2 Phillies moving up the depth chart, 2 moving down
Who would’ve guessed the Philadelphia Phillies would be getting the kind of production they are out of certain hitters? Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and Alec Bohm are all off to amazing starts. Nick Castellanos has officially arrived in Philly, too.
A few other members of the Phillies roster have found themselves moving up or down the depth chart. As we inch closer to the end of April, we find these two Phillies moving up the depth chart and these other two moving down.
Phillies player moving up the depth chart: Edmundo Sosa
Originally it was Cristian Pache who was moving up the Phillies depth chart most. Now on the IL, our attention turns to another Phillies player performing well and carving out a role for himself on this roster.
Since coming to the Phillies, Edmundo Sosa has been one of the quietly productive position players. Injuries to Rhys Hoskins and Darick Hall have the team using Alec Bohm over at first base a little more frequently or even slapping the DH label on him. At third base, it’s Sosa who is getting his shot to play a lot more often.
Sosa hasn’t quite taken over at the hot corner for the slumping Bohm just yet. Instead, he’s getting mixed in regularly. The Phillies have made use of him at third base, shortstop, and even center field this year. Every time there’s an injury, Sosa becomes an option to move there and start regularly.
Edmundo has appeared in 20 games for the Phillies and has gone 17 for 55. He’s slashing .309/.328/.564 with 3 home runs. Now more than a depth piece, acquiring him at last year’s trade deadline is looking like one of the best sneaky moves the team has made.
Phillies player moving down the depth chart: Jake Cave
Jake Cave won one of the final spots on the Phillies roster out of camp. He’s only here because of how few other outfield options the team has. With Cristian Pache landing on the IL, Cave’s leash gets even longer.
The Phillies picked up Cave with the likely intention of using him exactly as they have. He’s starting regularly in the outfield and providing them with little more than a warm body out there. His presence hasn’t held the team back. He’s also doing little to help them win a whole lot of games.
Cave is 14 for 63 with a .222/.286/.333 slash line. He has a home run and 4 doubles in the 20 games he has appeared in. It’s a fine output for a bench player. The Phillies have had to use him much more mostly because of the absence of Bryce Harper but also the shortcomings on defense from Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber.
Optioning Cave to the minors is something the Phillies will likely do sooner than later. Their limited backup plans are what have helped keep him around a little beyond the normal welcome. Cave has time to move back up the depth chart. Dalton Guthrie, who was recalled with Pache landing on the IL, will look to take the spot away from Cave.
Phillies player moving up the depth chart: Matt Strahm
Nobody thought Matt Strahm would be sitting here with 5 starts and a relief appearance owning a team-best ERA among the starters at 2.31 at the end of April. Pinch yourself. This is no dream. Strahm has been the most pleasant surprise of the year for the Phillies even beyond what the Daycare has done at the plate. He has stepped up in place of the injured Ranger Suarez in a huge way. He’s doing it in dominating fashion. Batters have fanned at a rate of 12.3 per 9 innings of work.
The offseason signing of Strahm was a bit underwhelming. An intended relief pitcher to join Jose Alvarado and Gregory Soto in the bullpen with three lefties, he has been an up-and-down pitcher throughout his career. His uninspiring 3.83 ERA in 44.2 relief innings for the Boston Red Sox was good enough to accept the addition but not get too excited.
Strahm is now a reasonable option for the Phillies to keep in the rotation. The health of Taijuan Walker in question and some poor outings from Bailey Falter may have the Phillies thinking twice about moving Strahm back to the bullpen.
Getting length from him every fifth day is unlikely. Who cares? If Strahm can go 5 or 6 innings and help them win games, keep him around. Get the most innings out of him that you can even if it’s not in relief.
Phillies player moving down the depth chart: Bailey Falter
The guy moving down the depth chart to make room for Strahm is Bailey Falter. After 5 starts, Falter is 0-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 28 innings of work. It has been a very average beginning to the year for Falter. Under different circumstances, we might not move him down the depth chart.
Some struggles from the co-aces Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler have made Falter’s own weaknesses stick out a little further. Frankly, he never should have been a starting pitcher option for them out of camp outside of replacing an injured player. He kind of did. The spring training battle between him and Andrew Painter ended when the latter landed on the IL.
Now officially passed by Strahm on the depth chart, Falter is on the bubble to start pitching better or get reacquainted with Lehigh Valley.
Falter does have minor league options. The Phillies cannot be hesitant to use them. Falter is a useful pitcher to float between the majors and minors. He can even find a spot in the bullpen as needed. What they can’t do is weaken the rotation in favor of following the original blueprints. There is always time for adjustments later. If Strahm is pitching like “the guy” he should remain ahead of Falter on the depth chart as long as the results prove it.
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