Phillies: Five 2021 Opening Day roster takeaways

3. The Phillies center field outlook remains the same

The most talked-about part of Phillies spring training was the center field competition that was as open as it could possibly be. Spring ends with Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn remaining on the team and could likely be in a platoon — Haseley opposite right-handed pitchers and Quinn against left-handers.

The competition had several players at one point with Haseley, Quinn, Scott Kingery, Odubel Herrera, and Mickey Moniak, among others. Even if things remain the same, there are still some nice takeaways we can have about this competition:

1. Adam Haseley can be a good player and live up to first-round pick potential
2. Joe Girardi views Roman Quinn as a valuable player
3. Mickey Moniak looks very promising
4. Scott Kingery has hit a new low point in his career
5. Odubel Herrera is just not good enough to be on the roster

Haseley had a lot to prove this spring. Even though part of it was cut due to injury, he still had a great slash line — .316/.381/.526 for a .907 OPS. These are all great numbers, no matter the sample size, and could potentially show us Haseley is ready to take the next step in his career. It’s time for him to show up and for Joe Girardi to give him the chance.

The biggest thing for Quinn, is the Phillies want him to be a game-changer on the basepaths. Quinn stole four bags in the spring, and while he put up OK numbers, part of me feels he is the same player as last year. What are the Phillies realistically going to get from him — a few stolen base, being a bad hitter, and a frustrating center fielder? If Girardi seriously plans on this being a platoon, it could hurt Haseley’s development. It’s not like the Phillies are a serious contender. Wouldn’t it be better to find out what Haseley is?

Mickey Moniak went from hated to loved after this spring. We are finally starting to see why he was the No. 1 pick. An OPS at 1.112 is not something to laugh at, and he at one point was someone fans begged to get a serious chance in the competition. Moniak will get to be an everyday outfielder in the minors, and he should be. Maybe he gets some time at the end of the year at one spot. It would not be a bad move if he is putting up good numbers. How shocking would it truly be if Moniak takes over for Andrew McCutchen in left at some point? This would be great news for the Phillies long-term.

Kingery we will touch on later, but with Herrera, it is a simple truth — he is not worth making the roster. I went back and forth on if he should make the team instead of Quinn, but the reality is, Herrera isn’t good enough to make the 40-man and serve as a bench outfielder. The Phillies will most likely not be able to trade Herrera at this point, but he will probably be in the minors for the season. As long as he isn’t hurting Moniak’s development and playing above him, it isn’t the worst thing in the world.

4. Scott Kingery rightfully goes to Triple-A, for now

If we thought last season was rock-bottom, it gets even worse for Scott Kingery. He now heads down to the minors and won’t even make the 26 man roster.

While we could go on and on about all the pros Kingery showed down in Clearwater, he just isn’t ready at this very moment. His swing has a clear hole in it and he continues to struggle with almost any fastball whatsoever — especially high in the zone.

Triple-A is where Kingery needs to be right now to fix his game and get himself back mentally. It is a shame, but this doesn’t have to be viewed as a negative. Kingery will eventually be back; maybe he just needed some time. When he is, it wouldn’t be the most shocking thing in the world. He was probably rushed up to the majors in the first place.

5. ‘Joe Girardi guys’ get the first chance on Phillies roster

It is not at all far-fetched to call David Hale and Ronald Torreyes “Girardi guys.” Torreyes was a member of the New York Yankees when Girardi managed there. While Hale wasn’t, he still donned the uniform a year after Girardi’s dismissal — and the organization clearly liked him.

These are two more obvious guys to point out, but we don’t have to stop there. Roman Quinn has always been a Girardi favorite on the Phillies, and veteran Matt Joyce is someone the skipper has seen a lot of when the outfielder was with the Tampa Bay Rays.

These are all one way or another some of the “Girardi guys” that will be on the Phillies bench this season. Yes, we can call Didi Gregorius a “Girardi guy,” but Didi is actually good and there’s no argument against him starting at shortstop.

Who knows if these are going to be the right decisions or not, but with Hale and Torreyes, there are certainly some massive questions to the roster selections.

Overall, the predictions a lot of us had “went down the drain” with some of these moves, but that doesn’t mean they won’t work out. Hopefully, everything is perfect and we get a great season of Phillies baseball in 2021.