The Phillies optioned six players to Triple-A on Thursday, including their last remaining player from the 2015 Cole Hamels trade, OF Nick Williams.
The Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to be playing Opening Day on Thursday opposite the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.
Instead, as the season continues to be on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club optioned six players to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki: outfielders Nick Williams and Kyle Garlick, southpaws Cole Irvin and Austin Davis, and right-handers Reggie McLain and Edgar Garcia.
Williams, once considered among the better outfield prospects in baseball, is the last remaining player of the five the Phillies acquired from the Texas Rangers in July 2015 in exchange for 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and fellow southpaw Jake Diekman.
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In parts of three seasons, 290 games and 903 plate appearances in red pinstripes, the 26-year-old has slashed .254/.313/.420 with 30 doubles, 31 home runs and 110 RBI. He hit just .151 in 67 games last season; this spring, he had just two hits across 23 at-bats, along with two RBI, five walks and as many strikeouts. With outfielders Andrew McCutchen, Jay Bruce, Roman Quinn, Adam Haseley and Bryce Harper having locked spots on the Opening Day roster, whenever that may be, there simply was no room nor playing time for Williams.
The same could be said for fellow demoted outfielder Kyle Garlick, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last month for LHP Tyler Gilbert. The 28-year-old showed promise last season, posted a .314 average, 23 home runs and 59 RBI across 81 games at Triple-A. Those numbers simply did not translate over with the Phillies, as he hit just .227 with five singles, two RBI, two walks and 12 strikeouts spanning 10 games and 22 at-bats in 2020 Grapefruit League action.
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Yet, Garlick was expected to make the Phillies Opening Day roster had it began on time on Thursday, as McCutchen would have still been rehabbing from his recent injury setback. Now, McCutchen is surely ready to be ready come regular season Game No. 1, while Garlick’s fate is in the air.
In sending down left-handers Irvin and Davis, the following southpaws remain on the big-league roster: Jose Alvarez, Adam Morgan, and Ranger Suarez. Kyle Dohy, Damon Jones, Francisco Liriano, and Zach Warren had been in Phillies camp as non-roster invitees, but their statuses are unclear amid the halted action.
Irvin had posted a 5.14 ERA in three spring outings, while Davis logged a much-better 1.59 ERA in five outings. Alvarez (0.00 ERA, 4 games), Morgan (0.00 ERA, 3 games) and Suarez (2.25 ERA, 3 games) simply outperformed them in the Phillies’ eyes.
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Lastly, McClain, 27, had joined the Phillies organization in late January after being claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. He allowed three runs, eight hits, a home run and two walks this spring in six innings. Garcia likewise faltered, allowing as many hits, four runs (three earned) across five innings and five appearances.
These six demotions are the Phillies’ first roster moves since they optioned LHP Garrett Cleavinger and RHP Mauricio Llovera to Triple-A and re-assigned INF Darick Hall to minor league camp on March 10.
Just what moves they make next as an organization, as well as how MLB decides to handle the season when ready to address, is far from certain.