The race for the last few spots in the Phillies bullpen is tight.
Depending who makes the rotation and how many players they keep on the bench, there are likely one to three spots left in the bullpen. Connor Brogdon, Sam Coonrod, JoJo Romero, Ramon Rosso, and Ranger Suarez remain on the active roster. Let’s not forget minor-league invitee Brandon Kintzler, who is older but has still performed at a high level in the back-end of his career. Even as a non-roster invitee, he has been lights out this spring and deserves a spot on the roster.
For those who remember, Brogdon spent time in the big leagues last year. After a rough MLB debut, he settled in the rest of the season with 8 2/3 scoreless innings in September. Brogdon has a very reliable track record in the minor leagues and the Phillies might want to reward him for his performance. The lack of experience at the major league level is concerning, but the Phillies have him on the active roster for a reason.
Coonrod has been on a roll and could take Velasquez’s spot if the Phillies finally decide to let him go. Coonrod has more experience than Brogdon, but isn’t exactly a veteran. He’s pitched in just 51 games over the past two seasons and struggled mightily in 2020. We will have to see how he and Brogdon finish out the spring to make a fair case for or against them getting roster spots.
Romero and Suarez are both options if the Phillies want to add another lefty to the bullpen, alongside Jose Alvarado. There were growing pains in Romero’s first MLB season and the inexperience is a concern with him as well. He also showed that he has the stuff to be an electric reliever with more time. Suarez pitched well in 2019 through 37 appearances out of the bullpen. Both lefties have been impressive this spring, giving the Phillies front office another tough decision to make. Rosso has pitched well, too, but has only logged 9 2/3 career innings with seven earned runs allowed.