Klentak’s rebuilding plan may take one-year hiatus
Before the Phillies opened their season Monday in Cincinnati, manager Pete Mackanin will sit at his desk and author a lineup card with his usual perfect penmanship, supplementing it with a left-or-righthanded list of his pinchhitters and relief pitchers. Considering an offseason that lacked aggression, drama and a single acrossthe-whole-page headline, the entire process shouldn’t take long.
Such was the effect of Phillies’ decision to postpone real growth for at least another year and try to win in 2017 with a 2016 nucleus that lost 20 times more than it won. While there were a few moves — both useful and applauded — that will make the Phils slightly different in 2017, their 71-91 core remained unruffled.
For that, any meet-thePhillies events should be brief, ballpark program sales should be lackluster and familiarity will either be embraced or soon turn sour.
General manager Matt Klentak’s major changes, if that’s what they can be called, will be at the corner outfield spots, where veterans Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders were added on one-year commitments. That will give Mackanin a more professional batting order, and it will give Klentak the option to flip them at the trade deadline in continuing futures bartering. There is added bullpen depth, and there will be Clay Buchholz, injecting some necessary seasoning to the starting rotation.
If anything differentiates the Phillies’ roster from their recent or distant past, it’s that it includes no Ryan Howard or Carlos Ruiz, making it their first Opening Day roster since 2000 without a member of the 2008 world championship team.
So as the Phillies try once more to bridge championship eras, here is the roster Mackanin will have at the start, including 2016 statistics.
STARTING ROTATION
RH JEREMY HELLICKSON (1210, 3.71 ERA, 154 STRIKEOUTS) >> He took the $17.2 qualifying offer, avoiding free agency, giving the Phils a responsible No. 1 starter with a chance to be an AllStar. RH JERAD EICKHOFF (11-14,
3.65, 167) >> After a 2-8 start, he steadied last season to become a dependable and, at times, dominating starter. At 26, he is hitting what should be his prime. RH CLAY BUCHHOLZ (8-10,
4.78, 93) >> At 31 and on a one-year deal, the former Red Sox starter and reliever brings 10 years of experience, including a postseason start in 2016. With the Sox in a playoff chase, he won four of his last five decisions, including three in September. RH VINCE VELASQUEZ (86, 4.12, 152) >> For caution only, the Phillies shut him down after 131 innings last summer, hoping to have him at his best in 2017. By then, he’d already provided three double-figure strikeout games, including a 16-K manhandling of the Padres. RH AARON NOLA (6-9, 4.78,
121) >> He was shut down two months early last season due to elbow issues, then pitched to an 8.38 ERA in the Grapefruit League. But he was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is just 23 and is said to be at full health. When he won six of seven decisions last May, he was considered an All-Star candidate.
BULLPEN
RH JEANMAR GOMEZ (3-5,
4.85, 37 SAVES) >> He won the closer job last season, nearly made the All-Star team, then was too unreliable late in the season to keep the position. But then he won the job back by uncorking a 0.93 spring training ERA. RH PAT NESHEK (2-2, 3.06) >> At 36, he is with his sixth big-league franchise after arriving via an $8.1 million Houston Astros salary dump. A 2014 All-Star, he still showed a live arm in three spring training appearances and did not allow a run in five appearances in the World Baseball Classic. RH HECTOR NERIS (4-4, 2.58)
>> He took the ball 79 times and was effective last season in set-up situations. At 27, he could be a closer should Gomez stumble again.
RH JOAQUIN BENOIT (3-1, 2.81) >> At 38 last season, he was useful to Seattle and Toronto. The Phils thought enough of his professionalism and trade-deadline value to give him a $7.5 million, one-year deal. RH EDUBRAY RAMOS (1-3. 3.83) >> A 24-year-old with a strong arm and an impressive minor-league resume, he struck out 40 of the 160 major-league hitters he faced last season. LH ADAM MORGAN (2-11, 6.04)
>> While it is tough to get past that W-to-L ratio, he is left-handed, and in 2015 went 28.2 innings without surrendering a walk. He can be a spot starter, and his skills continue to intrigue. LH JOELY RODRIGUEZ (0-0. 2.79) >> He struck out nine in 12 spring-training innings, continuing to impress after a late-season 2016 audition. Of the first 18 hitters he faced in the major leagues, one had a hit.
CATCHERS
CAMERON RUPP (.252, 16 HOME RUNS, 54 RBIS) >> He has made substantial progress as a hitter and at least some as a receiver. For that, he was able to beat out franchise legend Carlos Ruiz and become a fringe AllStar candidate last year. The Phillies have appealing catching in the system, but Mackanin is not sure any of them will match Rupp’s power. ANDREW KNAPP (ROOKIE) >> At 25, it was his turn. As a switch-hitter with the ability to play first base, he’ll give Mackanin options. He hit .266 with eight home runs and noted defensive skills, enough last season to be an All-Star in the Class AAA International League.
FIRST BASE
TOMMY JOSEPH (.251, 21, 47) >> He stampeded from Lehigh Valley to the majors with his renewed power, once lost to concussion and eye trouble. He continued to hit enough for the Phils to make Ryan Howard irrelevant. With Howard gone, the job is Joseph’s to keep. His three home runs and .311 average in spring training hinted that he will. BROCK STASSI (ROOKIE) >> As a non-roster candidate, he won a major-league job with six home runs and a 1.099 OPS in spring training. He was a 2011 33rdround draft choice.
SECOND BASE
CESAR HERNANDEZ (.294, 6, 39) >> After a spotty start, he had a breakthrough season in 2016, leading the Phillies in hitting, on-base percentage, walks and triples. With Freddy Galvis, he provided a reliable, dynamic doubleplay combination. Despite his speed, however, he was caught stealing 13 times in 30 attempts.
SHORTSTOP
FREDDY GALVIS (.241, 20, 67) >> His .987 fielding percentage led National League shortstops. He supplemented his impressive power with 17 stolen bases.
THIRD BASEMAN
MAIKEL FRANCO (.255, 25, 88) >> Despite wrist injuries, he matched Howard for the Phillies’ team high in home runs. Inconsistent offensively, he struck out 106 times against 40 walks.
INFIELD
ANDRES BLANCO (.253, 4, 21) >> He played every infield position and left field last season and, at age 32, had high value as a clubhouse leader.
LEFT FIELD
HOWIE KENDRICK (.255, 8, 40) >> He has hit as high as .306 in 94 games for the 2008 Angels, and for the Dodgers from 2011 through 2015 he batted .285, .287, .297, .293 and .296. With 11 seasons of big-league experience, six ending in the postseason, the 33-year-old 2011 American League All-Star is expected to add a winning flair.
CENTER FIELD
ODUBEL HERRERA (.286, 15, 49) >> After becoming an All-Star last season, he sagged for a while, then hit .371 over his final 18 games. That, along with his speed in center, was enough for the Phillies to sign the 25-year-old through 2023.
RIGHT FIELD
MICHAEL SAUNDERS (.253, 70, 57) >> At 29, in his eighth major-league season, he was an All-Star last year in Toronto with an .815 OPS. The Phillies are paying him $11 million for one year, hoping to recover some of the longlost power Howard once provided from the left side.
OUTFIELD
AARON ALTHERR (.197. 4. 22) >> A broken wrist ruined his 2016 season, as he never regained form after a lateyear recall. A versatile and graceful outfielder, his four home runs and .297 springtraining average bold-faced his potential. DANIEL NAVA (.223, 1, 13) >> With experience with the Red Sox, Angels, Rays and Royals, he can play either corner outfield spot or at first base. In 2013, he had 12 home runs and 66 RBIs for Boston. His versatility and his .362 Grapefruit League production helped him win a spot after agreeing to a minor-league deal at age 34.
So that’s how it will begin. But with plentiful minor-league prospects and so many advanced-age players on one-year deals likely to be dumped at the deadline, it is certainly unlikely to end that way.
All of which means next Opening Day, that Phillies roster hardly should be as familiar.