Mackanin: Half-season audition coming up for underachieving players
PHILADELPHIA » There is essentially one half of one baseball season to go before the Phillies draw firm conclusions about many of their underachieving players. Such was the message emerging Friday from a three-hour Citizens Bank Park meeting involving Matt Klentak, Pete Mackanin and some Phillies coaches and executives.
“Let’s put it this way: Once again, it’s like a broken record,” Mackanin said, before a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres. “But this year, again, is about finding out who is going to be part of the future, and whether the answer is yes or no.
“We are going to have an answer at the end of the year.”
While Mackanin declined to share any particular player’s mid-term report card, and with Klentak promising to surface for questioning by Saturday, there were only hints about the thinktank’s conclusions. They leaked when Mackanin was asked to name those players who’d made the most of the otherwise dismal first half of the season.
“(Aaron) Altherr is the obvious guy who has made progress,” the manager said. “I felt like Aaron Nola was always in the plans, but he really rebounded extremely well from his problems. (Nick) Pivetta is new in the mix. (Ben) Lively is new in the mix. (Jeremy) Hellickson is Hellickson. You know what you are going to get from Hellickson. Vinny (Velasquez) had the arm issue, so he hasn’t been here.
“I was hoping to see Cesar (Hernandez) play a whole year and hit .290 and have a .360, .370 on-base percentage, which he did the first half, pretty much. Freddy (Galvis) has made progress. He is starting to really show progress offensively.” Added Mackanin, playfully, about the Gold Glove candidate shortstop: “And if he can improve defensively, I think he is going to be a pretty good player.”
Mackanin also praised Tommy Joseph, suggesting that he could hit 30 home runs this season. Joseph hit his 15th Friday, a solo shot in the fourth inning.
As for those the manager didn’t mention? Take a hint? “It all depends on what they do the second half,” Mackanin said. “We are looking for consistency from the pitchers and the position players, quality at-bats and consistency from pitchers. The first half counts as much as the second half. In this scenario, you don’t get a bonus for having a good second half and a bad first half or vice-versa. If you want to have a winning team, you have to be consistent throughout the six-month period.”
The meeting was neither an emergency session nor an opportunity for the general manager to overturn office furniture. Assistant general managers Ned Rice and Scott Proefrock attended, as did scouting director Mike Ondo. Klentak conducted a similar one around this time last year.
“It was just a get-together,” Mackanin said. “Matt wanted to get our opinion on all the players.”
And the goal for half? the second “More said. wins,” Mackanin
*** The blast of fan-wide excitement and organizational pride that erupted a week ago when Nick Williams was promoted to the Phillies has settled. Friday, Williams was out of the starting lineup for second consecutive game.
Since the Padres were starting a left-hander, Clayton Richard, and because Mackanin has wanted to get Cameron Perkins some more at-bats, the Friday lineup was expected. Yet Williams did not start Thursday, either, against Pittsburgh righthander Chad Kuhl.
“I want to bring him along,” Mackanin said. “Perkins, in his first 20 at-bats, didn’t get off to a real good start. And then Williams showed up. I want to try to bring Williams along so he doesn’t have to face a lefty here.”
Williams started crisply, going 5-for-14 in his first four major-league games. But in his last three, he was 1-for-9.
“We are looking for him to possibly be a part of the future, so eventually he is going to have to face lefties,” Mackanin said. “But I just want to bring him along slow right now and not have to face a lefty.”
Williams pinch-hit for Pivetta with one out in the seventh against right-handed reliever Phil Maton and whacked a double off the right field wall.
*** Mackanin confirmed that Jerad Eickhoff will be reactivated and start Sunday. Eickhoff has been on the disabled list since June 20 with a strained upper back. A corresponding roster move will be necessary before the game.
Velasquez, who had a rehab start for Reading Thursday in Trenton, is nearing a return from an elbow injury. He will throw on the side soon, then pitch in a Thursday rehab game.
“Then we’ll see where he is,” Mackanin said. “He is going to be up to 75 pitches. And if we determine that he is ready, then he might make the next start, which kind of convolutes that whole after-the-break scenario for the starting rotation. We are going to have to maneuver that a little bit.”
Aaron Nola (6-5, 3.73 ERA) will oppose Padres right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (7-7, 4.52) Saturday afternoon at 4:05. Sunday, in the last game before the All-Star break, Eickhoff (0-7, 4.93) will face right-handed Trevor Cahill (3-2, 2.96).
The Phils are expected to start Pivetta in the first game after the break. But with Hellickson, Nola, Lively, Eickhoff and a healthy Velasquez, the crowd would be one above the five-man capacity.
“I don’t want to go with a ‘six-man,’” Mackanin said. “In May, when we had those three off days and a rainout, I think it messed up the whole rotation. Nobody was on schedule. Everybody was going on five, six, seven days of rest, and
back and forth. We don’t want to have to do that again. We want to try to keep them on track. Because in the month of June, we kept them on their programs and the starters were much better.”
The health of Eickhoff and Velasquez will be key. Also, Hellickson is about to become a useful trade option.
“We have something in pencil,” Mackanin said, “but not in ink.” *** Pivetta lasted seven innings Friday, allowing three
runs and five hits. He struck out nine and walked none, but allowed three solo home runs, two to Austin Hedges, one to Jose Pirela.
“He pitched very well,” Mackanin said. “He should have won.”
In his previous start, Pivetta allowed one run in seven innings in New York against the Mets.
“I’m just trying to find my consistency and pitch like I know I can and did at Triple A,” he said. “Now I have to move forward from here.”