Bryce is right | Sports Daily Newsletter

Bryce Harper usually tells it like it is, which has made him a popular player around here. (The All-Star production helps, too.) So Harper struck a chord with fans and players alike with one blunt statement: “Superstars got to show up.”

Harper was talking, of course, about the Phillies’ underachieving ways since the All-Star break and he did not spare himself of some of the blame. The Phillies have made a huge investment in Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, and Trea Turner. It’s time for those players to earn their millions and produce a champion, Marcus Hayes writes.

Harper’s comment resonated across the South Philadelphia sports complex and certainly could apply to multimillionaires like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Joel Embiid. The choking has to end, Hayes writes, and not just for the Phillies.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Eagles defense that faltered late last season will enter 2024 with a lot to prove. There’s Josh Sweat in a contract year as he restructured his contract and will have a bit of a fresh start.

After suffering a season-ending injury, Nakobe Dean is part of a competition to watch at inside linebacker.

And fellow Georgia product Nolan Smith is looking to get on the field more, having powered up with training sessions this offseason in Southern California. Smith did catch the eye of Jeff McLane as practice resumed Monday.

Rob Thomson won’t call Carlos Estévez a closer, but listen to how the Phillies manager plans to use his newly acquired, hard-throwing righty. “He’s going to get the bulk of the ninth innings,” Thomson said. Sounds like a closer, doesn’t it? With the hours ticking down until today’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, the Phillies were sniffing around for more bullpen help, several sources said. At the very least, they now have a guy who has posted 51 saves in the last two seasons.

Taijuan Walker is working his way back to the Phillies from a finger injury, and Rob Thomson provided an update on when he might return.

Flyers top prospect Matvei Michkov picked a great matchup for his first baseball game. And he left with his own jersey to go with his Phillies hat.

All of the positive vibes ended there as the New York Yankees quickly hopped all over pitcher Zach Wheeler and out-slugged the Phillies, 14-4.

Next: The Phillies continue their series against the Yankees at 6:40 tonight (NBCSP). Aaron Nola (11-4, 3.44 ERA) will start against Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (3-2, 5.40).

All Olympic athletes are achievers, of course. But Philly’s own Maia Weintraub seems to have gone above and beyond the call in that department. The Friends Select grad has been an NCAA champion, a world champion, and an Olympian while majoring in ecology and molecular biology at Princeton. The driving force behind her success: her mother, who calls herself “a Tiger mom.”

Weintraub has accepted the constant pushing and thrived, though: “My mom’s pretty intense ... but I don’t think I would have gotten here without that.”

Penn State grad Stephen Nedoroscik came to the Olympics with one job. And he nailed it, helping the Americans capture the bronze medal in men’s gymnastics.

The Sixers and Minnesota Timberwolves will play a preseason game on Oct. 11 in Des Moines, Iowa, where Nick Nurse once roamed the sideline in the NBA Development League. Nurse is an Iowa native.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

Who holds the Phillies record for most bases on balls in a season? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Kyle Schwarber

B) Richie Ashburn

C) Lenny Dykstra

D) Mike Schmidt

We asked you: What do you think of the Phillies’ trades for Austin Hays and Carlos Estévez? Among your responses:

Only one word expresses my feelings. WEAK! If that’s the best the team can do and especially the way they are playing since London, which is under .500 baseball, chalk another year up. We’ve lost 4 series in a row and with the Yankees coming to town, it’s put up or shut up time. They all really need to stop reading their press releases of how great they are. Worst hitting outfield of any playoff team, a second baseman that forgot how to hit, a closer that forgot how to pitch and manager that thinks his backup catcher has a better chance of getting a hit in the bottom of the 9th inning being one run down than his starting catcher. Good thing the Braves are also having issues. — Ronald R.

Definitely think both can help. Hays is really good, can hit lefties and righties and makes very few errors. As for Estevez, I’m not familiar with him but he looks to be good from his stats. I have felt we needed an elite closer for some time. Hopefully they can help take us to the promised land. — Kathy T.

I like the trades but feel that they could use another reliever. Alvarado’s continued slide is disturbing and Kerkering continues to put men on base. Not recipes for success particularly in the postseason. — Hal B.

I think Hays was a very good pickup. He has played very well over the past couple of years and an All-Star. Once he gets more playing time he will contribute. It also keeps Marsh in the field as well. I think Estevez is a great pickup as he has been lights out as a late reliever. ... There is a certain mind set to being The Guy who saves games. I never liked Topper’s approach to the bullpen. It is his weak link as far as coaching goes. — Vince

From a baseball perspective, I like both deals. Both had their costs, but good deadline pickups usually require an in-kind sacrifice. Mr. Pache still has promise, but having a bench player with the same skill set as one’s starting CF was too redundant and the team couldn’t send him to LHV without exposing, and probably losing, him anyway. Mr. Dominguez has struggled this season, enough so that the team may well have not picked up his $8M option for 2025 anyway, and they’d’ve lost him too. Converting two marginally-productive potential FAs for a useful and decent-fielding OF bat under control through 2025 may well give them the equivalent of an All-Star quality two-headed LF by adding Mr. Hays. — Marty M.

So far Hays deal appears to be a DUD. He was needed to hit, not strike out. — Emilio C.

Frankly, I would love to see Dave trade Alvarado, Rojas, Stubbs, Walker and some lower minor players to the White Sox for those two players they were looking at. None of these men are really important for the PO’s or the WS but another starter, perhaps not great and another OF could aid the team in getting to the Series. — Glenn K.

The new acquisitions should be a big net positive. With such a strong lineup, the Phillies did not have a top level outfield, especially when Castellanos was hitting .190. Pache, Merrifield, Weston Wilson, and Dave Dahl were not doing even a mediocre offensive job. Austin Hays resume is much better than any of the others, and Brandon Marsh is an excellent center fielder. With Castellanos now producing, the outfielders should give a bigger contribution. Dominguez was not getting it done, and several other relievers are having relatively poor seasons. Hopefully, Estevez will shore up a bullpen, that needs to be good late in a season when starters begin to wear down. Overall, they are improved. If they don’t win the division going away, I’ll be surprised. — Jay W.

I like both additions although I was hoping Dombrowski was going to go big and get Robert from the White Sox, but of course that might have cost more than he was willing to give up. I think Hays will help against the left-handed pitching that has often been effective against the Phillies. Marsh played more center field against the Guardians and I thought that was a good move. Hopefully he can get more playing time whether sharing left with Hays or center with Rojas. My Orange County daughter loves Estevez and hated to see him go. I think he can definitely be the closer the Phillies need. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Mike Sielski, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, Keith Pompey, Devin Jackson, Gabriela Carroll, and Ben Istvan.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

It’s great to be back. As always, thanks for reading. Kerith will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim