Where roster battles stand ahead of '24 season
This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Phillies’ front office and coaching staff met for two hours Tuesday to discuss the remaining players in camp, including Johan Rojas.
They made no decision on him yet.
Instead, in the past 24 hours they have sent 14 players to Minor League camp: left-hander Kolby Allard; right-handers Nick Nelson, Max Castillo, Ricardo Pinto, Austin Brice and Nick Snyder; infielders Rodolfo Castro, Darick Hall and Nick Podkul; outfielders Carlos De La Cruz, Matt Kroon and Simón Muzziotti; and catchers Cody Roberts and William Simoneit. The Phillies must make a decision on Rojas and everybody else in the coming days. Opening Day is only eight days away.
Here is where the roster battles stand.
Johan Rojas: Multiple Phillies officials have said this spring that Rojas has made gains since the beginning of camp, even though the numbers don’t reflect it. They have said he is working hard. They have said he is doing everything they ask.
It would be contradictory then to tell him, “Hey, we know we’ve told you that we really like what we see and don’t worry about the results, but you’re going to Triple-A anyway.”
Is there any harm in playing Rojas every day, at least the first month of the season, to see what he can do? Remember, he will be hitting ninth for a high-octane offense. If the Phils are relying on his bat to win in April, it means something has gone wrong.
No. 9 hitters in baseball the past two years hit a combined .228 with a .649 OPS, which is 71 points lower than the OPS of the average hitter. Even if Rojas hits .200 with a .625 OPS, his elite defense can help Philadelphia win.
But if the Phillies decide Rojas is better served to begin the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Brandon Marsh could move from left to center and Whit Merrifield could play more left. Cristian Pache is a fantastic center fielder, but he has a career .503 OPS, even after posting a .736 OPS in 95 plate appearances last year. He does not seem like the everyday answer in center if Rojas doesn’t make the team.
Bench: If Rojas makes the team, the Phillies would have one bench job available. If he doesn’t, they would have two. The final spot could be between Jake Cave and Pache. If club officials are worried about Rojas in late-inning situations, it might make sense to keep Cave because he hits left-handed and can pinch-hit for him.
Both Pache and Cave are out of options, so the Phillies could lose either player if they don’t make the team. But the club signed outfielder Jordan Luplow to a Minor League contract on Saturday, after also adding outfielder David Dahl on Feb. 19. The team has better outfield depth than when camp opened.
Bullpen: Right-hander Orion Kerkering might not be ready by Opening Day because of an illness that sidelined him for weeks. If he isn’t ready, there are three bullpen jobs available.
Right-handers Yunior Marte and Luis Ortiz might be slight favorites for two jobs. Both have pitched well and both can pitch multiple innings, which the Phillies need.
Spencer Turnbull is going to pitch three innings in his next outing. He is a long-relief candidate.
Connor Brogdon is a possibility. He is out of options, so they could lose him if he doesn’t make the team. Andrew Bellatti and José Ruiz are not on the 40-man roster, but both have big league experience. They might be considered dark horse candidates.