Philadelphia Phillies

Five months after signing a minor league deal, veteran utilityman Logan Forsythe has reportedly been released by the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal first reported the move.

Forsythe originally joined the Phillies on Feb. 7 with a deal that included an invitation to spring training. 

Before spring training was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Forsythe hit .348/.464/.826 with three home runs in 23 at-bats over 11 games. 

Despite those robust hitting numbers, Forsythe was facing an uphill climb to make Philadelphia's 30-man roster. 

Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius, Jean Segura and Scott Kingery will make up the Phillies' starting infield. They included six other infielders in their initial player pool, including Forsythe, Alec Bohm, Josh Harrison, Ronald Torreyes, Neil Walker and Phil Gosselin. 

Forsythe has played for five different teams over the past nine seasons. The 33-year-old owns a .246/.327/.370 career slash line in 958 games. He has experience playing all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots. 

The Philadelphia Phillies announced former player Tony Taylor died Thursday at the age of 84:

The former infielder spent parts of 15 seasons with the Phillies and was inducted into the team's Wall of Fame in 2002. 

Taylor spent 19 years overall in the majors from 1958-76, earning one All-Star selection in 1960.

The Cuban tallied 2,007 hits in his career with 1,005 runs and 234 stolen bases. Though he spent time with the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers, he ranks fifth in Phillies history with 1,669 games played.

Phillies managing partner John Middleton praised Taylor in a statement, via MLB.com:

"Tony was undeniably one of the most popular Phillies of his or any other generation. His baseball talent was second only to his warm and engaging personality, as he would always make time to talk with fans when he would visit Philadelphia for Alumni Weekend. Growing up as a Phillies fan, my favorite memory of Tony is the remarkable play he made to save Jim Bunning's perfect game. It was the play of the game and it was thrilling to see it back then. It remains equally thrilling today to watch Tony turn a sure hit into an out. On behalf of Leigh and myself and the entire Phillies organization, we send our deepest condolences to Clara and all of Tony’s family and friends."

He also lined up at five different defensive positions in his career, though the majority was spent at second base.

Taylor remained in baseball following his playing career, serving as a coach with the Phillies and Marlins as recently as 2004. He was also a manager in Philadelphia's minor league system.

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius will wear a mask during the 2020 Major League Baseball season as a precautionary measure.

Speaking to reporters, Gregorius announced he is going to use face protection amid the coronavirus pandemic because of a chronic kidney disease that puts him at higher risk for illness:

"I had a really good conversation with the [Phillies'] doctors here. They ask me every day what they can do to make it better for me, so there has been really good communication. We are trying to go through the guidelines and trying to do everything we can do to stay safe. So that's why people see me walking around with a mask on and stuff. I am keeping myself safe, wearing a mask everywhere I go. I've got to keep it on me all the time."

Gregorius did not make it sound like he considered opting out of playing, noting he is "really comfortable" with things because "everybody is following the rules."

Doctors discovered Gregorius had a kidney disorder in 2011 while doing a routine test during spring training when he was in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system. He missed two months that season before returning to the lineup. 

Gregorius did note he found a good mask that allows him to breathe normally when on the field: "It has a built-in filter and everything in it, so it feels good for me. I think wearing it will be normal for me. I am playing in it right now so I can get accustomed to it.”

This will be Gregorius' first season with the Phillies after spending the previous five years with the New York Yankees. He signed a one-year deal in December. 

The Phillies will open the 2020 season on July 24 at Citizens Bank Park against the Miami Marlins. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortened 2020 season could impact free agency prior to the 2021 campaign, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto isn't particularly concerned about his individual situation, even if he is worried about the league as a whole.

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) shared his comments:  

"It definitely concerns me, not necessarily for myself, but for the free-agency class as a whole. The top guys usually find a way to get their dollars. Teams are going to want them. Maybe it's not 20 teams in on you—maybe five or 10. A lot of teams will be able to look at this as a time to take advantage and actually go for it instead of backing off, because half the league will try to cut revenue and save money and the others will look at it as an advantage to press forward. It could affect free agency as a whole, but for myself, I'm not too worried."

The AP noted Realmuto, who is under contract through just this season and held preliminary discussions with the Phillies before the pandemic interrupted things, is expected to seek at least $20 million per season in his next contract.

Realmuto was productive with the Miami Marlins from 2015 through 2017 but turned the corner the last two years and became one of Major League Baseball's elite players.

He was an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2018 with the Marlins before they traded him to Philadelphia, and he responded by slashing .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs and 83 RBI as an All-Star, Silver Slugger and Gold Glover in his first season with the Phillies.

It would make sense for Philadelphia to keep the 29-year-old around beyond the 2020 campaign seeing as it is in win-now mode with Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius and Andrew McCutchen, among others.

The catcher also hasn't shown signs of slowing down and is someone who could anchor the lineup during his next contract, as well.

With his skill set, Realmuto isn't concerned about that contract eventually coming even as there is remaining uncertainty around the sport.

Bryce Harper is under contract through 2031, so now he has to advocate for his Philadelphia Phillies teammates to get paid.

After catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run home run during Wednesday's intrasquad scrimmage, Harper encouraged the front office to "sign him." 

Realmuto is going into his second season in Philadelphia after coming over in a trade from the Miami Marlins, but he is set to enter free agency in the offseason.

The 29-year-old certainly deserves a big contract after establishing himself as one of the best in the majors at his position. Realmuto finished last season hitting .275 with a career-high 25 home runs, adding a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger and his second All-Star selection. He was the only player on the Phillies to receive MVP votes in 2019.

Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the catcher is seeking about $26 million per year, but the uncertain economics of the 2020 season could prevent the Phillies from signing him to an extension before hitting free agency.

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Scott Kingery told Jim Salisbury of NBC Philadelphia that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 in June and had the illness for nearly a month.

Kingery described his symptoms and the toll the coronavirus took on his body:

"It started on a Thursday when I came down with a headache. I tried to play it off but it didn't go away.

"Saturday around 10 a.m., I got chills so bad I couldn't move without my whole body shaking.

"That night, my fever spiked so high that I sweated through my sheets. It left an imprint of my body.

"My fever broke Sunday morning and I actually felt a little better.

"But then three or four days later, I lost my sense of taste and smell for a few days. That was really annoying."

"For a week, I was so tired. Low energy. Fatigue. Then I experienced shortness of breath for a week. I felt like I laid on the couch for three weeks without moving. I was tired just going up the stairs."

That Kingery, a 26-year-old professional athlete in peak physical condition, was impacted so severely by the coronavirus is a reminder of how serious the pandemic remains.

"I want people to know this is not a two-week thing if you get it," he said. "You're not supposed to do any physical activity for 10 to 14 days after a positive test. That could be a month. That's a huge part of the season, so you don't want to get it. You have to take the precautions and protocols seriously."

Kingery said he is asymptomatic and healthy, though he isn't yet training with his teammates "because his test results were initially wrong and then were delayed by the Fourth of July holiday," Salisbury wrote.

He has begun working out again and is hoping to play in the team's July 24 opener, though it is uncertain if he'll be cleared by the Phillies and MLB.

"I've passed one test," he said. "As soon as I get the results of the second one and it's good, I'll be on a plane to Philadelphia."

Kingery was a breakout player last season, hitting .258 with 19 homers, 55 RBI, 64 runs and 15 steals in 126 games. He's a major part of the team's core, and any time he misses will be a blow to Philly's postseason aspirations in the shortened 60-game season.

Bryce Harper would fully support the signing of All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a contract extension. 

Speaking to reporters Friday, Harper said he believes it "would be terrible" if Realmuto ends up leaving the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent after this season. 

"If the Phillies don’t end up signing him back, it would be terrible. It would be sad," Harper said. "Everybody in this organization wants to see him in red pinstripes for the rest of his career. Hopefully, we can make that happen."

Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported last November that the Phillies were "quietly" trying to work out a long-term deal with Realmuto. 

Once it became unclear if there would even be a 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, general manager Matt Klentak told Salisbury in March that talks with Realmuto's representatives were put on pause. 

Realmuto was originally set to earn $10 million this season after losing his arbitration case to the Phillies in February. He will earn a prorated portion of that salary for the 60-game regular season that is set to begin July 23. 

The Phillies acquired Realmuto from the Miami Marlins in February 2019 for catcher Jorge Alfaro and pitching prospects Sixto Sanchez, Will Stewart and $250,000 in international bonus money. 

Realmuto led all MLB catchers with 5.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement in 2019. The 29-year-old was named to the National League All-Star team and hit .275/.328/.493 with a career-high 25 home runs in 145 games last year.         

The Philadelphia Phillies placed four players on the injured list Wednesday night in somewhat mysterious fashion.

The injuries for the four players—infielder Scott Kingery and pitchers Hector Neris, Ranger Suarez and Tommy Hunter—weren't specified by the team, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). And manager Joe Girardi didn't offer any further explanation. 

"What I can tell you is they're on the injured list, and that's about all I can tell you," he said. "MLB has given protocols on how to handle it. I don't have a timetable on those players. I can't really answer that question. As soon as I get an answer, I will give it to you."

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies "did not expect the league to post the transactions on a public website" and "did not inform the agents of the four players about the roster moves." And one player reportedly could return to the active roster by this weekend.

So what exactly is going on?

Gelb reported that the Phillies invoked the "outbreak" clause MLB has put into place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That reads:

"In the event that a Club experiences a significant number of COVID-19 Related IL placements at the Alternate Training Site at any one time (i.e., three or more players), and the Club chooses to substitute those players from within the Club’s organization, MLB reserves the right to allow that Club to remove those substitute players from the Club Player Pool without requiring a release."

As Gelb noted, the Phillies reportedly viewed the "outbreak" clause as a chance to add extra catchers to their 60-man roster without having to potentially release them down the line, since a player could be removed without release or trade if "he is replacing someone on the COVID-19 list."

"In the coming days, perhaps as early as today, we'll probably have some modifications to the roster, having to do with certain players being placed on the COVID list," GM Matt Klentak said Monday, perhaps foreshadowing the roster moves.

So while the team and players haven't officially or publicly announced that they tested positive for the coronavirus—and Major League Baseball won't make such an announcement—it appears that may have been what happened. 

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is set to become a free agent after this season, but it appears his club could spend big money to keep him behind the plate at Citizens Bank Park.

According to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the club is willing to pay him in the neighborhood of $23 million per year over the next four to six seasons. 

That number is far from the one-year, $10 million deal Realmuto was awarded in arbitration this offseason—a figure that was below the $12.4 million the catcher was seeking. 

Realmuto has become a cornerstone on a club that cracked open its World Series window after signing outfielder Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million deal last February. 

An average salary of $23 million would put him roughly $3 million below Harper's annual earnings and would make Realmuto the highest-paid catcher in baseball, topping Buster Posey's $22.2 million 2020 salary (not accounting for prorated figures), per Spotrac.com. Realmuto will be the sixth-highest paid at his position during the upcoming season. 

He's also proved worthy of a significant investment.

In 2019, Realmuto slashed .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs and 83 RBI. He's one of the hardest catchers to run on, with a career caught-stealing rate of 36.4 percent, behind only Cleveland's Roberto Perez (39.3 percent) and St. Louis' Yadier Molina (40.2 percent). Realmuto led the majors in that category last year by a wide margin at 46.7 percent, nearly seven percentage points higher than second-place Perez. 

The Phillies acquired Realmuto, 29, from the Miami Marlins in February 2019, sending Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart in return. 

A two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, Realmuto could be in Philadelphia for the long haul. 

Two Philadelphia Phillies players and two of the team's staff members tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total of positive tests across the organization to 12.

The Phillies initially announced last week five players and three staffers tested positive at the team's spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida.

Following more positive tests across the league, MLB ordered the closure of all spring training facilities to clean the necessary buildings and surfaces.

This comes as baseball is preparing to stage a 2020 season. The league announced Monday the MLB Players Association rejected the final offer from team owners, so the league would use the terms of a March agreement between the two sides.

MLB also asked whether players would be ready for a modified training period starting as early as July 1.

ESPN's T.J. Quinn spoke to a senior MLB official who thought the COVID-19 pandemic would present a "much bigger threat" to the 2020 season than the protracted labor dispute.

After relaxing some stay-at-home guidelines and business restrictions, Arizona and Florida have seen rises in confirmed cases. According to Reuters' Chris Canipe and Lisa Shumaker, their positive tests climbed by 87 percent and 90 percent, respectively, over the last week.