Phillies: Breaking down the spring training roster battles
By John Town
Final bullpen spots
The core of this year’s bullpen is set. Hector Neris, Pat Neshek, Tommy Hunter, Luis Garcia, and Adam Morgan are expected to bear most of the load in high-leverage moments. Mark Leiter could push for a rotation spot, but he is best served as the team’s long man. This essentially locks up six spots in the bullpen, leaving the last two up for grabs.
The two favorites will likely be Edubray Ramos and Hoby Milner. Ramos had an abysmal start to the season but was dominant after a demotion and re-promotion to the majors. Meanwhile, Milner dominated lefties and could be an effective LOOGY.
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There are still other options, most notably Francisco Rodriguez. He is looking for a bounceback after an abysmal 2017 season. Rodriguez is 36 years old, but it couldn’t hurt to give a look to a guy who was an All-Star as recently as 2015. Victor Arano, Zac Curtis, Ricardo Pinto, and Yacksel Rios are all on the 40-man roster and could wind up making it as well.