Joe Girardi can’t be happy with latest Phillies roster move

Ronald Torreyes, Joe Girardi’s favorite, has been granted his release from the Phillies

One of Joe Girardi’s favorite players is no longer with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ronald Torreyes requested and was granted his release from the organization on Wednesday, after re-signing with the team five weeks ago.

Torreyes and Girardi go back to their respective Yankees days, and the manager never hid how much he liked the utilityman, who was also a popular fixture in the Phillies clubhouse last season.

“He does so many things right. People say, ‘Why do you love Torreyes?’ He’s a ballplayer. That’s what he is. He really understands the game and I trust him wherever I put him. I don’t ever have to worry about him being prepared. That’s a luxury for a manager. I don’t know where we’d be without him.”Joe Girardi on Ronald Torreyes

Torreyes also impressed Ruben Amaro Jr., the former Phillie who went on to be their GM and now broadcaster, as well as former utility player Kevin Frandsen.

However, with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this spring, Torreyes only managed a .171/.237/.200 line. The additions of Johan Camargo and Bryson Stott also didn’t leave much room for “Toe,” as he’s affectionately known, though Stott was just optioned back to Triple-A to make room for outfielder Roman Quinn.

Girardi also got flack last season for using Torreyes instead of the struggling Alec Bohm, whom he benched for a long stretch in favor of his teacher’s pet. The Phillies outrighted Torreyes last fall and he elected free agency at the time, but they brought him back on a minor-league deal in March.

The Torreyes saga has been predictable since his free agency last fall. The Phillies didn’t want Girardi to be able to rely on him and use him as a crutch to avoid working with their young talent, so they constructed a roster that didn’t have room for him.

Here’s hoping the utilityman lands with a team that will utilize him.