We are back once again with the 97.3 ESPN Phillies Mailbag.  Each week we take your questions and answer them on The Sports Bash with Mike Gill.  Tune in Tuesday afternoons to hear your questions answered on the air.

When are the Phillies finally going to cut ties with Jordan Romano?
~Ashley

I think that on Wednesday, August 13th, the fate of Jordan Romano was sealed if there was any doubt.  Relieving Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez, who allowed four runs – three earned – in six innings of work, Romano let the game get out of hand, allowing a grand slam home run to Miguel Andujar.

After the disasterous appearance, Romano’s ERA sits at 7.24.

The Phillies are in a position now where they can make some tough decisions.  The Phillies added Jhoan Duran and David Robertson.  On top of that, Aaron Nola is due to return as soon as Sunday, and Jose Alvarado is due to re-join the team as soon as about five days.

The candidates to be cut from the bullpen are as follows:

Max Lazar, 1-1, 4.25 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Jordan Romano, 2-4, 7.24 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
Joe Ross, 2-1, 4.94 ERA, 1.44 WHIP

If the Phillies need to subract two of them, at least one tough decision is necessary; one of the veteran relief arms the Phillies paid good money to will have to go, provided there are no injuries.

I think Romano would be the one to go of the veterans Romano and Ross.

Lazar has given up earned runs in six of his 26 outings.  The perhaps biggest one of note came on July 30th when he allowed six earned runs while getting just one out.  That said, I think he has pitched the best of the three.

However, the Phillies could option him to Triple-A and recall him once rosters expand, keeping one of the veterans on the roster a little longer, even if said veteran does not make the Postseason roster.

Also in the mix is reliever Daniel Robert.  Robert does have a minor league option available.

If I were making the decisions, I would tell the rehabbing Robert to meet the Phillies in Washington, D.C. and make the tough Romano decision now., giving the Phillies an extra arm after a couple days of heavy bullpen use.

When Alec Bohm returns, does Otto Kemp or Weston Wilson head to Triple-A?
~Kelly

The Phillies expect third baseman Alec Bohm back soon.  Rehabbing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Bohm is 1 for 12.  That hit was a home run.  He should re-join the Phillies soon.

The one who replaced him on the roster was Weston Wilson, who largely had started in left field against left-handed pitching.  Wilson replaced Otto Kemp, who has seen most of his time at third base while Bohm was out, sharing time with Edmundo Sosa.

While it was Wilson who gave way to Kemp earlier this season, I think the Phillies need to keep Wilson around.

Wilson is batting .429 in the month of August, with two doubles and a home run.  His August OPS is 1.265.

Meanwhile Kemp is batting .200 in the same span, with a .554 OPS.

I think that the Phillies have to ride the hot hand here, and that is Wilson.  Sosa has been doing well as a third base fill-in.  So I think the Phillies need to give Wilson those platoon at bats against left-handed pitching.

He did not do well in that role earlier this season coming off the injured list, but he is performing best right now.

 

Why did the Phillies hold on to Andrew Painter if they were not going to call him up?
~Daniel

The top prospect in the Phillies system remains Andrew Painter.  He is ranked number 10 on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 list, even after the most recent draft populated.  The Phllies refused to trade – or even discuss – Painter at the recent trade deadline.

But that in no way obligates the Phillies to call him up.

The Phillies, along with the rest of the watching world, seemed to assume that Painter would join the major league staff at some point.  “July” was often bandied about by the front office and it seemed to be the target once Painter made the jump to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

There was always the caveat that he would have to earn the promotion.  And so far he has not.

Does a 3-7 record and 5.24 ERA sound like someone who needs to be promoted from Triple-A?

I would think that that indicates that he might not excel in the major leagues once summoned.

The story from Lehigh Valley is that while Painter has kept up the velocity, his command is something he struggles with at time.   That’s the type of thing a player works out as he moves up the system.

That fastball would likely get minor league hitters out.  Major leaguers might have an easier time with it.

The good news is that the Phillies have a pretty full pitching roster.  After they get Aaron Nola back from the injured list, they’ll have six starters.  Should one move to the bullpen (there is some talk of a six-man rotation), they would still have the five that they need.

Therefore, there is no reason to rush Painter.  It does not make him less of a prospect.  It does not mean that he does not have a high ceiling.  But the quality on the Phillies roster enables them to promote him only when he’s ready.