4 emergency options for the fifth starter spot if Sánchez falters in spring training

It's one of the most exciting times of the year, with pitchers and catchers reporting around the majors. The hope and anticipation are almost palpable, including for the Philadelphia Phillies.

In fact, the Phillies are one of the teams with more hope and anticipation than most, after being on the doorstep of winning it all the past two seasons. Of course, the question is if they can finally go all the way in 2024 and win their first World Series since 2008 and third in franchise history.

One of the keys to how far the Phillies go is, of course, their starting rotation, and as things stand it's set with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker and Cristopher Sánchez. However, there's a lot that can go wrong, particularly with injuries, slumps or an outright loss of form.

Along these lines, what backup plan do the Phillies have for the back end of the rotation, particularly if Sánchez does not pan out? Here is a look at four emergency options if he falters during spring training.

Spencer Turnbull

Of the four emergency options, Spencer Turnbull conceivably has the widest extremes in terms of what he can offer. He is just as capable of being the best option of the four names mentioned in this article, or the worst.

For what it's worth though — and of most importance — Dave Dombrowski clearly has faith when it comes to Turnbull. The Phillies' president of baseball operations recently signed the pitcher to a one-year deal worth $2 million which, as per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, includes performance bonuses.

Part of the reason for this move more than likely stems from Dombrowski having a background with Turnbull. He was Detroit Tigers president and general manager when the righty was selected by the team in the second round of the 2014 Draft.

Being drafted so high alluded to Turnbull having some intriguing upside, and in this respect, he has had his moments. He really looked like he was starting to settle in as a major league starter during the COVID-impacted 2020 campaign, and this spilled over into an outstanding beginning the following season.

The 31-year-old was in a groove early on in 2021, as he went 4-2 in nine starts, producing a 2.88 ERA, 2.95 FIP and tremendous 0.980 WHIP in the process. His highlight was undoubtedly pitching his first major league no-hitter, which was also the eighth in Tigers history.

Then disaster struck, as Turnbull suffered an injury which ultimately resulted in season-ending Tommy John surgery. He would also miss all of the following year, as he continued his rehabilitation.

Turnbull finally returned to action last season and perhaps understandably struggled. He went 1-4 in seven starts, as he recorded career-worsts of a 7.26 ERA, 5.55 WHIP and 1.677 WHIP.

The Demopolis, Alabama native then suffered more adversity, as he was placed on the injured list in May due to a neck issue. When he was finally reactivated towards the end of August, he was optioned to Triple-A for the remainder of the season.

The Tigers subsequently decided not to make an offer after the season to Turnbull, and he became a free agent. Now, he will look to get his career back on track in Philadelphia, with a lot of uncertainty over what to expect from him.

In this respect, it should be noted Turnbull also struggled in Triple-A last year following his return from injury, with a 6.86 ERA and horrendous 1.962 WHIP in six starts. Now the Phillies wait in anticipation to see if he can get back to his form of 2021, or if that proves to be a peak which he will never return to.

Mick Abel

Of the four pitchers mentioned in this article, Mick Abel is the one with the most intrigue. He is ranked second among all Phillies prospects and 49th overall by MLB.com.

There has been a lot of anticipation surrounding Abel in Philadelphia, ever since the Phillies selected him 15th overall in the 2020 Draft. There is a lot riding on him living up to the hype, and he certainly has the tools to succeed.

In this respect, the 22-year-old has three pitches that are major-league quality if he continues to show the required dedication. Chief among these is his fastball, followed by a curveball and slider that can cause chaos when he's on his game.

Abel suffered a couple of setbacks in his quest to make an impression with the organization. First there was the pandemic in 2020, which amounted to a lost year, followed by a shoulder injury that compromised him the following season.

Since then, however, the Portland, Oregon native has worked his way up through the farm system, albeit he only made one appearance in Triple-A last year. All indications are he still needs more time at this level before making his MLB debut, although you never know what he might show during spring training.

Along these lines, consider comments Dombrowski made about Abel during the Winter Meetings in December. As per Zolecki, he said: "Not counting on breaking camp with the club, but I've been with young guys who are very talented, and you never can tell when they all of a sudden — boom — find it. He does have that type of talent."

It is reassuring to know the Phillies are being patient and smart with their prestigious young prospect, which is tough to do when you have someone with his type of talent. And in this respect, we're talking about someone capable of eventually being a staff ace.

At the same time, the Phillies organization knows Abel still has work to do, with the main challenge being issues with his location. In this respect, his walk rate took a step back in 2023 to 5.2 BB/9, compared to 4.2 a year earlier.

Walks aside, last season was an important and encouraging step in the right-handed pitcher's development. His 113 1/3 combined innings were his most since being drafted, as he produced a 4.13 ERA and 1.262 WHIP in 23 starts, including 22 in Double-A.

Overall, of the four pitchers referenced in this article, Abel is the least likely to be picked as the fifth starter in a scenario that needs an emergency option to begin the season. However, if we're talking about a similar situation further down the road in 2024, then it could very well be a different story for his chances.

Nick Nelson

Nick Nelson enters his third season with the Phillies organization, and it could prove to be a pivotal year for him. First, will he get enough chances in the majors and if so, will it be as a starter or out of the bullpen?

Nelson's first year in Philadelphia certainly saw him get plenty of playing time with the Phillies, as he made two starts and had another 45 appearances as a reliever. In the process, he produced a 4.85 ERA, 3.04 FIP and 1.485 WHIP in 68 2/3 combined innings.

As a result, the 28-year-old was looking forward to continuing being part of the Phillies roster last season. Unfortunately for him however, fate had other ideas.

Nelson suffered a hamstring strain during spring training, which meant he began the 2023 campaign on the injured list. Once he returned, he had to settle for being optioned to Triple-A, due to other options emerging for the Phillies.

Then the righty suffered another setback with his hamstring and when he once again returned, spent most of the season pitching in the minors, including 20 starts at Triple-A. He produced a 7-3 record, 4.35 ERA and 1.479 WHIP in all for Lehigh Valley in 97 1/3 combined innings.

For what it's worth, Nelson did get one game in the majors at the end of the season. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and recorded the win, as he allowed just two hits and one earned run.

It will be interesting to see what happens for the Panama City, Florida native during spring training. In his favor, it's good that he offers the option of being both capable of starting and coming out of the bullpen.

However, it should be noted that it has only been in the minors that Nelson has mostly been used in the rotation, as evidenced by 104 starts out of his 130 appearances. By contrast, only four of his 70 overall games in the majors have been starts, during his time with the Phillies and the New York Yankees before them.

On the one hand we do consider Nelson as a potential emergency starter if required. However, you do have to wonder how much faith and trust the Phillies have in him to step into such a role at the big league level on a regular basis.

This is why spring training is so important for the 2014 31st-round draft pick, in proving and establishing what he's capable of for the Phillies. In all probability, he is more likely to be a bullpen option, so it's up to him to change the narrative.