Phillies’ Battle of Rookies

Inside the sun-drenched stadium, hopes and dreams are among the bats, gloves and balls in the dugout of the Philadelphia Phillies, while prospects learn from veterans during spring training.

The Catcher and the Why:

Somewhere between exhilaration and disappointment is the vision driving a person to exceed their boundaries, real or perceived.

In February, general managers only make a deal if an opportunity presents itself. In other words, another GM has a regular blocking a highly touted youngster, an injury occurs, or a bargain is available for the taking. With, however, green talent, management uses this baseball yardstick: elite speed, 95-mph smoke or concourse-reaching power.

For general manager Matt Klentak, a healthy season provides durability he can count on. Additionally, good fortune is jumping from Double-A to the majors; for instance, Vince Velasquez again bypassed Triple-A last summer. On the other hand, outfielder Roman Quinn and catcher Jorge Alfaro began this camp with a “ticket” to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Quinn’s problem is playing a whole campaign, while Alfaro had difficulty as a September call-up.

Watching another practice, two Phillies scouts were paying attention to Alfaro and receiver Andrew Knapp. Why? Well, the backup spot behind Cameron Rupp is a clue: They know one or the other will be playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in April if either can win the job. Not the easiest task.

If neither rookie impresses enough to make the squad, Klentak has two non-roster backstops to compete for that role. He added those catchers on minor league contracts as stopgaps if things don’t go according to plan. The GM signed Bryan Holaday in late December and Ryan Hanigan a month later.

"FOOD FOR THOUGHT:   “But there was also a little of that thing they say about New Englanders: Being from here doesn’t prevent me from doing anything, it just prevents me from enjoying it.” – Carlton Fisk"