By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Thursday marks exactly two weeks until Opening Day.
In the latest edition of "Phillies Spring Training Notes," we look at tough roster decisions the Phillies will have to make, injured veteran players on the mend, the likely elimination of August trades, and more.
Velasquez Could Be Odd Man Out
Vince Velasquez, with a fresh new No. 21 this spring instead of No. 28, has struggled so far through two starts, allowing six runs (all earned) on six hits, one home run, four walks and six strikeouts spanning just three innings pitched.
Opposing batters are hitting .429 against the right-hander, who may be the "odd man out" in the rotation, especially if the club inks free agent southpaw Dallas Keuchel. The Phillies are reportedly interested in him on a short-term, or one-year deal.
Velasquez's 18.00 spring ERA is the worst among Phillies pitchers who have made at least one start this spring, and is the fourth-worst overall, trailing Victor Arano (30.86), Tyler Viza and Seth McGarry (21.60).
Phillies Manager Gabe Kapler recently told NBC Sports Philadelphia that the club is trying to "put it all together" with Velasquez, wanting him to establish the four-seam fastball "up in the zone," as well as wanting him to "get ahead."
Hernandez, Herrera Eyeing Return; Quinn? Not Yet
Both Cesar Hernandez (Grade 1 muscle hip strain) and Odubel Herrera (Grade 1 hamstring strain) are on track to be able to play Opening Day. Both played in a minor-league game on Wednesday and each got five at-bats, notes The Athletic's Meghan Montemurro.
Hernandez will rejoin the Phillies on Thursday by leading off and playing five innings at second base, in road split-squad action against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton; Herrera, meanwhile, will make his spring debut as the designated hitter on Saturday, home against the Houston Astros.
Roman Quinn (mild right oblique strain) ran on Wednesday, notes NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidmen, who says the Phillies are "going more slowly with." On March 5, Montemurro reported the Phillies outfielder is "improving at a faster rate" than the Phillies expected, and being ready for Opening Day for him, too, is "in play."
MLB to Eliminate August Trades
Without acquiring Scott Eyre from the Chicago Cubs, or Matt Stairs from the Toronto Blue Jays, in August 2008, who knows just how far the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies who have gone. A team would place a player on trade waivers, and if passed through unclaimed, his team would be free to trade the player to any club. If claimed, however, the player's team would have a short window to negotiate a deal with the claiming team.
Such August waiver trades will reportedly be no more, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, as part of rule changes MLB and the players' union will reportedly adopt this season. Hence, MLB will switch to a single non-waiver deadline on July 31.
Rosenthal writes:
The idea, first proposed by the union, is to protect the competitive integrity of the 162-game regular season, create more certainty for players and force teams to decide earlier whether they are buyers or sellers.
Late-season salary dumps no longer will be possible. Nor will big additions with a month remaining on the schedule. Build your roster during the winter. Adjust at the deadline. Then play. …
Things will be simpler without reporters trying to find out which players are on confidential trade waivers, executives withholding the names to avoid fines and fans and players attempting to sort through the maze of claims, blocks and pullbacks – a process described by one GM as “old, outdated and weird.”
One GM does not approve of the move, telling Rosenthal it is a "big mistake," since contending teams cannot fill holes via trade, if an injury were to occur, but rather only by promoting a player from the minors "who does not belong in a pennant race."
Last season, the Phillies acquired three players via trade in August: 1B Justin Bour (Miami Marlins), LHP Luis Avilan (Chicago White Sox), and OF Jose Bautista (New York Mets).
Tough Decisions Ahead
As the Phillies continue to trim their roster to 25 players for the 2019 season, tough decisions are only expected to continue, but especially this spring training with the outfield logjam.
The Good Phight notes that six Phillies are out of minor league options: Hernandez, Quinn, RHP Hector Neris, southpaws Jose Alvarez and Adam Morgan, as well as outfielder Aaron Altherr.
The player with the most difficult road to Opening Day roster contention is Altherr, who with a healthy Herrera and Quinn would likely be the sixth outfielder on the depth chart, behind Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper, Herrera, Quinn and Nick Williams.
Even Williams may start the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, notes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, to get enough playing time. The Phillies may try to trade Altherr, who when healthy, has shown promising power.
Another tough decision the Phillies must face is to award either Maikel Franco or Scott Kingery the starting third baseman role. Franco returned to the lineup on Wednesday in the club's 5-5 tie against the New York Yankees, after being sidelined a few days with a bug.
Franco could also relieve Rhys Hoskins when needed at first base this season, according to Kapler.
Harper Comments on Yankees' Free Agency Interest, or Lack Thereof
Along with the Phillies' road contest against Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees on Wednesday, Harper shed light into whether he heard from the 27-time World Series champions:
"I know the kind of outfield they have. They went out and got Stanton in that trade. Never heard from them, but everybody knew that growing up I was a huge Yankees fan."
Scott Boras on the assertion the Yankees aren't interested in Bryce Harper:
"I've never heard the Yankees say that" pic.twitter.com/dXMNQv1sYf
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 12, 2018
Former Phillies GM Makes Another Cameo Appearance on ABC
While former Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. may now be the New York Mets' special assistant and advisor to GM Brodie Van Wagenen, he continues to make cameo appearances on ABC. On Wednesday, Amaro Jr. appeared on "Schooled," following his previous appearances on "The Goldberg’s" playing as his father.
My William Penn Charter grade school sports hero Ruben Amaro Jr. on The Goldberg’s: pic.twitter.com/r3D5tem144
— Patrick Keane (@phkeane) March 14, 2019
"Schooled" is a comedy spinoff based on "The Goldberg’s," and is set in the 1990s.
Previous "Phillies Spring Training Notes":
- March 8: 'Robot Umpires,' Tejada Jr., Rupp Traded
- February 20: Early Rotation, Herrera Injured, Lidge, Top Prospects List
- February 16: 'Open Competition,' Eickhoff, New Cap
