Phillies: 7 players fighting for an Opening Day roster spot this spring
Which Phillies will come out on top in this year’s spring training battles?
After spending close to a half a billion dollars last offseason, the Phillies management has seemingly undertaken a different approach to free agency this go around. Quantity over quality.
The Phillies have gone and added a plethora of low-risk type players, mainly on minor league deals with invites to Spring Training.
With so many new faces being added to the clubhouse, it’s only natural for the general competition down in Clearwater, Florida to be a little higher than usual.
There are a whole lot of guys fighting for potential major league jobs right now, and we’re breaking down which guys are on the roster bubble.
Deivy Grullon, Catcher
Only in Philadelphia could the backup catcher position cause so much unrest throughout the fanbase. Current backup Andrew Knapp has long been on the receiving end of Phillies fans’ criticism, and rightfully so. His average has sat right around .200 the last two seasons and he’s massively struggled driving runs in (just 36 career RBIs).
While the Phillies are currently employing the “best catcher in baseball” in JT Realmuto, the need for a solid backup catcher has long been important in baseball. With Knapp struggling horrifically the last two years, the chance for a guy like Deivy Grullon to come in and steal his spot is high.
Grullon has spent the last seven seasons in the minors, which may scream that his window is closed. However, he has in fact taken large strides over his last two years. He hit .273 in AA during the 2018 season and .283 in AAA during the 2019 season. If he can bring that bat with him to Spring Training and show he’s made some progress on his defense, it’s a very real possibility he could earn that backup catcher position.
Josh Harrison, Infielder
Josh Harrison is one of those low-risk veteran signings who was inked to a minor-league deal. However, unlike most, Harrison brings with him a long history of legitimate major league success.
Harrison is a career .273 hitter who’s been selected to two All-Star games, both with the Pittsburgh Pirates (where he played with current Phillie Andrew McCutchen). While Harrison has seen a serious drop in production the last two years (mainly due to age and injury), the possibility of him being an above average bench bat is very much there.
With last year’s go-to utility infielder Brad Miller headed off to St. Louis, Harrison is mainly competing with himself to land a major league contract this spring.
Neil Walker, Infielder
Almost an identical situation to the previously mentioned Josh Harrison, Neil Walker is a utility infielder who used to play for the Pirates. Walker is a career .267 hitter who primarily plays second base. Like Harrison, he won some hardware in Pittsburgh, earning a Silver Slugger for his performances in 2014.
Walker played 115 games for Miami last year, hitting .261 while driving in 38 runs. His best days are surely behind him, but the potential for him to be a useful backup option for the Phillies in their infield is very much there. Seeing as he’s realistically only competing with someone like Phil Gosselin for that second backup infielder spot, he’s almost a lock for the job.
Drew Storen, Relief Pitcher
The Phillies bullpen was a complete mess last season, this shouldn’t be news to anyone. The team was constantly rotating through young minor league guys, aging vets, and even some of their starters. Due to that, the team went out and acquired a plethora of relievers to have them battle it out in Spring Training.
Drew Storen would be the most notable of those names. Storen saw great success as a reliever/closer with the Nationals through the first six years of his career. His ERA with the team sits in the mid-threes and he even posted a 1.12 ERA with Washington during the 2014 season.
Unfortunately, Storen really hasn’t been the same since the 2016 season, really struggling to put together a complete, solid year. However, with so much uncertainty surrounding the Phillies ‘pen, Storen will likely be looking to battle for a major league job if he comes into spring healthy.
Francisco Liriano, Relief Pitcher
Oh, what do you know, another former Pirate!
Just like McCutchen, Walker, and Harrison, reliever Francisco Liriano joins the Phillies as an ex-member of the Phillies’ Pennsylvania counterpart. Liriano has a long history with the MLB dating all the way back to 2005. Coming up on 36 years of age, there’s obviously reason to pause with concern.
However, Liriano posted a 3.47 ERA through 70 innings last season with the Pirates, stats which are noticeably better than a majority of the current Phillies bullpen options. Despite technically being signed to a minor league deal, many are already calling him a member of the 2020 Phillies’ bullpen.
Cole Irvin, Starting Pitcher
While it does appear manager Joe Girardi will initially give Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta one last chance to prove they’re capable starters, the #5 spot in the rotation is by no means set in stone. The Phillies experimented heavily with their starters last season, and this spring should be no different.
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While VV and Pivetta battle it out to see who is “less worse”, a lesser talked about guy in Cole Irvin could sneak his way into the conversation. While Irvin was unquestionably terrible for the Phillies last year (5.83 ERA), he provides the team with some extra flexibility. Using Irvin would give Girardi the chance to move Velasquez and Pivetta to the bullpen, where they could be better suited long term.
Realistically, whoever the Phillies decide on for their #5 job is just a bridge for standout prospect Spencer Howard. Even if Irvin wins a major league spot, he’d likely be sent back down for Howard once he’s ready to join the main roster.
Kyle Garlick, Outfielder
Acquired less than a week ago via a trade with the Dodgers, Kyle Garlick has a legitimate chance to make the roster as a backup option in the outfield.
Garlick has spent almost all of his baseball career down in the minors (mainly due to a surplus of talent in the Dodgers’ system) however, he seriously impressed last season in AAA. He posted a .314 batting average and a 1.057 OPS, while also launching 23 homers. Combining him with Jay Bruce as power-based bench bats in the outfield may be too enticing to pass on for the Phillies’ coaching staff.
While Roman Quinn is the clear front-runner for that other outfield spot, his high rate of injury may give Garlick a chance to earn himself a spot with the main roster.