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| Cesar Hernandez could finally get a real shot. Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr. |
Jimmy Rollins has been traded, and the Phillies appear poised to do more moving forward. While no one is overly concerned right now with what the 2015 team looks like, the reality is that they will have to put out a team, and that team will play a 162 game schedule. That roster is considerably less stable and settled with Rollins gone, and spring training could be a real wild ride if there are more moves.
Currently speaking, this is what the 25 man roster would look like:
- A rotation of Hamels, Lee, Buchanan, and Williams from one to four would probably come to camp somewhat safe. Adam Morgan and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez would be favored in the fight for the fifth starter spot under this scenario, as Pettibone may not be 100% at the start of camp, Biddle really struggled in AA last year, and no one else is on the 40 man roster right now. I'd assume they sign someone yet this Winter, but that may not change the fifth starter situation if they end up trading Hamels anyway.
- The infield at the moment would consist of Ruiz catching, Howard at first, Utley at second, Galvis at short, Franco or Asche at third, the other being on the bench, and Cesar Hernandez being a utility option. Presumably Cameron Rupp is the current back-up catcher, though I'd think the Phillies are looking for someone else on the market. Odubel Herrera, the Rule 5 pick, is listed on the roster as an infielder, but I presume right now that his pathway onto the squad is in the outfield more likely, unless another move is coming.
- The outfield at the moment is similar to the one that played last year. Byrd, Revere, and Brown, from right to left, are all on the roster right now, with Darin Ruf and Grady Sizemore on the bench. I don't think they'll break camp with Kelly Dugan or Aaron Altherr on the big league club, as both could use some more plate appearances in AA or AAA. Herrera could certainly win a spot here, provided the Phillies move either Byrd or Revere (or Howard, and Ruf plays first), or he simply beats out Brown.
- The current bullpen is very good at the back end, with Papelbon, Giles, Diekman, and De Fratus all being near locks. That would leave the Phillies with three more spots to fill, with at least one going left-handed. You would have to think Mario Hollands is favored to win a spot, as he threw well until he ran out of gas as a rookie last year. The other potential lefties are Elvis Araujo, Cesar Jimenez, and Rule 5 pick Andy Oliver. The righties in consideration right now would be Luis Garcia, Ethan Martin, Hector Neris, Nefi Ogando, and possibly Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. I'd bet on Hollands, Martin, and Oliver right now. This could change considerably though too.
Obviously this is not a championship roster, though I'd argue a complete purge of the older players doesn't make them a whole lot worse than they were, particularly if they improve in left and first base. The Phillies should err on the side of giving more chances to players with some potential future role on the team, even if it's on the bench, to see what they have moving forward. They're not going to do a lot of winning anyway.
The Phillies did pick up two prospects in the Rollins trade. Both of them were at the back-end of MLB.com's top ten rankings for the Dodgers and Padres, while they slotted in the 11-20 range for Baseball America. While neither will slot into the Phillies immediate top four prospects, both have a shot of making the Phillies top ten moving forward.
Just for the sake of argument, I'll put my Christmas time top ten prospects out now:
- J.P. Crawford
- Maikel Franco
- Aaron Nola
- Roman Quinn
- Aaron Altherr
- Carlos Tocci
- Matt Imhof
- Jesse Biddle
- Aaron Brown
- Zach Eflin
So I'm not dumping on Biddle as hard right now as the "pros" are, in part because I'm hoping some down time this off-season is good for him. I might be overrating Eflin because I want to, but he had nice numbers and was a high pick, so i'm sticking with him there. There is a real gulf after #4, where you can make an argument for almost any other player to rate #5. Hopefully the Spring will bring some clarity with these guys. I also really considered Jesmuel Valentin, obtained last Summer for Roberto Hernandez, and Windle.
Finally, I'll once again voice my support for going big internationally. I am hoping that Jeong-ho Kang is coming our way, and if he is, don't stress too much over J.P. Crawford's future, as you can probably move Kang to second in the future, or move him for additional talent in a trade when that time comes. The Phillies have money, and should use it internationally to take some chances, and hope it improves the squad. It'll take getting a few risks right to improve this team in a reasonable time.
