Top five storylines of Phillies spring training so far this year

The Phillies have only been in spring training for less than two weeks, but plenty of storylines have already emerged from Clearwater.

For the first time in months, there is Phillies baseball again. Granted, it’s only spring training, but it is the first real step towards the regular season.

Various storylines are coming out from Clearwater via the beat writers in camp. Many of the players in camp have had pieces written about them; plenty more will be written before everyone heads back north. Here are the top five of those storylines:

Carlos Santana-Maikel Franco buddy comedy

The Phillies intentionally placed Maikel Franco’s locker next to Carlos Santana’s, the $60 million man this offseason. The team wanted Santana to take Franco under his wing this spring, and he has done just that: [quote via Matt Breen of Philly.com]

"“It is basically one thing and one thing only, and that is to work every single day. We’re going to work together every single day,” Santana said. “We’re going to make sure he executes the plan he wants to follow. I know he’s a guy that’s very talented and he’s capable of a lot. So I’m going to be there. I’m committed to helping him. I’m going to be in the cage, hitting as many balls as possible. “He already told me today that he wants to follow me everywhere he goes. If I have to go to the cage he’s going to go with me to hit some balls. He’s committed and I’m committed, too.”"

This is the second spring in a row Franco is coming in looking to make a bounceback. Last spring, the club hoped veterans Michael Saunders and Howie Kendrick could help Franco improve at the plate. We saw how that turned out. Now it is Santana hoping to help Franco return to rookie form.

Manager Gabe Kapler told Breen that he sees Santana’s plate discipline ability in Franco. Kapler hopes that Franco and the rest of the team can learn from Santana this season.

Seranthony Dominguez and the pitching prospects

The Phillies used their exhibition game against the University of Tampa Thursday to get a look at some of the pitching prospects in camp this spring. Seranthony Dominguez made a strong impression, striking out the side in his inning of work.

Gabe Kapler said he was impressed by Dominguez after the game: [quote via Meghan Montemurro of the Athletic]

"“Leadoff single, maintains his composure, three swinging strikeouts and just kind of electric stuff,” Kapler said. “Kind of the bravado of a seasoned veteran. That was awesome.”"

Dominguez is expected to start the year at Double-A Reading and could move to the bullpen. He has dominating stuff, but still lacks control. He would be a strong starter if he can find his control, but if he can’t, he can still be a great reliever.

Kapler also expressed his happiness in what he saw from Ranger Suarez: [quote via Breen]

"“We were excited to see Suarez as well,” Kapler said. “He did exactly what we thought he would do. Pounded the strike zone and wanted the ball back immediately. Commanded the outside of the plate and showed us that crossfire delivery with a little deception.”"

Cole Irvin, Tom Eshelman, Jose Taveras, Franklyn Kilome, and Enyel De Los Santos all also logged scoreless innings in the game.

A new approach for Nick Pivetta

The Phillies entered spring training with their rotation looking largely unchanged compared to the end of the 2017 season. There is a strong chance they enter the regular season the same way. If they do, they will need some of their young starters to take a step forward.

Nick Pivetta is hoping to be the one that shines this season after a trying debut. He struck out 9.47 batters per nine innings, but a 9.8 percent walk rate, 18.2 percent home-run-to-fly-ball ratio, and 1.51 WHIP led to a 6.02 ERA.

Despite those poor numbers, the Phillies still believe Pivetta can be a quality major-league pitcher. They asked him to study Houston’s Justin Verlander and how he locates his fastball up in the zone. Pivetta said the club told him to watch how Verlander pitched in the playoffs last year.

Manager Gabe Kapler said trying to get above hitters’ swings as they try to launch the ball in the air is the key: [quote via Matt Breen of Philly.com]

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"“We identified some pitch characteristics and Nick’s fastball plays beautifully at various spots in the zone. One of them is up,” manage Gabe Kapler said. “But if you think about the swing planes we’re teaching now, trying to get the ball in the air, getting above those bats is not a terrible thing. Sometimes one of the things that keeps that ball above the bat is a ball that spins really fast. A high spin rate stays up in the zone like that.”"

Pivetta gave up a lot of home runs last year, so throwing even more high fastballs could wind up backfiring. However, if he can find a way to emulate Verlander and avoid the long ball, he should see improved numbers this season.

The offseason continues

Even though spring training has begun, the offseason continues. The latest Phillies rumor connected them to former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta in free agency. The two sides were reportedly talking a contract, but the two sides remain far apart on the length of the deal. Arrieta still wants something for six or seven years, but the team doesn’t want to give any more than three of four years.

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Team owner John Middleton told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that he and the front office want to improve the team, but don’t want to hamper the future in the process:

"“I think Andy, Matt and I are completely in agreement here,” Middleton said. “We want to improve the team, we’re always trying to improve the team, but we’ve got to do it a way that makes sense now and next year. We don’t want to sacrifice something significant in the future by making a short-term move. Whether it’s a trade or a signing, if we get the deal we think is right, we’ll do it. We’ll pull the trigger. Money is zero object. No object whatsoever.”"

Middleton also said while the team is pursuing options in free agency, they are also looking via the trade market. Don’t be surprised if they make a move before spring training ends and the regular season begins.

Having fun with social media

The Phillies and their players are having plenty of fun on social media this week. They are trying to get Mark Leiter as many followers as possible, and are using some interesting methods to do so:

The shoutouts weren’t limited to Leiter either as Carlos Santana tried to spread the love:

Next: Phillies bringing Veterans Stadium bell to CBP

The team’s official Twitter feed has plenty more highlights from practices and games. It’s worth looking through to help get excited for the season.