It appears the Philadelphia Phillies' fifth starter race is starting to gain some clarity.
According to Meghan Montemurro of The News Journal, off-season acquisition Brett Oberholtzer believes he's going to start the season as a reliever, not a starter.
Not official but looks like Oberholtzer is being prepared as reliever. Scheduled to pitch Tues&Wed. He said he's gotten hint he'll be in pen
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) March 20, 2016
Oberholtzer said he'd be happy to make team in any role. With him seemingly in bullpen, final rotation spot comes down to Velasquez & Morgan
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) March 20, 2016
Oberholtzer, who was acquired in the trade that sent former closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros, has gone 1-0 this spring with a 0.00 ERA in eight innings. He hasn't started any games however, which is a pretty good indication of what role the Phillies envision the lefty in.
Oberholtzer, who is out of minor league options, seemed to be a lock to make the team in some capacity, largely because it would seem strange to trade for a player who was out of options if the intention wasn't for said player to make the team. What exactly his role in the bullpen is — be it a long-man, lefty specialist or some combination of the two — remains to be seen.
As for the fifth starter spot, this news seems to favor Vince Velasquez, the key piece acquired in the Ken Giles trade, landing the spot. Velasquez has a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings this spring, but has flashed some of his potentially elite stuff, making it hard to imagine he won't get a chance to be the team's fifth starter.
Adam Morgan, who it appears will likely be the runner-up for the fifth starter spot, is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. In nine innings this spring, Morgan has gone 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA. Unfortunately for him, he still has minor-league options, making him likely to begin the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
