3 Phillies players who won't be on the roster by June 1
Midway through May, the Philadelphia Phillies have turned their season around after a disappointing start to the season. Their offense has done most of the heavy lifting. Now that they have Bryce Harper back in the lineup and Ranger Suarez in the rotation, it’s an opportunity to take-off and remind everyone who won the National League last year.
Roster changes are inevitable between now and the end of the month. By the time we arrive to June 1, expect these three Phillies players to be gone.
1) Phillies outfielder Dalton Guthrie should be swapped for another player
Dalton Guthrie hasn’t played a whole lot since his promotion. It’s not unexpected. There isn’t much playing time available for him. He’s essentially there as a defensive replacement and maybe the occasional pinch running duty. His bat doesn’t compare to anything the other corner outfielders can provide this ball club.
Guthrie was the roster replacement for Cristian Pache who had one of the most ill-timed injuries the Phillies could’ve asked for. Just as he was heating up, down he went.
Despite Guthrie’s lack of true importance on the everyday roster, it’s hard to have an emptiness on the team. Swapping him for Simon Muzziotti. Currently tearing it up in Triple-A, he might be able to add a little extra punch to the roster albeit on a limited basis, maybe only a little more impactful than Guthrie’s role with the team.
When it comes to this roster spot, it’s less about Guthrie losing it and more a tip of the cap to how well Muzziotti has played. He’s hitting almost .400 this season. It’s too good to not promote him and see what he can do.
2) Phillies need to try someone different than Bailey Falter
There are a lot of negative adjectives to describe Bailey Falter’s season with the Phillies so far. Choose your favorite. He just isn’t a major league starter right now. At 0-6 with a 5.75 ERA in 7 starts, the Phillies need to see what else they can do to replace him in the starting five. Matt Strahm has moved back to the bullpen. At the first sign of life from anyone else, the Phillies need to try someone else other than Falter.
Outside of the organization options are limited. Only players who were designated for assignment or struggling to find a job for health reasons could possibly come into the picture. If the Phillies had anyone at all they believed it, Falter would’ve been gone by now.
Nearly every starter in Triple-A has put up pedestrian numbers at best. There doesn’t seem to be any answer at all in Double-A either. Handing the ball to Nick Nelson for a start might be one thing to try. He has pitched as a starter in the minors before and through 6 starts on the farm this season at three different levels he has a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 innings of work.
We know what we’re going to get out of Falter. Nelson couldn’t be any worse, could he? The team already plans to use an opener in his next start. It could be the beginning of the end.
3) Phillies reliever Andrew Bellatti will be sent down for a fresher arm
Andrew Bellatti is going to win a trip back to Lehigh Valley before we get to June 1. As one of the handful of relievers with minor league options, he’s bound to head back to the minors for a fresher arm at some point. It’s inevitable. Based on his numbers, he’s the easiest choice for the job.
Through his first 11 appearances, Bellatti is the owner of a 5.59 ERA. It’s only through 9.2 innings but with 6 walks already to go with the 6 earned runs, his time with the Phillies could be short-lived.
Bellatti should remain on the list of Phillies bullpen options this year. He was impressive last year, going 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 54.1 innings of work. A rate of 12.9 strikeouts per 9 helped earn him a spot as one of the team’s more trusted arms. He can definitely get back there again this year if only because the Phillies seem to have a couple of untrustworthy veterans at the moment.
Trust should be earned and not handed out easily. Bellatti can earn ours back. For now, he’s probably the next guy shipping out. He should bounce between the majors and minors all year as Philadelphia looks to take one step further and win the World Series.
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