The Phillies began a major overhaul of their roster on Friday. Six players were outrighted off of the 40-man roster. All six decided to elect free agency. They included some bigger names.
The Phillies departing are catcher Andrew Knapp, outfielder Odubel Herrera, outfielder Travis Jankowski, pitcher Ramon Rosso, pitcher J.D. Hammer, and infielder Ronald Torreyes.
Herrera already had his $11.5 million option declined, but remained under Phillies control. The Phillies gave Herrera a $2.5 million buyout instead.
Knapp is somewhat surprising. While Knapp has never been much of an offensive catcher, he was known to work well with some Phillies pitchers. While the Phillies have Rafael Marchan, he could be potential trade bait.
The Phillies may have liked what they have seen from catcher Logan O’Hoppe in the Arizona Fall League, letting the Phillies feel comfortable freeing a roster spot with this decision.
Bench players Jankowski and Torreyes are useful players. However, similar players can be had on minor league deals most off-seasons. This allows the Phillies to save roster space for offseason acquisitions.
Rosso and Hammer both have shown promise. But both have have been inconsistent in the major leagues. The Phillies may feel they can replicate or beat that production in free agency.
Teams must set their 40-man rosters by November 19 ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.
