It's getting close! It may still feel like the middle of winter up north, and Philadelphia has the Super Bowl circled on the calendar, but the Philadelphia Phillies are gearing up to kick off training camp and spring training in Clearwater, Florida, for the 79th year.
It doesn't sound like the Phillies front office will be making any more additions to the roster, with spring training now less than two weeks away. They've added Jordan Romano and Joe Ross to the bullpen to replace Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez, who just signed a deal with the Kansas City Royals. They brought in Max Kepler, who they hope can handle left field every day, and traded for lefty starter Jesús Luzardo to create one of the top rotations.
Phillies pitchers and catchers will report to camp for their first workout on Feb. 12, while position players are due for the first full-squad workout on Feb. 19. Although, from reports, some players are already working at the complex.
Phillies inviting spring training guest instructors from 2008 World Series team
Each spring, the Phillies invite former players to camp at various points as guest instructors. This year, the Phillies are going to have four players from the 2008 World Series championship team in camp, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The roster of guest instructors includes Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.
Hamels, 41, had his official retirement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park last summer. It has also been reported that the former 2008 World Series and NLCS MVP will appear as a part-time personality on NBC Sports Philadelphia gameday broadcasts this season.
Howard, 45, spent all 13 years of his big league career with the Phillies and mashed 382 home runs. The "Big Piece," the 2009 NLCS MVP, will certainly have some wisdom to impart to current Phillies sluggers.
Rollins, 46, spent 15 seasons with the Phillies and was the 2007 NL MVP. A four-time Gold Glover, "J-Roll" should have plenty of insight to share on both sides of the ball.
Victorino, 44, spent eight seasons with the Phillies after being a Rule 5 Draft pick. The "Flyin' Hawaiian" was a two-time All-Star and picked up four Gold Gloves in center field. No doubt he and current center fielders Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas will have some notes to compare on making web gems at The Bank.
Phillies' new reliever Jordan Romano throwing early
Right-hander Jordan Romano, the Phillies' biggest offseason bullpen addition, has been spotted throwing at the team's spring training complex in Clearwater well ahead of the official reporting date, according to Steve Potter of PhilliesBaseballFan.com.
Potter reported that Romano threw around 20 times, "fluidly and with good pop." It's the fifth such side session for the 31-year-old, who is coming off a down year after undergoing an elbow procedure last summer.
The Phillies signed Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million contract during the December Winter Meetings. He previously had back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, with a 2.49 ERA and 72 saves between 2022-23.
Phillies 'Truck Day' scheduled for Feb. 3
The Phillies will celebrate "Truck Day" on Feb. 3, when they load up all of their gear from Citizens Bank Park and send it down to Florida for spring training. According to the Phillies' press release, the spring training truck will begin its journey with a sendoff from the ballpark at 11:40 a.m. ET and make a stop at the Citizens branch on 18th and Market Streets at noon for photo opportunities.
“Truck Day is always an exciting event, as it means we’re even closer to the start of Phillies baseball,” said Phillies manager of equipment services Dan O’Rourke, per the MLB.com release. “Thanks to Citizens, our equipment truck will be dressed for the occasion, providing fun sightings for fans as it makes its 1,058-mile journey from Philadelphia to its final spring training destination.”
The truck, with three 28-foot trailers, will be loaded with everything the Phillies need for spring training, including:
- 10,000 paper cups
- 2,400 baseballs
- 2,000 short- and long-sleeved shirts
- 1,200 bats
- 900 pairs of socks
- 600 pairs of pants
- 600 batting practice hats
- 350 pairs of shorts
- 300 batting gloves
- 250 batting practice tops
- 200 fleeces
- 200 light jackets
- 140 batting helmets
- 125 leather and elastic belts
- 75 pairs of assorted spike, plastic and turf shoes
- 40 heavy jackets
- 20 coolers
- Several bikes
The truck's 1,058-mile trip will see it pass through eight states, arriving at BayCare Ballpark on Friday, Feb. 7.