Trade Bait or Phillies’ Placeholders

While the veterans in demand are generating interest on the market for contenders, a secondary consideration is the availability of the catcher and the entire infield of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Crossroads:

In almost every aspect of life, the choices in your workplace and your leisure activities have limitations: physical, monetary, rules and relationships.

Before general manager Matt Klentak can swing a deal involving an old hand or promote a prospect to the majors, he knows the roster boundaries he can operate in. For instance, he’s aware of the need for experienced players in the dugout and clubhouse, and not having anybody with more MLB time than Freddy Galvis doesn’t work. The decision-maker can’t fill all 40 slots with green hurlers and rookies at every position: receiver Jorge Alfaro, first baseman Rhys Hoskins, second sacker Scott Kingery, shortstop J.P. Crawford, right fielder Dylan Cozens, center fielder Roman Quinn and left fielder Nick Williams. Only the armchair GM can.

If you deduct the vets who won’t be here next summer and keep the younger regulars and reserves, you’d have two catchers, five infielders, three outfielders, four starters and three arms in the pen: a total of 17. Additionally, the organization has Cozens and righty reliever Jesen Dygestile-Therrien as realistic possibilities for next April. In other words, the Phils will probably sign and/or re-sign two bench bats – an infielder and an outfielder – to go with three bullpen pieces for a tally of 24. And Klentak will probably pick up a veteran stater also.

With 15 spots available, Alfaro, Crawford, Quinn, Williams and either Lively or Pivetta will claim five slots. Also, five other minor leaguers will be on the 40-man roster: infielder Jesmuel Valentin, right-handers Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Mark Appel and Drew Anderson. And Klentak won’t be dropping those starters so quickly after the ones wearing red pinstripes have made five or more outings, are on the disabled list, or have been inconsistent. Meanwhile, Valentin was a possible backup infielder before surgery on his shoulder. In other words, five openings will remain for prospects who will need protection from the Rule 5 draft and acquired MiLB talent requiring a 40-man spot.

When a writer only scratches the surface, the easy appraisal is plenty of jobs will be available after the exec designates a few journeymen for assignment. But unless Williams is the fourth outfielder, Klentak will pick up a veteran in the offseason. And keep in mind, Hoskins will not require protection for another year, while Kingery and Eshelman have until after the 2019 campaign.

While fans have three ways to look at the current crop of regulars on the Philadelphia Phillies, they usually don’t consider the third possibility. Firstly, the view is to move the present starter for a decent prospect from another franchise. The regular to them is merely a placeholder for the star with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. But few consider the names frequently on the 2017 lineup card for the future. Aren’t some a maybe?