Phillies: Bats for 40-Man Spots

With two openings on the active 25 for 2018, the front office of the Philadelphia Phillies will have some decisions to make at spring training’s end.

The Competition: 

When your lifelong dream is on the line, do you finish first, second or third in an opportunity for only two winners.

The players here are easier to evaluate, while the pitchers fighting for a 40-man slot had split their time in the major leagues and with Double-A or Triple-A affiliates. General manager Matt Klentak advanced three hurlers for a  firsthand look regarding their roster-making possibilities.

The Phils will need another outfielder and infielder, but second sacker Scott Kingery is a good bet for the latter when they promote him. Additionally, outfielder Roman Quinn will be a strong candidate if he’s still healthy on June 1. On the other hand, Klentak has a handful of reserves to be placeholders for Kingery and Quinn. Or right fielder Dylan Cozens!

Returning in March for another chance will be journeyman Pedro Florimon. Firstly, he impressed management with his versatility and surprised them with his hitting. He had a .348 average for 49 plate appearances before his ankle injury. To elaborate, he can handle positions in the outfield and middle infield.

If the red pinstripes prefer a younger utility man, Jesmuel Valentin had a excellent spring last year in Clearwater and a solid April for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs with a .296 mark near month’s end. But his attempt to make a diving catch in late May led to shoulder surgery, and he had slumped to a .229 average. Valentin is 23, Florimon is 30. However, Valentin must prove he’s healthy before the higher-ups consider him.

In the outfield, Cameron Perkins is a solid defender and received his advancement last summer because of his plate discipline. But his offensive problems began immediately because the skipper put him in the leadoff role: Cesar Hernandez went on the disabled list at the time. Unfortunately, Perkins never recovered and saw only limited playing time until season’s end. That stated, he’ll have another opportunity this March with a decent shot to make the 25-man roster on Opening Day.

With one of the 40 spots, second baseman Eliezer Alvarez, 23, was the acquisition from the St. Louis Cardinals. Yet even though he had struggled for his first two campaigns in rookie ball, he hit over .300 there twice and in Single-A. But last summer, he hit .247 in Double-A with a two-month gap in between due to a high ankle sprain. Will he be a reserve or a regular in the minors if he keeps his 40-man spot?

After an up-and-down career in the minors spanning six years, outfielder Carlos Tocci, 22, averaged .307 last summer for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils before his promotion to Lehigh Valley. Granted, he had difficulty in his brief appearance of only 17 games with the Allentown affiliate, but Klentak must decide his now-relevant status.

ON THE OTHER HAND:   “The roster that we have today may change tomorrow. It is what it is for right now.” – Nick Saban

Regarding one fan’s thinking on a national site, that poster stated the Philadelphia Phillies are a little light on position players. And he’s right because Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, J.P. Crawford and Jorge Alfaro advanced to the parent club. However, the organization deliberately dealt for pitching because it might take 10 finesse starters to find two for the rotation. Ergo, the reason they prefer flamethrowers.

Besides those comments, two of the faithful disagreed whether Valentin will make the 40-man roster. Well, one will be right.

ONLY YOU: “I’m in no condition to drive…wait! I shouldn’t listen to myself; I’m drunk!” – Yogi Berra

While many are expecting trades similar to the last two offseasons, Klentak stated in late September the team is ready to take the next step. Therefore, something new. As for the talent with the IronPigs, questions remain for three players. When will they promote Kingery? Will Quinn stay healthy and join the active 25? Will Cozens raise his average from .210 and improve his chances for the majors?

While Klentak made his rounds for interviews, he also vocalized that the days of regulars starting almost every game is changing. And if he calls up Kingery and Quinn or Cozens to the 11 on the squad – not including Cameron Rupp – the GM will basically have all fresh players with frequent at-bats for most of the next 162. So, what would the Phillies add with Quinn or Cozens? Speed or left-handed power!