Phillies 2024 Opening Day roster projection 1.0: All-Star addition mixes things up
Now that we're into the spring training schedule and Grapefruit League games are underway, Philadelphia Phillies fans can start to feel good about the team's chances this year. The hand-wringing that took place all winter over the front office's lack of movement was somewhat quenched by the late signing of All-Star free agent utilityman Whit Merrifield.
The only other big move was the early offseason re-signing of Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract. And more moves may be coming, with extension talks happening between Zack Wheeler's camp and the Phillies brass.
But as we sit here on the opening weekend of Grapefruit League action, we can at least have a good idea of what the Phillies 2024 Opening Day roster will look like, despite a few question marks remaining. They're essentially running the same group back for another kick at the can, albeit this time fully healthy going into the season.
Phillies 2024 Opening Day roster projection 1.0: Late All-Star addition mixes things up
Phillies Starting Rotation
- Zack Wheeler
- Aaron Nola
- Ranger Suárez
- Taijuan Walker
- Cristopher Sánchez
The Phillies have said all winter that they're happy with the rotation, and they were true to their word, not adding any free agent upgrades despite trying and missing on Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
A couple of lingering questions remain at this point with the starting five, although nothing too serious to be concerned about. The first question is which of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola will manager Rob Thomson choose to be the Opening Day starter?
The second is really just about how the No. 3-5 spots will shake out. Ranger Suárez unquestionably took a stranglehold on the No. 3 position with his stellar postseason last year, while Taijuan Walker didn't throw a single pitch. And how will Cristopher Sánchez react to a full season after his breakout in 2023?