MULTIPLE Moves Made...BIG Roster Decision Remains

We have a major update coming out of Clearwater, Florida as far as the Phillies opening day roster. Who's in, who's out, who is still remaining as an option and more with just five days until opening day. We're going to get into all of that today on the newest episode of Phillies Digest. But before we do that, I do want to remind you guys to please subscribe to the channel. Just 76% of you guys that are watching our videos have not subscribed. That means less than a quarter of you guys that are watching our videos have subscribed to the channel. We want to make sure that you guys are getting all the updates the second that we're uploading videos. Myself and Sean Menard are uploading over a video a day right now to you guys on Phillies Digest and we want to make sure that you are staying up to date on all things Phillies. With that, I do want to get into today's roster moves. We had six people that were either reassigned or optioned to AAA this morning and this is showing us who we think will probably be on the opening day roster on March 27th at Nationals Park. To get into it this morning, the Phillies, prior to today's spring training game, the Phillies optioned outfielder Kyle Stevenson and right-handed pitcher Kyle Tyler to Lehigh Valley. Additionally, the following players were reassigned to minor league camp, Christian Arroyo, Josh Bro, Nabil Chrismat, and Oscar Mercado. A few minutes after these moves were announced, we did get a little more information here from Todd Zelecki. He says that Michael Mercado and Tyler Phillips both remain in camp, either would join bullpen if Ranger Suarez or Matt Strom aren't ready to start the season. But I do want to say really quick that Ranger Suarez did speak to the media down in Clearwater yesterday and said the back is already feeling a lot better. Obviously, he was dealing with that lingering back injury. He has not pitched now in about over a week in some game action, but it seems like he is ready to go, as well as Strom. Strom is pitching this morning at the Complex. We should have more of an update on Strom soon. Maybe we'll get a live one even while I'm recording this video. Last note here from Todd Zelecki is that Tywon Walker would take Suarez's spot in the rotation if he's not ready. And the biggest issue right now for the Phillies, not necessarily an issue, but their biggest focus right now, it's a better word, is they're not rushing either of these two pitchers back right now. They have no reason to rush Ranger Suarez. They have no reason to rush Matt Strom. It is March. Baseball doesn't end until November if you make the World Series. There's no reason to rush Ranger Suarez back from a back injury that he's dealt with in the past. Obviously, last season, I think we know the different type of pitcher that Ranger was after he came back from that back injury. The first half of the season, he looked like the Cy Young favorite, he dealt with the back injury, he came back, and he had like a 6 ERA in his last 8-9 start. This is not an injury for Ranger that you need to rush at all, as well as Matt Strom. There are other guys at the top of the bullpen that can hold down the spot for a week. If the Phillies know that they're ready, and the players know that they're ready, and the trainers know that they're ready, then they will be out there on opening day. That leads me into where we sort of are now with the roster. There are 31, I believe, yes, so 31 players left in camp. Big shout out here to Phillies tailgate for this. There are 31 players left in camp. The roster needs to get down to 26 by the morning of opening day. Right now, 5 players have to come off the roster by opening day. This is how I think it will turn out based off of these numbers. Guys that are staying in the rotation, Wheeler, Nola, Sanchez, Lozardo, Suarez, Walker. We know that. That is 6. Andrew Painter will not start the season in the major leagues. That knocks it down to 30. For the bullpen, Alvarado, Romano, Strom, Kerkering, Banks, Ruiz, Ross. Assuming, assuming that Ranger Suarez and Matt Strom will both be available, Tywhon Walker will take that bullpen spot, and Tyler Phillips and Michael Mercado will go down or they will get basically thrown on waivers because both of them are out of options. That will knock us down to 28. Basically right now, this would be Painter going down to the minors or if they start him on the injured list. I don't think they will, but starting him in the minors, that would knock us down to 30. Michael Mercado, Tyler Phillips will knock us down to 28. We now get into the bottom half here. JT RealMuto and Raphael Marchand, who was obviously announced yesterday morning, I believe it was yesterday morning or two days ago, that Garrett Stubbs was optioned down to AAA. Raphael Marchand will be the backup catcher to start the season for the Phillies. We are down to 28 players on the roster once we took out Painter, Mercado, and Phillips. So obviously I think we know JT Marchand, Bryce Stott, Turner, Boehm, Sosa, those guys are locks. Buddy Kennedy and Cody Clemons is the last battle in camp. That right now, that right now is the last battle of camp. Who takes the last bench spot? It was obviously probably going to be Weston Wilson's job to lose until the injury. So we take Weston Wilson out of this. Weston Wilson knocks us down to 27. Buddy Kennedy and Cody Clemons, one of them will stay and one of them will have to be placed on waivers and DFA because neither of them have options. Right now, I am leaning towards the Phillies probably keeping Cody Clemons. I think reason being is I think they know that Clemons has a little more Major League experience. Right now the tough part for the Phillies is that they don't want to get rid of any of these guys. They really like Buddy Kennedy. There's a reason that they had Buddy Kennedy train four days a week in the outfield with Mike Trout over the offseason. That is no fluke. There is a reason that that is happening because they want Buddy Kennedy. They want him to be on this team. At the same time, they really like Cody Clemons. He has been a fantastic bench bat for the Phillies the last, what, season and a half that he's been here. He has been a really good spark bat off of the bench for the Phillies and he can kind of play everywhere. He can play sort of around the infield, he can play first base, he can come off the bench for you and he's a left-handed bat. Originally, in the beginning of spring, it seemed like the Phillies were more focused towards a right-handed bat, which I still think could be the case and that would be Kennedy. But, I think this is probably going to come down to probably March 26th on Wednesday. I think this is one that you won't know the last bench spot until Thursday morning when they announce the opening day roster. So now, obviously, once we get Weston Wilson, who will head to the IL, that will be 27 players and once again, Cody Clemons and Buddy Kennedy will fight for that last spot. Who do you think that spot is going to be? Because me, personally, I think it's probably Clemons, but right now, I don't think either choice is a bad option. I think it's going to be a pretty hard choice for the Phillies. I think it's going to come down to the type of bat that they prefer off of the bench. So if you look at the bench, they have Sosa as a righty, they have Rojas as a righty, and they have Marchand as a switch hitter. So is that where they'd start to prefer a lefty because they don't have just a left-handed hitter on the bench? I don't know. I think it goes to Clemons, but I would not be mad either way. The issue is, I think whoever does not make it, I think another team's probably going to give them a shot. So whichever one of Clemons or Kennedy doesn't make the team, I have a feeling they probably won't be a Philly after they get DFA'd. I think there's a better chance that Kennedy returns than Cody Clemons, but either way, I don't think the Phillies have a great chance of retaining both of these guys in their system. So I want to know what you guys think. Right now, if you've made it to the end of this video, who do you think gets the last bench spot? So we narrowed this roster down from the 31 players in camp today down to 27, and Cody Clemons and Buddy Kennedy are going to battle it out for the last spot. Who do you think gets it? I think it's Clemons, but once again, I will not be upset either way. I do want to remind you guys one more time, if you have not already, to please subscribe to the channel. Just 75% of you guys that are watching our videos have not subscribed. So if you're watching our videos, myself, Sean Bernard, are working really hard every day. Phillies Digest is the only place to be on YouTube for all things Phillies. This has been the newest episode of Phillies Digest. My name is Luke Arcani, and I will see you guys next time.