The Phillies' bullpen picture, at least in terms of how it pertains to Opening Day, looks a little bit clearer after Tuesday.
The club elected to release veteran Edward Mujica this morning, thinning out the competition for the bullpen.
Though the bullpen isn't yet finalized, manager Pete Mackanin also cleared up the closer situation, suggesting that the Phillies won't use one specific closer to open the season.
Pete Mackanin conceded he may have to use a closer by committee when the season starts. Hinojosa and Hernandez are top options.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 29, 2016
Hinojosa, 30, was acquired last season when the Phillies claimed him off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. In 18 games, he posted a 0.78 ERA. This spring, Hinojosa has accumulated a 4.50 ERA and one save.
David Hernandez, who entered spring as the favorite to be the team's closer given that he signed a major league deal to join the team this off-season, has only pitched three times this spring, after elbow issues limited his early spring availability. In his three appearances, Hernandez has struck three out and has a 3.00 ERA.
It's telling that Mackanin didn't mention the name of former All-Star closer Andrew Bailey, who many thought had a chance to open up the season as the team's closer. Bailey has a 5.14 ERA in seven games this spring, though five of his appearances have been scoreless, four of which were also hitless. Bailey has had a slew of arm injuries in recent seasons, so it's possible that the Phillies have seen something from him that makes them believe that either he won't be ready to start the season at the major league level or that his arm won't hold up through an entire season.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features
