CLEARWATER, Fla. — It shouldn’t surprise anybody if the final member of the Phillies’ Opening Day roster is currently wearing another jersey. In fact, it’s one of the strongest conclusions you can draw once you consider their limited range of options to fill their one obvious hole. With 10 days remaining before the Phillies open the season in Texas on March 30, the need for a right-handed hitter capable of playing solid center-field defense is as glaring as it was when spring training began. That speaks volumes.
Some context is in order here. The search for a fifth and final bench player is among the more fortunate of issues that a team could be dealing with post-St. Patrick’s Day. The Phillies haven’t had a perfect spring, but the pieces for a strong start to the season appear to be very much in place. Last year at this time, Zack Wheeler was still in the early stages of his progression after an offseason beset by shoulder soreness and illness. Aaron Nola was coming off a season in which he posted a 4.63 ERA. Kyle Gibson was on his way to starting Game 2. Seranthony Domínguez had thrown one big league inning in 30-plus months. Trea Turner was a Dodger. Brandon Marsh was an Angel. Rob Thomson was the guy sitting next to Joe Girardi in the dugout.
The 2023 Phillies were a very good team on paper before spring training began, and that paper is very much intact. They are deeper in each phase of the game: rotation, bullpen, lineup. The interplay of that depth can only help the collective, as can the growth they experienced during last year’s World Series run. The sense of anticipation percolating here at BayCare Ballpark and up north in Philadelphia is very much warranted.
