Matt Joyce, Brandon Kintzler win Phillies jobs under pressure

As the last week before Opening Day for the Philadelphia Phillies ground along, the team made a couple of interesting, “early” decisions on Mar. 26. Bench bat/outfielder Matt Joyce and reliever Brandon Kintzler were both given roster slots.

Both players had been signed to minor league deals over the off-season by Philadelphia.

Not many realize the pressure on Matt Joyce and Brandon Kintzler involved in winning Phillies jobs this spring.

Even a week or so ago, it seemed a fairly sure thing that Joyce would make the Phillies, or at the very least, the team would have to argue something analytical or very vague to justify picking another player for the bench.

The guy’s been hitting in Florida. Moreover, in the field he looked to this observer quite spry, considering his age – 36.

In his first winter appearance, Mar. 1, Joyce slammed a two-run homer against Baltimore in the game’s third inning. Over the next four games he played in, he went 4 for 8 with a walk, and so, after play on Mar. 10, was hitting .500.

Since then, his batting average has dropped below the otherworldly level, but as of early Mar. 26, was it was .320, with five walks and four RBI in 30 plate appearances. So, the Phillies added another former All-Star to their roster. Joyce made the mid-summer exhibition squad in 2011 with Tampa Bay.

The left-handed hitter, who will likely spell Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen in the corner outfield spots, clearly deserves some recognition for pulling off one of baseball’s most difficult tasks – winning an MLB outfield job on the downside of a career in three weeks while getting, basically, two at bats a game every other day. Also, don’t forget the very limited chances in the field in that situation.

Joyce is a career .244 hitter, and has booked 147 homers; the Phillies will be his eighth team.

Like the new Fightin’ outfielder, Brandon Kintzer is also coming from the Marlins squad from last summer. And he’s not happy with his former team. Indeed, he ruled out returning to Miami after they refused to pick up his option, but apparently made some sort of offer to him.

In a recent interview, he dismissed “crawling back” to the Fish.

Thus, he took the minor league offer from the Phillies, who were desperate to rebuild their bullpen, and he made the risk work out.

Kintzler will turn 37 two days before Joyce does in early August, and will be counting on the wisdom he’s accumulated over the years about choosing his battles against batters he’s faced. He is not a fireballer, unlike many modern relievers. He’s a pitcher. His spring training ERA Mar. 26 was 1.04 despite giving up 10 hits in 8.2 innings.

The Phillies signing of these two players seems to be a subtle indicator of their quietly declared “win now” attitude – adding grizzled veterans who won their jobs under pressure during a pandemic.