Call to the pen
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Phillies: Pressing questions after spending big

By Tal Venada

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 02: Bryce Harper is introduced to the Philadelphia Phillies during a press conference at Spectrum Stadium on March 02, 2019 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 02: Bryce Harper is introduced to the Philadelphia Phillies during a press conference at Spectrum Stadium on March 02, 2019 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Of the four starters, management tabbed Eflin before the others: a clue to their expectations. Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images. /

Rotation’s domino effect: 

LIke the 2008 Phillies, the batting order will allow the starters to relax and not worry about making a bad pitch. Because having early leads and the ability to mount comebacks in the final three innings will be standard operating procedure.

But who will benefit most? Unbelievably, Vince Velasquez will think less and fire the ball more while mixing in some secondary pitches to keep hitters off balance. The flamethrower had his best outings when he didn’t worry about mistakes.

As for Zach Eflin, he’ll be comfortable on the mound with more runs, and he could develop into a mid-rotation arm. Perhaps, he’ll weather deviations from his set routine and work through some threats to keep the score manageable instead of handing the skipper the ball.

How will heavy run support affect Nick Pivetta? Well, he may limit his string of unacceptable outings to a more palatable number due to the offense and the defense behind him. Plus his additional experience may temper those growing pains.

If his injuries are behind him, Jerad Eickhoff is one of four hurlers with a shot to develop into the three-slot starter this summer. Yes, he pitched six frames or more in 23 of 33 outings during 2016, and he will make the five-man staff if he can repeat that success.

While Klentak and Kapler often mention sabermetrics, they also make comments other than analytics. To illustrate, Kapler stated his new lineup will not change with 2018’s frequency. And the batting order’s one through five will be difficult to improve on.

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