The Philadelphia Phillies’ 2025 Opening Day roster is all but set. As spring training continues, the most notable battle to watch is for the team’s final bench spot. Utility man Weston Wilson was the frontrunner as a right-handed hitting versatile player, but the competition took a turn after his oblique injury that will sideline him for at least six weeks.
Another under-the-radar competition is finalizing the bullpen. The Phillies have eight relief pitchers likely to make the Opening Day roster, but other options won’t go down without a fight.
Nabil Crismatt plants his flag in fight for Opening Day roster spot
The Phillies signed Nabil Crismatt to a minor league deal in December and invited him to spring training as a non-roster invitee. The 30-year-old made a strong impression in his first in-game action of the spring against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Crismatt was named the starting pitcher and pitched the first two innings. The right-hander faced seven batters and allowed only one hit. He threw 21 strikes on 28 pitches and recorded one strikeout.
Crismatt was scheduled to start for Columbia at the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifier on March 3 against China, but instead, decided to remain with the Phillies to try to earn a spot in the bullpen.
Although he’s likely facing an uphill battle to earn a spot on the 26-man roster, Crismatt could beat out one of the Phillies’ low-leverage options in the bullpen. He has had some success across 114 career games in the majors.
Crismatt posted a 3.76 ERA with three holds in 81 1/3 innings pitched with the San Diego Padres in 2021. He owned a 2.94 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and five holds across 67 1/3 innings in 2022. Crismatt struggled in eight appearances between the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 with an 8.31 ERA and a .333 batting average against but bounced back with a 2.57 ERA in seven innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.
Crismatt has a five-pitch arsenal. The roster hopeful relies mostly on his changeup and four-seam fastball but mixes in curveballs, sliders and sinkers. Crismatt isn’t an overpowering reliever, sitting in the high-80s and low-90s.