Rise and Phight: 1/12/2023

Miguel Rojas has left the division, traded to the Dodgers for prospect Jacob Amaya. For some reason, this makes me think of Mark Lemke.

Lemke, if you recall, was the second baseman of the Braves during their 90’s run at multiple playoff berths. He wasn’t even an average hitter, a lifetime 71 OPS+ indicating some futility with the bat, but in my mind, Lemke killed the Phillies. It’s funny how we remember some players as being Phillie killers only to find that it really wasn’t true. Maybe it was my dad, who hated the Braves, always lamenting about how well Lemke hit the Phillies, but it led to check for myself and...

...well look at that. Among teams that he had at least 200 plate appearances against, Lemke’s 162 OPS+ against the Phillies was his best against any other team.

This is why I am reminded of Lemke when I think of Rojas. It has always felt like he has hit his best when facing the red pinstripes, so getting him out of the division is a good thing.

Oh, and against teams he has had at least 140 plate appearances against, Rojas’s 130 OPS+ ranks third highest. Sometimes, your memory doesn’t deceive you after all.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Somewhat surprisingly, Francisco Morales has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Lehigh Valley.
• Matt Gelb takes his stab at the latest roster projection for the Phillies.
• Kevin Long is happy to be back working with one of his “guys” in Trea Turner. I think this offense is going to be good.

MLB news:

• Boosted by some additional streams of money, MLB saw a record amount of revenue in 2022.
• Shintaro Fujinami has signed a one-year deal to be a part of the Oakland Athletics rotation (presumably).
• The fences are coming in a bit in Detroit, though it still won’t be a hitter friendly ballpark.
• Nelson Cruz is headed to San Diego, signing a one-year deal to hit in a pretty solid lineup.