Phillies: 4 Players Who Would Benefit from 29-Man Roster

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Several Phillies would benefit from MLB’s rumored expansion of rosters, from 26 players to 29, for the first month of a shortened 2020 season.

If regular season Major League Baseball games take place in 2020, among the several rumored caveats of the shortened season — in addition to potentially expanding from 10 to 14 playoff teams — would be early roster expansion.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, teams are expected to expand their rosters from 26 players to 29 during the first month of the season.

Twenty-six man rosters were already going to be new for Major League Baseball had the 2020 season began on time this past week. In early February, MLB increased its 25-man-roster cap by one, with a maximum of 13 pitchers allowed on the 26-man roster. This served as compensation for doing away with crowded 40-man rosters previosuly allowed on the big-league roster come September 1; instead, only 28 players (14 pitchers maximum) are now allowed during the final month of the season.

Having 29 players instead of 26 on the Opening Day roster, in theory, would protect pitchers that would not likely be fully stretched out. There are more players in the roster to sub in and limit innings; of course, there is also the new rule where relief pitchers must either finish an inning or face a minimum of three batters.

Also, the 29-player roster proposal would help out some on the 40-man roster who did not get a full spring training March slate to showcase why they deserve to make the team over another.

Assuming the Phillies still want to keep Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard in the minors at the onset, here are four other players that could potentially benefit from the proposed three additional major-league roster spots.

1. Logan Forsythe

Logan Forsythe, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Logan Forsythe, one of the Phillies’ 10 non-roster invitee infielders, was having a strong spring training prior to its pause.

In 11 games and 23 at-bats, he had collected eight hits (three singles, two doubles, three home runs), five runs scored, four RBI, five walks and six strikeouts, good for a .348/.464/.826 slash line. In 45 innings in the field, including eight starts, he committed zero errors across 13 chances, along with four putouts, nine assists, and one double play turned.

Overall, the Phillies could have not asked for much more out of Forsythe. So, can they guarantee one of the three extra spots for him? It’s not as simple. Given Forsythe is not on the 40-man roster, they would have to designate a current player to create room; perhaps either catchers Deivy Grullon or Andrew Knapp would fit the bill.

The Phillies signed the 33-year-old to a minor-league contract with an invitation to big-league camp on February 2. While he slashed just .227/.325/.353 with seven home runs in 367 plate appearances for the Texas Rangers in 2019, his career appeared to have found new life early on in spring training under Phillies hitting coaches Joe Dillon and Pedro Guerrero.

In essence, Forsythe could fill a utility player role that Scott Kingery had last season. Kingery is expected to be either the Phillies’ everyday second or third basemen, with Jean Segura assuming whichever position he does not play. Across his nine-season career, Forsythe has experience playing first, second and third base, along with shortstop and the corner outfield positions.

2. Tommy Hunter

Tommy Hunter, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

Had the 2020 season began on time, the Phillies might just have given up on 12-year veteran right-handed pitcher Tommy Hunter, despite him being the only reliever the club signed this offseason to a big-league pact.

Hunter was slated to begin the season on the injured list for the third consecutive year and the fourth time over the last five seasons. He was still not fully healthy and had not appeared in a 2020 Grapefruit League game prior to action being paused, still progressing from his surgery last July to repair his right arm flexor tendon. Hunter had only been throwing every three days and had yet to face live batters.

Now, Hunter surely would be at least some percentage of his full, healthy self once the season gets underway; having him on a 29-man roster would not be as much of a liability as it would having him on a 26-man roster. The Phillies could work him back into a semi-regular role; he appeared in only five games last season.

With Seranthony Dominguez potentially out for the season, the Phillies could use Hunter, who has experience pitching in the later inning. Only Jose Alvarez, Adam Morgan, and Hector Neris were considered “locks” as relievers, notes the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Despite missing the first three weeks of the 2018 season, Hunter led the bullpen in innings pitched and posted a 3.80 ERA. Joe Girardi would surely like to have him as an option for a shortened season, especially given each games would hold much more significance.

3. & 4. Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez

Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The consensus in spring training was that either Nick Pivetta or Vince Velasquez would beat each other out for the final, fifth spot in the starting rotation. The other would have either been cut, sent to the minors or used as a long reliever.

Now, with the rumored three additional roster spots, chances are that both Pivetta and Velasquez will be kept on the major-league roster. They both have experience with the team, and having as many possible pitchers who can throw several innings many be key for a shortened season where each game matters more than ever.

The thing is, neither Pivetta nor Velasquez particularly stood out in spring training, which complicated the decision between choosing either even more difficult prior to the pause in action. Pivetta posted an 8.22 ERA across 7 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits, seven runs and four walks while striking out 10 batters. Velasquez, meanwhile, yielded a pair of home runs and five walks across as many innings, while striking out four fewer batters than Pivetta en route to a 4.70 ERA. Both were charged with one loss.

Currently, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta and Zach Eflin have the first four spots in the rotation secured. Pivetta and Velasquez will get a chance to show why they deserve to be among the mix if/when the second phase of “spring” training starts up. Assuming Spencer Howard remains in the minors leagues, that may not matter and the Phillies may decide to keep both on a potential 29-man roster no matter what.

The only other potential starter candidate, barring a free agent signing, would be southpaw Ranger Suarez, who went 1-1 with a. 2.25 ERA in spring; however, opposing batters hit .313 against him, as opposed to .303 against Pivetta and .250 against Velasquez.

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