Philadelphia Phillies: Tomorrow Behind the Plate

Glancing at his wild cards, Klentak could deal one and hold on to another – an infielder or a catcher – and then decide the assignments for Alfaro and Knapp. Presently, Cameron Rupp has solidified the starting role behind the plate, and A.J. Ellis is in the decision-maker’s plans to mentor a rookie backstop. That stated, when the equipment arrives at Bright House Field in Clearwater, the fun will begin for the Philadelphia Phillies GM and manager Pete Mackanin: evaluations and meetings.

In March, if you listen closely, you will almost hear two patrons at Frenchy’s Tiki Pavilion as they compare Alfaro and Knapp. Who’s going to play for the IronPigs? Well, Knapp has earned the job but Alfaro is due for advancement, where he can prepare to be a regular on the red pinstripes with his powerful stroke and defensive skills. Bottleneck!

Juggling four catchers, Klentak will decide on the roles for Alfaro and Knapp with Lehigh Valley. But what will happen if everything goes according to plan? Well, Alfaro will receive the lion’s share of receiving duties with the IronPigs, while Knapp will catch, play some left field, and man first base for his at-bats.

Rupp will pick up where he left off and receive help with his pitch framing from Ellis. Then, the strategy will be to trade Rupp in July to a contender. And although it’s obvious, who is the catcher Ellis will never mentor? Joseph.