The Unheralded Battle in the Phillies’ Pen
To overlook an important spring competition would be unheard-of if it was the final rotation slot of the Philadelphia Phillies, like it was a year ago.
Last Man on the Mound:
In any industry with a limited number of positions, no one ignores even one of them.
While everyone’s attention is on the back end of the Phillies bullpen, this doesn’t account for the entire relief corps. Yes, Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris, Joaquin Benoit, Pat Neshek and Edubray Ramos are the favorites for the first five roles. And Joely Rodriquez is the only left-handed reliever from 2016 for a sixth spot, but who will win that final opening? One of three hurlers.
During a recent interview, manager Pete Mackanin mentioned that Adam Morgan and Alec Asher are bullpen possibilities. And three southpaws besides Rodriquez and Morgan are in camp: Sean Burnett, another non-roster reliever and a starter from the Single-A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. In other words, a solid spring from Burnett would put him in competition with Morgan and Asher for the last slot.
After missing 2015 because of a UCL elbow surgery, Burnett pitched for the Triple-A affiliates of four different franchises including the Washington Nationals. And he logged a 2.28 ERA for 47 1/3 innings over 47 Triple-A games, before he ended up back with Washington as a September call-up. But while he only worked 5 2/3 frames with the Nationals as a lefty specialist, he recorded a 3.18 ERA for those 10 appearances.
With pitchers like Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Ben Lively and Mark Appel, the Philadelphia Phillies are at the point where a numbers crunch will eliminate a few starters from the competition. Ergo, some will become relievers to reach the majors, while the best of the group will be on the five-man staff of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. For the Phillies, however, this means either Morgan or Asher could be the long man in April.
IN OTHER WORDS: “If I don’t make the team out of spring training, I’ll keep a good attitude. I’ll just go polish up the parts of my game that made me not stay in the big leagues.” – Cory Lidle
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “Any baseball is beautiful. No other small package comes as close to the ideal design and utility. It is a perfect object for a man’s hand. Pick it up and it instantly suggests its purpose; it is meant to be thrown a considerable distance – thrown hard and with precision.” – Roger Angell
When management had their meetings regarding field personnel, they discussed the players on the parent club and others in their immediate plans. They covered Morgan’s pluses: 38 MLB outings in the last two years, a portsider among predominately right-handed hurlers and the improvement he made after a minor league stint in July and August. And if he has any shot at the 25-man roster, they believe long relief and spot starting would be it.
Even though he’s only made 12 major league starts and eight with Lehigh Valley, Asher could be a casualty because Eflin, Thompson, Lively and Appel have the first four slots in the IronPigs’ rotation. In other words, Asher could also compete there with Nick Pivetta for the fifth spot if Pivetta is ready for the Triple-A staff.
Next: Who Will Be the Eventual Phillies Closer?
Regarding MiLB pitchers, general manager Matt Klentak is keeping an eye on the stud with Clearwater he protected on the 40-man roster. Yes, because Drew Anderson recorded a 1.93 ERA in eight starts for the Threshers, the GM will probably discuss a promotion to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils in May or June if the right-hander impresses him. And some – not all – have stated Anderson may have the best arm in the organization. So, if they are correct, the righty may shortly push someone from the IronPigs’ rotation. The domino effect!