamping the OF and maybe trading Brandon Marsh for something else, I think if they want to be a well run team it is finally supporting and deploying Marsh exclusively to his strengths (sort of like they did in Aug-Sept)

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 23h

I feel like there is a sports radio type that just takes pride in just being completely ignorant of how any transaction/contract thing works. It is a fantasy sports/gambling brain disease

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Since it came up elsewhere, I feel pretty confident in my rules interpretation that Seth Johnson will be eligible for a fourth option year and will not be out of options. Between 2020 and his Tommy John recovery he does not have seasons of at least 90 days active

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Lots of functional substitutes is doing a lot of work given what has been done to stimulants for those that need it. Also tea availability and pricing also is just as bad as coffee.

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 1d

Tariffs have rapidly increased the price of coffee—a drink with almost no nutritional value and lots of functional substitutes. Yet coffee may also be the one thing Americans can’t live without, @elcush.bsky.social writes:

The Drink That Americans Won’t Give Up Without a Fight

Coffee has almost no nutritional value and lots of substitutes. It’s also, apparently, too important to lose.

bit.ly

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

I have seen this movie before

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah it appears to be incomplete and corrupted, but we will see.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Well the import file found authors so I have hopes, but I probably should spin up a second domain link or this is probably going to break the site in interesting ways.

Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · Aug 7

This is probably a good time to say that I found on my hard drive when building my new computer what is possibly an xml export of Crashburn Alley before the domain went down if anyone wants a project.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Do the Brewers have a parade of high end lefties with plus to plus plus armside offerings to both sides of the plate?

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

For the NLDS which includes Clayton Kershaw eating it in a blowout.
PHI: 2.87 ERA 2.92 FIP
LAD: 3.32 ERA 3.58 FIP
MIL: 3.35 ERA 5.04 FIP
CHC: 3.85 ERA 5.04 FIP

Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

The Brewers going with an opener in NLCS Game 1 just communicates the giant pitching difference between the two NLDS series.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

The Brewers going with an opener in NLCS Game 1 just communicates the giant pitching difference between the two NLDS series.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

The other thing about managers is that good teams tend to have consistent managing, and the Phillies are a good team. If it seemed like Rob was losing the clubhouse then you consider it, but he seems to have only lost one member of the clubhouse and the rest of the team likes him.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Much like video games and movies length is not a proxy for quality and many times a book that can be read in a couple of hours is what is needed. Creating a good series of these is better than a bunch of thick tomes.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

I thought he managed Game 3 very well. I thought Game 4 management was correct decisions but didn't get the outcomes, but ultimately a lack of options and the offense not hitting Glasnow and Sasaki left no margin for error. I thought he managed too conservatively in Games 1 and 2.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 1d

Prior to Franco there was Darin Ruf, left fielder, as well

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 2d

It might be the most team friendly deal out there, and it is all because he got better after requesting and signing it.

It won’t be the number one thing I look for them to do but they should extend Luzardo not as much to save money but as to lock in certainty.

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Matt Winkelman @mattwinkelman.bsky.social · 2d

I don't think it is going to happen, but also I don't know if you are going to replace him for much cheaper. He has more years but slight less AAV than Manaea and Eovaldi. But Severino, Kikuchi, Martinez, and Buehler all got $20M+ last offseason. Likely Ranger gets quite a bit more AAV than him too.

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