Call to the pen
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Competition in Set Phillies’ Rotation

By Tal Venada

Mar 15, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (21) throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (21) throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /
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Starting in April and continuing through August, the young hurlers on this five-man staff will earn their spot on its front end, and one will probably take the ball on Opening Day for the 2018 Philadelphia Phillies.

Before the Future:  

Based on today, tomorrow is a measured concept to foresee the challenges ahead.

In industries with payouts like sports, movies, television or music, athletes, actors, actresses, singers or musicians must guess management’s thinking. For instance, Jerad Eickhoff entered camp and took nothing for granted. He had to make the team despite being the number two in the rotation behind Jeremy Hellickson through September. In other words, they said nothing different to him from last March.

Pawing the mound dirt to form his landing spot, Hellickson satisfies himself before making another throw. And while pitching coach Bob McClure fingers the walkie-talkie, he hopes Hellickson can finish one more inning. In other words, the coach wants the next hurler to begin a new frame, but Hellickson is reaching his current pitch limit. Meanwhile, some fans can hear the sound of Helickson’s replacement in the bullpen. Whoosh! Pop!

When Opening Day arrives, Hellickson will be on the hill for the second consecutive April, but realistically he’s on his last one-year contract with the Phillies. And even if Scott Boras wasn’t his agent, the veteran head of the staff could find a multi-campaign agreement. Ergo, will one of the kids receive the assignment for ’18? Probably.

Hellickson will have a new employment address by July’s end after fetching a nice package. So if Roman Quinn isn’t healthy, Nick Williams doesn’t improve, or Dylan Cozens needs more seasoning, the Philadelphia Phillies may need an outfielder. In addition, however, to those possibilities, a left-handed bat with power or a southpaw reliever for the back end of the pen are other areas to consider.

Pitching for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, right-hander Zach Eflin will relearn how to be a starter without compensating for balky knees. But while he adjusts to his new advantage, his competition will be less daunting than the majors. On the other hand, righty Jake Thompson will most likely dominate the offenses in the International League again, but he must outperform Eflin to get the first nod. Remember, Thompson showed big leaguers way more respect than MiLB hitters: Too many walks put doubts in McClure’s mind. Ergo, inconsistency.

Highlights:

  • Eflin: 7 Gms., 47 2/3 Inn., 3-2 and a 2.08 ERA after his first MLB start and before his three injury-related outings.
  • Thompson’s last outings: 6 Gms., 34 1/3 Inn., 2-3 and a 3.41 ERA.

Eflin’s stats:

  • 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA for 26 2/3 innings versus the Diamondbacks, Braves and Rockies.
  • 1-2 with a 4.18 ERA for 23 2/3 frames against the Blue Jays (first-game debacle), Giants, Mets and Pirates.
  • 0-3 with a 13.85 ERA for his final 13 innings before his season ended (not included in above bulleted statistics).
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