Just a few things that stood out
Dave Dombrowski had his first spring training press conference yesterday and while these things are usually rather standard with standard questions and standard answers, there were a few things we can glean from what he said that can and will affect the team in 2025. You can watch the full press conference here.
It’s always good to hear from the president of baseball operations give forthright answers to questions, not really holding back enthusiasm or anything else that would hinder excitement about the team being built. There wasn’t much there to get overly excited about, but here were some things that perked our interest.
- There are a few guys still coming to camp thanks to visa issues causing a delay, Koyo Aoyagi chief among them, but everyone else is coming to camp without issues, health or otherwise. We’re looking at you, Jesus Luzardo.
- Taijuan Walker “looks good”, but we all know what that means at this point. Whatever trade value Walker does have, however minimal it might be, would dry up if anything negative were to be said about his conditioning or stuff during bullpen sessions. The real test is going to come once he actually starts pitching in spring games, showcasing himself for 29 other teams. Should he show anything – literally anything – the team will trade him.
- Andrew Painter looks like he’ll be ready “July-ish”, though that time frame is not set in stone. We’ve heard all offseason how the plan is for him to barely throw in spring training, game situations likely out of the equation, then slowly start to ramp up for usage later in the season. If the team has a number in mind for how many innings they want him pitching, it’s best to use those innings when the stakes are highest.
- Is Aidan Miller a possibility to reach Philadelphia in 2025? “I don’t think he’ll do it [this year], but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s playing the big leagues in the near future.” Folks. That sounds good to me. There really is no reason to rush him to the major leagues with the team having three 2024 All-Stars in Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, complimented by Bryson Stott, holding down spots in the infield. However, should injuries occur and Miller is performing well at whatever level he is at, it wouldn’t surprise to see the team let him get his feet wet in Philadelphia for a few games.
Once games get going and players start putting their offseason work on more full display, expect more insight from Dombrowski, but this is all a good start to get things going for 2025.