Matt Winkelman
@mattwinkelman.bsky.social
Cats, phillies prospects, hopefully less unhinged rants. He/Him.
I write things at https://philliesminorthoughts.com/ / @philliesminorthoughts.com
I write things at https://philliesminorthoughts.com/ / @philliesminorthoughts.com
Pinned
Matt Winkelman
@mattwinkelman.bsky.social
· Mar 25
New season, new pinned post:
Depth Chart - docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Org Roster - docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Pitch Tracking - docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Top Prospects - philliesminorthoughts.com/phillies-202...
Weekly/Monthly Recaps - philliesminorthoughts.com/scouting-rep...
Depth Chart - docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Org Roster - docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Pitch Tracking - docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Top Prospects - philliesminorthoughts.com/phillies-202...
Weekly/Monthly Recaps - philliesminorthoughts.com/scouting-rep...
I am forcing someone to go to God Emperor. Please do not go all the way, but it is time someone actually went big.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I am forcing someone to go to God Emperor. Please do not go all the way, but it is time someone actually went big.
One of those things where I feel like I need to correct myself as I continue to go through the ranking process. The Phillies have been poor at drafting and development, but actually the 2022 draft was a good draft by the Phillies and if you want optimism it is the closest to the Phillies 2025 draft
November 25, 2025 at 5:33 PM
One of those things where I feel like I need to correct myself as I continue to go through the ranking process. The Phillies have been poor at drafting and development, but actually the 2022 draft was a good draft by the Phillies and if you want optimism it is the closest to the Phillies 2025 draft
Reposted by Matt Winkelman
Of course I planned on cooking the turkey outside on a day that is never going to get over 30. I am almost wish it was snowing on Thursday so I could attempt to get all of my Wisconsin cred in one day, but instead I am likely to just be cold.
November 25, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Of course I planned on cooking the turkey outside on a day that is never going to get over 30. I am almost wish it was snowing on Thursday so I could attempt to get all of my Wisconsin cred in one day, but instead I am likely to just be cold.
Reposted by Matt Winkelman
I have two opinions on the Hall of Fame ballot
1. Chase Utley is a Hall of Famer and voters need to stop fucking around.
2. It is objectively funny to have some real core Phillies in Abreu, Hamels, Rollins, and Utley AND cameo Phillies Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Hunter Pence, and K-Rod
1. Chase Utley is a Hall of Famer and voters need to stop fucking around.
2. It is objectively funny to have some real core Phillies in Abreu, Hamels, Rollins, and Utley AND cameo Phillies Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Hunter Pence, and K-Rod
November 24, 2025 at 9:26 PM
I have two opinions on the Hall of Fame ballot
1. Chase Utley is a Hall of Famer and voters need to stop fucking around.
2. It is objectively funny to have some real core Phillies in Abreu, Hamels, Rollins, and Utley AND cameo Phillies Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Hunter Pence, and K-Rod
1. Chase Utley is a Hall of Famer and voters need to stop fucking around.
2. It is objectively funny to have some real core Phillies in Abreu, Hamels, Rollins, and Utley AND cameo Phillies Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Hunter Pence, and K-Rod
Your average Hall of Fame voter is very similar to your average American voter in that they make completely illogical and arbitrary choices that will just make you depressed if you try to understand them.
Ballot #1 in the 2026 Hall of Fame voting cycle is from Jorge Morejón. Andruw Jones receives the first net gained vote of the cycle. Jones finished last year 8.8% shy of election. Morejón's column: www.martinoticias.com/a/opini%C3%B...
In the Tracker: tracker.fyi
In the Tracker: tracker.fyi
November 24, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Your average Hall of Fame voter is very similar to your average American voter in that they make completely illogical and arbitrary choices that will just make you depressed if you try to understand them.
I knew Johan Rojas was having a great winter league (he also had a solid winter league a year ago), but I was unprepared for 11 walks to 6 strikeouts in 20 games. That is better plate discipline numbers than I would have bet on him putting up if you stuck him in low-A right now.
November 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I knew Johan Rojas was having a great winter league (he also had a solid winter league a year ago), but I was unprepared for 11 walks to 6 strikeouts in 20 games. That is better plate discipline numbers than I would have bet on him putting up if you stuck him in low-A right now.
Reposted by Matt Winkelman
Tomorrow is going to be hell, but totally worth it because The Beths were amazing.
My getting older opinion continues to be that concerts should start earlier. I am in my 30s and I have work tomorrow morning, we can easily push it up an hour (more on the weekend)
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Tomorrow is going to be hell, but totally worth it because The Beths were amazing.
My getting older opinion continues to be that concerts should start earlier. I am in my 30s and I have work tomorrow morning, we can easily push it up an hour (more on the weekend)
November 24, 2025 at 2:41 AM
My getting older opinion continues to be that concerts should start earlier. I am in my 30s and I have work tomorrow morning, we can easily push it up an hour (more on the weekend)
Every week I feel better about my decision to just be a fair weather/bandwagon Eagles fan.
November 24, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Every week I feel better about my decision to just be a fair weather/bandwagon Eagles fan.
I hate that it looks like the Mets got a huge positive vibe shift
November 23, 2025 at 11:23 PM
I hate that it looks like the Mets got a huge positive vibe shift
Got waitlisted on some PhD programs and so graduated college without a job and 6 months of unemployment later I got a job offer
November 23, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Got waitlisted on some PhD programs and so graduated college without a job and 6 months of unemployment later I got a job offer
Here are the pitchers on the 40 man roster:
SP: Sanchez, Walker, Luzardo, Nola, Wheeler*, Rangel, Painter, Cabrera, Chace*
RP: Duran, Kerkering, Banks, Strahm, Alvarado, Johnson, Lazar, Hoffman, McFarlane
*Currently injured/rehab
SP: Sanchez, Walker, Luzardo, Nola, Wheeler*, Rangel, Painter, Cabrera, Chace*
RP: Duran, Kerkering, Banks, Strahm, Alvarado, Johnson, Lazar, Hoffman, McFarlane
*Currently injured/rehab
They also now have an absolute shit ton of roster spots and zero depth. Which puts into focus what they need to focus on all offseason
November 21, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Here are the pitchers on the 40 man roster:
SP: Sanchez, Walker, Luzardo, Nola, Wheeler*, Rangel, Painter, Cabrera, Chace*
RP: Duran, Kerkering, Banks, Strahm, Alvarado, Johnson, Lazar, Hoffman, McFarlane
*Currently injured/rehab
SP: Sanchez, Walker, Luzardo, Nola, Wheeler*, Rangel, Painter, Cabrera, Chace*
RP: Duran, Kerkering, Banks, Strahm, Alvarado, Johnson, Lazar, Hoffman, McFarlane
*Currently injured/rehab
I don't think anything has been a more glaring example of baseball's financial system being broken than teams non-tendering useful major league players. Whether it is team cheapness, how team control backloads compensation, or really the arb system overall. It is not the sign of a functioning game.
November 21, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I don't think anything has been a more glaring example of baseball's financial system being broken than teams non-tendering useful major league players. Whether it is team cheapness, how team control backloads compensation, or really the arb system overall. It is not the sign of a functioning game.
Something to watch is if they come back on minor league deals. By non-tendering them they do not subject them to waivers so they can theoretically re-sign them to a minor league deal without a team getting a chance to claim them (the player could also just be a FA and sign elsewhere).
Only Phillies’ non-tenders were two righties, Michael Mercado and Daniel Robert, who were not arbitration-eligible. They used this deadline to take them off roster. Phillies are at 32 on the 40-man roster.
November 21, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Something to watch is if they come back on minor league deals. By non-tendering them they do not subject them to waivers so they can theoretically re-sign them to a minor league deal without a team getting a chance to claim them (the player could also just be a FA and sign elsewhere).
Sort of surprised the Phillies tendered Stubbs a contract, but they have only Marchan and if he were to get hurt it is good to have backup. The minor league salary is probably high enough to keep a team from claiming him if they DFA him at the start of the year.
November 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Sort of surprised the Phillies tendered Stubbs a contract, but they have only Marchan and if he were to get hurt it is good to have backup. The minor league salary is probably high enough to keep a team from claiming him if they DFA him at the start of the year.
Not sure if he makes it through the offseason on the roster and missed most of 2025 due to injury. He is 27, and has minor league options. Poor contact skills, big power, is more of a corner outfielder. If you have roster spots you should use them.
November 21, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Not sure if he makes it through the offseason on the roster and missed most of 2025 due to injury. He is 27, and has minor league options. Poor contact skills, big power, is more of a corner outfielder. If you have roster spots you should use them.
Reposted by Matt Winkelman
Rob Manfred's ineptitude cost MLB a billion bucks in ESPN money, to make up for it he's selling off MLB dot TV to ESPN, and now he's claiming that makes up for it? What if he had NOT fucked up and lost a billion dollars and STILL sold MLB dot TV? Would that not have been better?
After near-billion-dollar blunder, MLB's Rob Manfred puts on rally cap with new TV deals
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Rob Manfred's ineptitude cost MLB a billion bucks in ESPN money, to make up for it he's selling off MLB dot TV to ESPN, and now he's claiming that makes up for it? What if he had NOT fucked up and lost a billion dollars and STILL sold MLB dot TV? Would that not have been better?
Reposted by Matt Winkelman
the problem with trying to build a team through a series of individual hyperrational decisions is that you end up with a very efficient very average team
Mike Elias might be the most hyperrational executive in MLB history when it comes to pitching—for better and for worse. He’s been in charge of the Orioles for seven full years now and he’s never: 1) signed a pitcher to a guaranteed multi-year contract; or 2) drafted a pitcher with a top-50 pick.
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
the problem with trying to build a team through a series of individual hyperrational decisions is that you end up with a very efficient very average team
I love trades that seem to make no sense for anyone involved (I assume that Grayson will just never pitch again because he didn't get to escape the Orioles before they killed him)
November 19, 2025 at 4:02 AM
I love trades that seem to make no sense for anyone involved (I assume that Grayson will just never pitch again because he didn't get to escape the Orioles before they killed him)
I made my opinions on Griff clear in my preview (I think he will be selected, it won’t work, and functionally he is done with the Phillies and they should have just traded him), but the other three really should factor in varying roles to the 2026 Phillies
Phillies protect the three obvious adds in Andrew Painter, Alex McFarlane, and Gabriel Rincones. They do not trade or add Griff McGarry and appear to have not added via trade
November 18, 2025 at 11:47 PM
I made my opinions on Griff clear in my preview (I think he will be selected, it won’t work, and functionally he is done with the Phillies and they should have just traded him), but the other three really should factor in varying roles to the 2026 Phillies
Phillies protect the three obvious adds in Andrew Painter, Alex McFarlane, and Gabriel Rincones. They do not trade or add Griff McGarry and appear to have not added via trade
November 18, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Phillies protect the three obvious adds in Andrew Painter, Alex McFarlane, and Gabriel Rincones. They do not trade or add Griff McGarry and appear to have not added via trade
Will the Phillies ever do their business prior to right before a deadline? No, that is asking too much
November 18, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Will the Phillies ever do their business prior to right before a deadline? No, that is asking too much