The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitchers and catchers reported to the Phillies’ training facility at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida Feb. 14. The day pitchers and catchers report is a quasi-holiday for baseball fans; it marks the start of spring training and therefore, baseball season. The rest of the roster reported Feb. 19 to prepare for the spring training opener against the Toronto Blue Jays Feb. 24.
The Phillies enter the 2024 season off the back of a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series last October. Despite this, expectations are high among the organization and fans.
The roster remains mostly unchanged from last season after an offseason focused on continuity. The team lost first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who missed the entirety of 2023 with a torn ACL, and closer Craig Kimbrel to free agency. Last week, the Phillies made their only notable signing so far, agreeing to a one year deal with three-time All-Star utility man Whit Merrifield. Merrifield had a .272 batting average and .700 OPS for Toronto last season and can fill in at second base or in the outfield.
Retaining pitching talent was a major priority for the front office this winter. Last November, starter Aaron Nola agreed to a new seven-year, $172 million contract. President of baseball operations David Dombrowski recently stated that the team is working on an extension with Zack Wheeler. The Phillies are rumored to be in discussions with free agent pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, but a deal is not yet imminent.
Regardless of whether Snell or Montgomery signs, the Phillies project to have a strong pitching staff. The starting rotation will, once again, consist of Wheeler, Nola, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez and Taijuan Walker. Relievers Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman will all return. This is a solid bullpen, even if it does not contain a prototypical closer. Orion Kerkering, who made his major league debut last September, may split time between Triple-A and the big leagues due to this depth. This is far from an indictment of the 22-year-old reliever. There will simply be more innings available in the minors when other relievers are healthy.
The Phillies’ lack of high-profile moves may be concerning to some, especially as high-profile names like Shohei Ohtani and Chris Sale joined National League rivals. However, there is something to be said about the Phillies’ roster continuity. This team has proven that it can hang with the best teams in baseball as currently constructed; the Phillies have defeated the Atlanta Braves in two consecutive postseasons and were one win away from back-to-back National League pennants. The defense was much improved last year with the addition of shortstop Trea Turner, rookie outfielder Johan Rojas, and improvements from Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott. There is still power from top to bottom in the batting order; Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto can all hit the long ball. The Phillies should have enough talent to compete in the National League East once more.
