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Jake Mintz

FOX Sports MLB Analyst

The 2022 Phillies were an amusement park of breezy baseball delights. Most of them were so-called “Phillies Daycares.” This is an assortment of young, jubilant position players who energize teams with base hits and good vibes.

But at some point, everyone has to graduate from nursery school.

On Saturday, the Phillies said goodbye to two beloved members, sending infielder Nick Maiton and outfielder Matt Biering (along with Triple-A catcher Donnie Sands) to Detroit, replacing them with left-handed reliever Gregory Soto and utility guy Cody. I sent Clemens.

Clean up your sans right away! A bat-first backup who had a great year in Triple-A and his type of catcher, the Suns only played his three games in the majors in 2022. He will be Detroit’s backup his catcher in 2023, but JT he’s not a big loss to Realmoot and Garrett Stubbs.

Meanwhile, the departures of Biering and Mutton shocked the Phillies fanbase over the weekend, completely stunning fans and players. Neither player was expected to be an integral part of the 2023 team, but both became beloved clubhouse presences throughout his magical 2022 season in Philly.

Calling himself exclusively “Wolfie” for unknown and unshared reasons, Mutton often roamed the clubhouse and dugout, barking at teammates, coaches and members of the media. It was a fun weird dude bit that turned Mutton into a favorite character from Citizens Bank Park.

Vierling, who started in center field in October against a left-handed pitcher, was decidedly less odd than Mutton, but he was still one of the more favored, fun-loving players at the Phillies Clubhouse. During a celebration in the locker room when he won the NLCS by beating the Padres, Biering circled the clubhouse with a pack of cigarettes and provided heaters for all the visitors.

But Mutton and Viering’s contribution to creating such a dynamic clubhouse culture overshadows how helpful they were in guiding the Phillies during a debilitating regular-season injury. Although he had 113 OPS+ in 134 plate appearances, Maton sparked a 34-game stint with the big league club, producing 138 OPS+.

Best 15 to win the World Series, but Best 35 to survive the rigors of a 162-game season. Just ask the Los Angeles Angels and his two MVPs who haven’t played in the postseason since 2014. In 2022, Maton and he gave the Vierling Phillies decisive depth of attack when they needed it most. Not to mention cigarettes and howling.

And now they’re both gone and sent to Detroit for the man with the fifth-worst walk rate in baseball and a dominant utility infielder with a famous father. What caused a Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld to part ways with two of their most admired chemistry characters?

It’s actually very simple. Soto throws his 100 with his left arm.

Clemens is fine, a bat-first bench infielder with less upside and defensive value than Mutton, but the trade is all about what Soto and Soto become.

Now the 6-foot-1 Dominican is a highly flawed but effective pitcher. Soto throws absolute cheddar — in 2022 he was the only left-handed hurler to throw over 100 mph, his new teammate Jose he was Alvarado — but lack of command It means he can’t hit as many hitters as he hopes. And then there is his love for walks.Soto was one of six MLB pitchers to walk 5 or more hitters per nine innings last year When Strike out less than 9 hitters per 9 innings. He also finished the year with the fifth-worst average exit speed in the league.

Usually this is a devastating combination. He gives up a large amount of hard his contacts while walking through people with astonishing speed without beating them. But Soto managed to dodge the danger, appease the baseball gods, and finish the year with a 3.28 ERA. That number, conversely, shows how much potential he has. He underperformed in so many key categories in 2022 and still had a 3.59 FIP.

So for the Phillies, this is a favorable play. Soto has shown dominance so far, including a 2.47 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in his 49-game stretch in 2021. The Phillies helped fellow left-handed reliever Alvarado, a fuel-pump fellow with control issues, find enough consistency to grow into a reliable high-leverage arm. Clearly, we’re hoping to be able to do the same with Soto, who becomes yet another high-variance piece in an attractive bullpen that includes Craig Kimbrel.

So the deal is polarizing. For some, you’re trading two non-starters for a pitcher who can carry you through the postseason. , is the loss of two highly regarded and promising position players.

If you believe in the magic of pitching coaches Soto and Philly and small sample sizes, the deal makes sense. But for those who pray to Vibe’s altar (and position player depth), the deal might be a bitter pill to swallow.

Jake Mintz, Loud Half @Cespedes BBQ Baseball writer for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan who lives in New York City and spends most of October alone. If he doesn’t watch baseball, he almost certainly rides a bike. Follow him on Twitter. @Jake Mintz.

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