Phils will carry 16 pitchers on the opening day roster
PHILADELPHIA » A hundred and two games late but presumably healthier for the delay, the Phillies released most of their Opening Day roster on Thursday
Though permitted to carry 30 players through the first two weeks of the season, the Phils cut their list to 29 before the noon deadline. It is widely speculated that Phil Gosselin will be added as the 30th player before the Miami Marlins visit at 7:05 Friday.
The expanded early rosters a concession to the oddity of a 60game season and the brevity of a summer training camp, 16 of the 2020 Phillies will be pitchers. Joe Girardi will have six infielders, five outfielders and two catchers.
The pitching staff: Right-handers Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta, Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, Hector Neris, Deolis Guerra, Tommy Hunter, Trevor Kelley, Reggie McClain, Nick Pivetta and Ramon Rosso, with left-handers Jose Álvarez, Austin Davis, Cole Irvin and Adam Morgan.
“It’s a different environment, obviously,” said new pitching coach Bryan Price, the former manager of the Cincinnati Reds. “It’s a bigger pitching staff and a much larger bullpen, at least from the inception at the beginning of the season. It creates a lot of competition, which is a good thing. Even though it is a big number, it’s still going to create some challenges to get it right.”
The starting rotation, as outlined Wednesday by Joe Girardi, will begin with Nola, Wheeler, Velasquez, Arrieta. Eflin, who had been tormented by back spasms, was to throw a bullpen session Thursday, though the ballpark was closed to the press. If, as expected, Eflin recovers well Friday, he will be appointed as the No. 5 starter. If not, the designation will go to Pivetta.
“I think it’s great,” Bryce Harper said of the pitching staff onWednesday, after the final intrasquad scrimmage of the longest offseason. “Everybody is going out there and competing the way they need to. Vinny pitched great against the Yankees. Arrieta is very healthy. His arm is feeling very good. Aaron Nola is going to be Nola. And I am always impressed by Wheels. So the guys we have on our staff are going to be very good for us. And in the bullpen, some of the guys we added are going to help us a lot. Last year, out bullpen was kind of hurt. So having those 30 guys early in the season is really going to solidify where we are going to be at the end of the year.”
Throughout the camp, Girardi was pleased with the depth of his left-handed pitchers, but in the end settled for just three.
“For a lot of teams going through this scenario, with the final guys who are making it into your bullpen, are your wild cards,” said Price. “In the end, you need somebody, or a couple of guys, to step up and have that kind of a season that you weren’t sure you were going to get from them.”
Neris, who will be the closer, is not a mystery, though his lack of career consistency has been puzzling. Hunter, a proven major-league contributor, is healthy. Morgan has long flashed talent and could benefit from the change in pitching coaches. And Pivetta will be available, early on, for long relief.
“Neris, Morgan and Alvarez will start things off,” Price said. “Then we’ll start talking about late-game bullpen options.”
Didi Gregorius, Rhys Hoskins, Scott Kingery, Jean Segura and Neil Walker are the infielders, with
Walker having volunteered to be a third catcher.
The outfield will consist of Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Roman Quinn, Adam Haseley and Kyle Garlick.
The roster will include seven former All-Stars (Harper, Nola, Segura, Arrieta, McCutchen, Realmuto and Gregorius), two former MVPs (McCutchen and Harper) and one former Cy Young winner (Arrieta).
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Nola, a 2018 All-Star, will start the 7:05 season-opener Friday, opposing Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, a 2019 All-Star.
For health precautions, no fans will be permitted to attend the game.
Wheeler will oppose left-hander Caleb Smith Saturday afternoon at 4:05. Sunday at 1:05, it will be Vince Velasquez and right-hander Jose Urena.
The games will be televised by NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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NOTES » Seranthony Dominguez, David Robertson and Ranger Suarez will open the season on the injured list … Prior to the release of the roster, Davis, Hunter, Neris and Kingery were formally removed from the injured list … Righthander Robert Stock was designated for assignment … Davis, Garlick, Guerra, Haseley, Irvin, Kelley, McClain, Quinn and Rosso will appear for the first time on an Opening Day roster … In two weeks, rosters must be trimmed to 28, and to 26 within four weeks.