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Phillies: Options for Three-Player Permissible Taxi Squad

By Bryce Turner

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: Deivy Grullon #73 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during game one of a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: Deivy Grullon #73 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during game one of a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 27: Nick Williams #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies during a game against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on April 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 12-9. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

The Phillies have guys with multiple seasons of major league experience

Whether they have just a handful of seasons at the major league level or are seasoned veterans, here are some players who could come in handy at the last-minute and would be good options to keep on a taxi squad if not on the active roster.

Rightfielder Nick Williams is on the 40-man roster and has done a decent job with the Phillies in three seasons of major league experience. He hit 12 HR, 55 RBI and .288/.338/.473 in 83 games during the 2017 season before hitting 17 HR, 50 RBI and .256/.324/.425 in 140 games during 2018.

Despite the downward trend, Williams still did well in 2018. But, last season was a struggle, with only two HR, five RBI and a .151 BA in 67 games. He did much better with AAA Lehigh Valley last year, hitting 10 HR, 25 RBI and .316/.381/.574 in 48 games.

Williams struggled with only two hits in 23 at-bats during sprint training 1.0, but would still be a good backup option as part of the team’s taxi squad.

Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies /

Philadelphia Phillies

Infielder Ronald Torreyes has five partial seasons of major league experience between the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins. His HR and RBI totals have been unimpressive, with only four HR and 57 RBI in 236 career games. His best season total came in 2017 with the Yankees, where he had 36 RBI in 108 games, but that was the only year where he spent more than half a season in the majors.

Torreyes makes up for those unimpressive numbers when it comes to averages, with a .292/.314/.375 slash line in 2017 and a .280/.294/.370 slash line in 2018, both with the Yankees. He spent only seven games in the majors with the Twins last season, spending most of the year with the Twins’ AAA Rochester.

In spring training 1.0, Torreyes had six hits in 21 at-bats (.286 BA), but no HR or RBI. He can still provide value by getting on base and would make a good backup option to have on the taxi squad.

Infielder Logan Forsythe has nine seasons of major league experience split between five teams. His best career seasons came in 2015 and 2016 with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he hit 17 HR, 68 RBI and .281/.359/.444 in 153 games in 2015 before hitting 20 HR, 52 RBI and .264/.333/.444 in 127 games in 2016.

Forsythe spent time with the Dodgers and Twins before landing with the Texas Rangers last season, where he hit seven HR, 39 RBI and .227/.325/.353 in 101 games. While his major league stats have moved in the wrong direction, there’s reason to be optimistic that the veteran can still provide value.

Forsythe had a good spring training 1.0 with the Phillies, recording eight hits, including three HR and four RBI, in 23 at-bats. He has the potential to serve as a good backup option on a taxi squad.

Whether a prospect, young talent with limited experience or major league veteran, a taxi squad could be a good place for a number of players to spend time with the Phillies during this shortened season.

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