Phillies have roster decisions looming as Spring Training winds down

With the number of days remaining in Spring Training dwindling down to single digits beginning Sunday, the Phillies still have a lot of unanswered questions. 

Who will fill out the last one or two bullpen spots? 

Who will be the backup catcher?

Who will be the last bat on the bench?

Who will they try to sneak through waivers and who will they look to get something for in a trade?

"We got a lot of things to cover before we get out of here," manager Rob Thomson said. 

Sure do. And while some of the answers to those questions may seem more obvious than others, none of them are set in stone just yet, and some are going to come down to the final days in Clearwater. 

The Phillies reassigned a number of guys to minor league camp, including six relievers, prior to Saturday's game.

Koyo Aoyagi, Jose Cuas, Joel Kuhnel, John McMillon, Guillo Zuniga and Nick Vespi were sent down. 

It's likely that at least a couple of those guys will see time in the majors at some point this season. McMillon throws 100MPH and had a solid camp. Zuniga is a guy the Phillies like, but he was a little bit behind at the start of camp, and coughed up a two-run lead in the ninth inning Friday against the Yankees. Vespi is a lefty who could see some innings if they need a southpaw latter this season. 

But the interesting thing is, this left Nabil Crismatt as the lone non-roster invite reliever in big league camp. In fact, it seems he and Devin Sweet - who is on the 40 man roster - are the two guys battling for a spot in the 'pen. 

Matt Strahm's shoulder inflammation seems to have subsided. He threw a ball from 70 feet Saturday pain free. And while there is a chance he could be ready to go by Opening Day, the Phillies are not a team that likes to push the envelope with their pitchers' health, meaning they will likely have a need for an eighth reliever out of the pen, and Crismatt and Sweet seem to be the front runners to claim it. 

For his part, Crismatt feels good about his spring so far, and, as a veteran, feels comfortable controlling what he can control, and letting the chips fall where they may.

"I'm just mentally prepared for whatever happens will happen," Crismatt said. "The only thing I can control is any time they give me the ball I can go out there and compete for this team. I've been loving it here and hopefully I finish my job and get to Opening Day."

Crismatt, 30, has thrown 6 2/3 innings so far this spring. He has a 2.70 ERA and has allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out six. 

- 1.2 scoreless for Nabil Crismatt. Seems to be gaining steam as the last man in the 'pen.
- Jose Cuas hit around. 0.2IP, 3R.
- Step back for Aoyagi. 3BB, 3R, 0.1IP.

— Sam Jellinek (@SamJellinek) March 14, 2025

As a non-roster invite, Crismatt would have to be added to the 40-man roster, meaning the Phillies would have to lose someone off that roster, but they have 14 starting pitchers on the 40-man, and one of them could easily come off to make room for Crismatt.

However, maybe having him start the season on the roster isn't the most ideal situation if Strahm will be back quickly. 

Sweet, who has also impressed, has a couple of options yet, so the Phillies could start with Sweet, and send him down to the minors without having to expose him on waivers once Strahm is ready. 

They can go to Crismatt later in the season, when a veteran arm could be more useful, and they know they can keep him around for a while. 

This is what the Phillies did with Jose Ruiz last year, and Jeff Hoffman the year before that, and Andrew Belatti the year before that.

Crismatt does have an opt out clause in his contract if he's not on the Major League roster by early June, but he said Saturday that he wants stability for himself and his family and if it means starting at Triple-A and then coming up a little later, he's willing to do that.

"I have the opt out, but I feel like I'm in a good position here no matter if they send me to Triple-A or not, Crismatt said. I feel like I want to be a Phillie this year. Hopefully that works out. We have an opportunity to get to the World Series, that's why I want to be here."

The backup catcher job is probably going to go to Rafael Marchan and not Garrett Stubbs. Marchan is out of options, and the Phillies don't really have another catcher on the roster that's major league ready, so they don't want to risk losing him. 

But Stubbs has had an excellent spring and is making things difficult on the Phillies decision makers. 

So far his is 6-for-16 (.375) with three walks and he's been plunked twice. He's only struck out three times.

Garrett Stubbs hits a single to make it 5-3 Phillies.
Stubbs is batting .375 in spring. pic.twitter.com/0rc27i8muI

— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) March 15, 2025

Stubbs has changed his swing in the offseason, going from no stride to having a little more of a leg kick to help his rhythm and timing. It's a small sample size, but so far so good. 

There has been some internal debate about this position, as Stubbs brings value that's not necessarily measurable on a stat sheet - and no, this isn't a reference to being the chief vibes officer of the team. 

Stubbs is an integral part in game planning on how to pitch to opposing hitters. It's why he's so well-liked by the coaching staff.

But he also knows the reality of the situation. 

"Look, I didn't create the situation, the situation is what it is," Stubbs said. "I'm going to go out there and play the best baseball that I possibly can and see what happens after that. 

"I know the last three years I've done nothing but help this team win and I plan on doing that going forward, no matter what the situation is, whether I'm playing or not playing. I've said that before - find ways to help this organization win baseball games. So, whatever happens at the end of spring, I'll continue to do that."  

As for the final bench spot, the injury to Weston Wilson earlier in camp threw this one into the blender and created new competition. The Phillies would love to find a way to keep Kody Clemens, but being left-handed at the plate make him a square peg in a round hole. 

The Phillies need a right-handed bat on the bench, and with Wilson sidelined, that competition has come down to Kennedy and another non-roster invite, Christian Arroyo. 

Arroyo has done nothing but hit this spring. He's 10-for-28 (.357) with two homers and six RBIs. He can play all over the infield and the Phillies did get a look at him in the outfield earlier in camp. 

Christian Arroyo is a Howie-level signing.pic.twitter.com/H3UH10f0yI

— Blake (@BlakeIFox) February 23, 2025

Thomson likes what he brings to the table.

"We've played him [in the outfield] once or twice and he's looked fine, but he hasn't really been tested, but I feel comfortable with him anywhere in the infield, but he hits and he's played in a market that's pretty hot, right? So I like that about him."

Thomson is referring to Arroyo playing under the intense scrutiny of Boston where he had his best major league seasons. 

Arroyo, who turns 30 in May, was once an uber-prospect who never really had a chance to be a full-time player because of repeated injuries. 

But talking about him playing in a baseball market like Boston is an indicator that, unlike a guy like, say, Whit Merrifield a season ago, having played and succeeded in a town where the pressure is heavier, can be a difference-maker in a close battle between players.

The Phillies might be willing to take the risk on getting Kennedy through waivers, as he is out of options, in the hopes of keeping him as a depth option in the organization. 

As for Clemens, if the Phillies can't find a spot for him on the bench, he, too is out of options and could be used as a trade chip to a team that could use a left-handed bench bat. 

And maybe the Phillies can get another reliever, or a righty bench bat in return. 

There are still a lot of permutations and combinations for how this all will work out, but the Phillies only have about 10 days to figure it all out.