The Phillies’ manager has had an interesting week.
Nick Castellanos did not play a scheduled baseball game last night in his home town of Miami, surprisingly ending his Iron Man streak of 236 consecutive games played. It came after an argument with manager Rob Thomson following Monday night’s victory over the Marlins in which Castellanos was pulled from the game for a defensive replacement in the 8th inning.
It also came on the same night Thomson appeared to anoint a new closer, Orion Kerkering, giving the hard-throwing right-hander the 9th inning of their 5-2 victory instead of the veteran, Jordan Romano. On Monday night, Romano got the 7th inning, Matt Strahm the 8th, and Kerkering the 9th.
From a baseball perspective, both moves made perfect sense. Both were surprising.
Rojas is a far better defender than Castellanos. When Thomson made the switch in right field, the Phillies held a slim 3-2 lead. A late jump or a bad route on a ball could have meant the difference between an out or a single, a single or a double. In a one-run ball game, every 90 feet matters.
Rojas has been worth +2 Defensive Runs Saved in 325 innings this season. Castellanos has been worth -10. This was a no-brainer.
But Castellanos was not happy, and reportedly told Thomson so in words strong enough to warrant a benching last night, with family and friends in attendance. It was perhaps because he was removed for defense in front of those family and friends that Castellanos’ reaction was as strong as it was. The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes report it wasn’t the first time Castellanos and Thomson have exchanged words over on-field decisions.
Castellanos, according to team sources, has complained about disrespect whenever he’s hitting lower in the lineup. That was something Castellanos voiced in spring training, and he hit seventh on Opening Day. But, about a week into the season, he had reclaimed a middle-of-the-order spot. He’s hit fourth or fifth in 61 of the team’s games this season.
For Thomson, enough was enough.
There appears to be no such animosity regarding Thomson’s decision to go with Kerkering in a save situation on Monday night over Romano, who from 2021-23 was an All Star closer with the Blue Jays and one of the American League’s best relief pitchers. However, since May 1, Kerkering has not only been the better pitcher, he’s been one of the best relief pitchers in baseball.
Kerkering has allowed just three earned runs in 17.0 innings over the last six weeks, good for a 0.53 ERA. Opponents have hit .167 against him. Romano has also been solid, with a 3.38 ERA over that stretch, but gave up runs in three straight outings at the beginning of the month as the Phillies lost 10 of 12.
Again, Thomson made the right baseball decision, and this one appeared to have far less drama attached to it.
Thomson’s decisions came as the Phillies were bouncing back nicely from their early June swoon, having won six of seven before last night’s 8-3 loss. They also come in the wake of his benching of Alec Bohm for Game 2 of last year’s NLDS against the Mets over Bohm’s demeanor as he dealt with the emotional struggles of his hitting slump.
Thomson has rarely made waves as manager, believing open communication with players and advanced planning usually allows them to be assured of where they stand with him. He prefers not to surprise his players. He’s a steady hand, and at times has been criticized by fans for a lack of response to poor performances, for being too slow to make lineup changes, and for a general lack of urgency, especially during the regular season.
As Rhys Hoskins struggled for stretches of the 2022 playoffs, Thomson steadfastly kept him in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Castellanos has often been allowed to play through prolonged slumps. Thomson gives his players long leashes, and has earned the right to tell a veteran player that he is being pulled for a defensive replacement, whether it’s in front of his family and friends or not.
A player as smart as Castellanos, one who prioritizes winning above all else, should have been OK with this.
It’s likely emotion got the better of the veteran right fielder and that this too shall pass. Whatever the ultimate outcome, Thomson is making the correct baseball decisions, and his players should understand their manager is doing what’s necessary to win baseball games.