Phillies roster: A look at every player at spring training

The Phillies will begin to fill their crowded clubhouse at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Fla., on Tuesday when pitchers and catchers report to begin spring training. That room will then become even more crowded later in the week when the position players begin to filter in.

But that crowd could grow even larger — as large as one new superstar — later this spring training as the Phillies continue to pursue Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. But that can wait.

Here’s what you need to know about the 60 Phillies players we know for sure will be at spring training.

Age on opening day: 26

Franco enters spring training as the starting third baseman, but a lot could change before opening day. If the Phillies land Manny Machado, it’s expected that Machado will move to third base, which would allow the Phillies to trade Franco. And if they sign Bryce Harper, they could still try to land free agent Mike Moustakas. Franco had the team’s second-highest OPS last season, but his future is uncertain.

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Age on opening day: 21

Gamboa has yet to reach double A, but the Phillies saw enough to add the shortstop to the 40-man roster this offseason and protect him from December’s Rule 5 draft. His strikeout rate, 22.3 percent, spiked last season at high-A Clearwater, and his offensive production — .214 average and .582 OPS — declined after a productive 2017 at Class A Lakewood. He could start the season at double-A Reading.

Age on opening day: 28

It was revealed this offseason that Hernandez had played most of last season’s second half with a broken right foot. That could explain his struggles in the final three months, as Hernandez batted .236 with a .329 on-base percentage after fouling a ball off his foot on July 6. He enters camp as the everyday second baseman, and the Phillies are counting on his production from 2016 and 2017, when he hit .294 with a .372 on-base percentage.

Age on opening day: 26

Hoskins’ time in left field is over, and he will be an everyday first baseman for the first time in his major-league career. His .850 OPS last season would have ranked fifth among all major-league first basemen. Expect Hoskins to take over not only Carlos Santana’s position at first base but also his cleanup spot in the lineup after Hoskins batted second for most of last season.

Age on opening day: 24

Kingery will again be a utility player, after the team added Jean Segura and held on to Hernandez. It would not be a surprise if Kingery plays more outfield this year than he did last season. Kingery was electric in the minors but struggled mightily as a rookie, as he finished with the National League’s lowest on-base percentage (.267) and seventh-worst slugging percentage (.338) among batters with at least 450 plate appearances. The Phillies are chalking up last season to growing pains.

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Age on opening day: 29

It’s almost easy to forget that the Phillies added Segura, as most of the attention this offseason has been on their chase of Harper and Machado. Segura, who enters camp as the starting shortstop, is the type of hitter the contact-struggling Phillies lacked last season. He had the fifth-highest contact rate in baseball and batted .304 with a .755 OPS.

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Age on opening day: 26

Walding hit 44 homers over the last two seasons at double A and triple A but struggled in his brief chances with the Phillies. He began his major-league career 0-for-14 before hitting a homer for his first and only major-league hit. He had an .864 OPS in 119 games last season at triple A as he shuffled between Lehigh Valley and the Phillies.

Age on opening day: 24

Canelo is a smooth defender but has struggled to hit during his minor-league career. He batted .251 with a .305 on-base percentage last season in his second year at double A. He could return to double A.

Age on opening day: 30

The Malvern Prep product began his major-league career by batting .283 with a .716 OPS over his first four seasons, 2013-16. But the last two years have not been productive. Gosselin has bounced among four organizations over the last two years and spent most of his time in triple A. He hit .251 with a .703 OPS last season for Atlanta’s triple-A team.

Age on opening day: 29

Ngoepe, who was born in South Africa, debuted in 2017 with Pittsburgh and became the first native of continental Africa to reach the majors. He has just 82 plate appearances in the majors, and last year, he batted .168 with a .304 on-base percentage for Toronto’s triple-A team. He can play second base, third base, and shortstop.

Age on opening day: 34

The Phillies entered the offseason short on infield depth at triple A, so Petit should help fill that void at Lehigh Valley. He spent most of the last two seasons at triple A with Minnesota and Toronto. He batted .268 with a .313 on-base percentage with Minnesota’s triple-A team last season and can play any infield position.

Age on opening day: 33

He has batted just .229 with a .602 OPS over the last three seasons. Romine would give the Phillies flexibility, as he played every position except pitcher last season with Seattle. He played all nine positions in one game in 2017 with Detroit. He has not been to the minors since 2013, but it could be a challenge for him to crack the opening-day roster.

Age on opening day: 33

The Phillies signed Rodriguez on Friday after he spent last season with Pittsburgh, where the utility infielder had played for four of his 11 seasons. He batted .167 with a .591 OPS in 150 at-bats last season. Rodriguez is two years removed from batting .270 with an .859 OPS with the Pirates. The Phillies lack infield depth at the top of the minor leagues, and Rodriguez would be a good player to stash at triple A if a need arises.

Age on opening day: 27

Knapp, who joins J.T. Realmuto as the only catchers on the 40-man roster, enters camp as the favorite to be the team’s backup. He struggled at the plate last season, as he batted just .198 with a .294 on-base percentage. But the Phillies value his rapport with the team’s pitching staff and his presence in the clubhouse.

Age on opening day: 28

The Phillies made a splash a week before spring training by trading for Realmuto, whom they consider the best catcher in baseball. He led all catchers last season with an .825 OPS and hit 21 homers with 74 RBIs. Realmuto joins Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza as the only catchers in major-league history to have 35 or more extra-base hits in each of their first four full seasons.

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Age on opening day: 35

Butera spent last season with Colorado and Kansas City and hit just .190 with a .264 on-base percentage. He has spent nine seasons in the majors as a backup catcher thanks to his defense and game-calling. He will push Knapp for the backup job, but it will be tough for him to make the roster. Butera can opt out of his contract before the end of camp if he thinks he has a better shot with another team.

Age on opening day: 29

Brantly has played in just 125 games over the last seven seasons with the White Sox and Marlins. He batted .210 last year with a .536 OPS over 74 games with Atlanta’s and Cleveland’s triple-A affiliates.

Age on opening day: 23

Grullon’s power spiked last season, as he hit 21 homers and registered an .825 OPS at double-A Reading. He could be ready for triple A, and a promotion would allow the Phillies to find out if his power surge was just a benefit of Reading’s hitter-friendly ballpark, as 14 of his 21 homers came at home. The Phillies are lacking catching prospects at the top of their system, but Grullon could have a chance.

Age on opening day: 33

The Bethlehem native and Lehigh University product was a fan favorite last season with triple-A Lehigh Valley. He batted .242 with an .812 OPS in 60 games with the IronPigs and enters spring training with a good chance to return to Lehigh Valley.

Age on opening day: 28

Altherr was dropped to the minors last July and stayed there until rosters expanded in September. He seems to have lost his place in the outfield after batting just .181 with a .295 on-base percentage in 285 plate appearances last season. His defensive versatility — Altherr can smoothly play all three outfield spots — gives him a chance to make the team as a bench player.

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Age on opening day: 24

Not much changed last season for Cozens, as he continued to hit for power but strike out far too often. Cozens ended 37.5 percent of his plate appearances in triple A and the majors with a strikeout. He hit 21 homers and posted an .873 OPS at triple A but never saw regular playing time in his first taste with the Phillies. His power is intriguing enough to make him a candidate for a bench player.

Age on opening day: 27

Herrera was one of the first Phillies players to arrive in Clearwater this winter, a good sign after the team challenged him at the end of last season to arrive in better shape at spring training. Herrera reported out of shape last year but still started the season by batting .313 with an .862 OPS through May. He then fizzled by hitting just .222 with a .655 OPS in the final four months. Herrera enters the season as the starting center fielder.

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Age on opening day: 32

McCutchen was the first player the Phillies signed this winter, as the team believed he is closer to the player he was two years ago (.279 average, .849 OPS) than the player he was last season (.255, .792). McCutchen has the benefit of playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark. He’ll enter the season as the starting left fielder.

Age on opening day: 25

Quinn enters spring training in the lead for a bench job as long as he stays healthy, which has been his toughest hurdle so far. He can play all three outfield positions, is the team’s fastest runner, and has a surprising amount of pop despite being just 5-foot-10. He can’t be optioned to the minors, and the Phillies would surely lose him if they tried to pass him through waivers.

Age on opening day: 25

No one on the Phillies had a better turnaround last season than Williams. He began the season as a bench player and questioned whether the team’s lineups were made by computers. He then became a clutch pinch-hitter and worked his way into the lineup. Williams finished the season with a .782 OPS after May 1 and found the plate discipline to cut back on his strikeouts. Williams will be the starting right fielder unless Harper shows up to camp.

Age on opening day: 29

Adams spent most of last season in triple A with the Cubs’ and Braves’ affiliates and batted just .161 with a .251 on-base percentage. He can play all three outfield positions and appears ticketed for triple A.

Age on opening day: 22

Haseley, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, will likely begin the season in double A but could push his way to the majors by the end of the season. He reached double A last July and hit .316 with an .880 OPS in 39 games. His future with the Phillies could become uncertain if they land Harper, as they would then have three outfielders — Harper, McCutchen, and Herrera — signed for the next three seasons.

Age on opening day: 25

Listi, who received the Paul Owens Award in September as the top position player in the Phillies farm system, split last season between high-A Clearwater and double-A Reading and hit 18 homers with a .915 OPS. He spent most of his time in the outfield, but the Phillies could move him primarily to first base as they suddenly have a crop of outfield prospects at the upper levels of the minors. Listi has a good chance to start the season at triple A.

Age on opening day: 20

Moniak salvaged his season last year with a strong second half, batting .297 with an .817 OPS in his final 53 games with high-A Clearwater. He could start the season at double-A Reading, whose hitter-friendly ballpark could prove beneficial to the 2016 first overall pick.

Age on opening day: 34

Robinson spent most of the last two seasons in triple A with the Yankees’ and Angels’ affiliates. He hit .261 with a .296 on-base percentage last season with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and should find himself in triple-A Lehigh Valley at the start of the season.

Age on opening day: 29

The Phillies added Alvarez this offseason in a swap with the Angels for the often-inconsistent Luis Garcia. Alvarez gives the bullpen a needed left-handed option as he held left-handers to a .206 batting average and averaged 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings last season.

Age on opening day: 24

Anderson has been a starter in the minors, but his future in the big leagues likely will be out of the bullpen. He pitched in five games last season for the Phillies after making 19 starts at Lehigh Valley, where he had a 4.04 ERA in 104 2/3 innings. The triple-A pitching staff is crowded with middle-of-the-rotation arms, so it will be interesting to see what the Phils do with Anderson.

Age on opening day: 24

Arano was dominant at times last season, as he allowed just two earned runs in a 23-inning stretch from late June to mid-August. He has a spot in the bullpen thanks to the way he controlled right-handed batters, as he held them to a .207 average and a .248 on-base percentage.

Age on opening day: 33

Arrieta proved durable last season, making 30 starts for the fourth consecutive season, but he seemed to fade down the stretch as he posted a 6.35 ERA in his final nine starts after pitching eight shutout innings in early August. His free agency dragged deep into spring training last season, so he should stand to benefit from having a full camp with the Phillies. He’ll enter the season as the No. 2 starter, behind Aaron Nola.

Age on opening day: 26

Davis pitched in 32 games last season but struggled to find consistency against left-handed batters. He’ll enter spring training in competition with the other lefty relievers for a spot in the bullpen, as the Phillies added left-handed depth this winter.

Age on opening day: 23

De Los Santos was serviceable last season in two big-league starts but could find himself this spring transitioning to the bullpen, as the Phillies have a crowded triple-A rotation. De Los Santos, whom the Phillies acquired for Freddy Galvis, had a 2.63 ERA in 22 starts at triple A but he could make a quicker impact in the majors as a reliever.

Age on opening day: 24

Dominguez was electric as a rookie, as Gabe Kapler pushed him into high-leverage situations after the manager erased the closer role from his bullpen. He ranked third last season among National League relievers in opponents’ OPS (.301), fourth in batting average (.157), and sixth in WHIP (0.93). He enters spring training as Kapler’s go-to arm for a key spot in the late innings.

Age on opening day: 24

Eflin posted a 2.97 ERA in his first 11 starts last season but then scuffled, finishing the season with a 5.74 ERA in his final 13 starts. He’ll enter spring training in competition for one of the final rotation spots and will be one of the players the Phillies will want to find out about this season.

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Age on opening day: 28

The Phillies consider Eickhoff healthy after he had minor surgery early in the offseason to alleviate the nerve damage that had sidelined him last season until September. Part of the reason the Phillies stayed out of the starting-pitcher market was their belief that Eickhoff could replicate the season he had in 2016, when he posted a 3.65 ERA in 33 starts. Eickhoff’s health could determine if they made the right choice.

Age on opening day: 22

Garcia ended last season in triple A after spending most of the year with double-A Reading, where he posted a 3.32 ERA in 47 appearances. The reliever was added to the 40-man roster this winter after averaging 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings last season. The Phillies need relief pitchers who have minor-league options as they shuffle pitchers back and forth. Garcia will be one of them.

Age on opening day: 32

Hunter ended last season by logging a 2.63 ERA in his final 24 appearances. He enters the season in the final year of a two-year deal and could be moved before the season as the Phillies might try to create roster flexibility in their bullpen by stashing players who can be optioned to the minors. Hunter, after a rough start last season, proved effective. He gives the Phillies another option to tackle the late innings.

Age on opening day: 22

Medina will be one of the most-watched pitching prospects in the Phillies system after Sixto Sanchez was traded to Miami. He made 21 starts last season with high-A Clearwater and posted a 4.12 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings. He could begin the season at double A.

Age on opening day: 29

The Phillies will likely begin the season with two left-handers in their bullpen, and it would be a surprise if Morgan, who cannot be optioned to the minors, was not one of them. He pitched in a team-high 67 games last season and finished the season with a 2.45 ERA over his final 31 outings.

Age on opening day: 29

Neris seemed to be completely refreshed last season after spending six weeks in triple A. He finished the season with a 2.04 ERA and 35 strikeouts in his final 20 appearances. He had a 6.90 ERA in 33 appearances before being demoted. Neris finished second among all National League relievers with 14.35 strikeouts per nine innings. He’ll be one of the more trusted arms in the bullpen if he’s the pitcher he was after his demotion.

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Age on opening day: 38

Take away Neshek’s worst day last season and he would have finished with a 1.13 ERA in 29 appearances. He did not pitch last year until July after opening the season on the disabled list because of a shoulder strain. The Phillies have a lot of similar righthanded relievers, and Neshek is in the final year of his contract. He has value, so he could be traded during camp.

Age on opening day: 32

Nicasio returned to the Phillies as part of the trade with Seattle to acquire Segura. He pitched briefly with the Phillies in 2017. Nicasio struggled last year in Seattle as he recorded a 6.00 ERA, more than double the mark he posted in 2017. The Phillies see him as a bounce-back candidate, and his $9.25 million contract guarantees him a spot in the bullpen unless he’s traded.

Age on opening day: 25

Nola will begin spring training with an arbitration hearing on Valentine’s Day. He is seeking $6.75 million, and the Phillies are offering $4.5 million. He will then try to build off last season, when he became the first homegrown Phillies pitcher ever to finish in the top three in Cy Young Award voting.

Age on opening day: 27

Pazos came with Nicasio from Seattle as the Phillies tried this winter to bulk up on left-handed options for their bullpen. He had a 2.88 ERA last season with the Mariners and struck out 45 batters with just 15 walks in 50 innings. Interestingly, he was more effective last season against right-handers, as they batted just .228 last season; left-handers hit .280 with a .440 slugging percentage against him. He can still be optioned to the minors.

Age on opening day: 26

Pivetta enters spring training as one of the more intriguing arms in camp. He struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings last season and had a FIP that was the 24th lowest among all starters. Yet he finished with a 4.77 ERA in 32 starts. There is a lot to like about Pivetta’s potential. It’s just a matter of his putting it all together.

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Age on opening day: 26

Ramos had a 0.64 ERA in his first 32 appearances before running into some trouble in the second half of last season. He took two trips to the disabled list and one to triple A, which is where he could begin the season as room is suddenly hard to come by in the Phillies bullpen.

Age on opening day: 25

Rios shuffled between triple A and the majors last year and posted a 6.75 ERA in 36 appearances with the Phillies. The shuffle will continue in 2019, as he still can be optioned to the minors.

Age on opening day: 33

The Phillies thought highly enough of Robertson to give him $23 million over the next two seasons. He is right-handed, but his acquisition can be considered part of the team’s emphasis on adding relievers who can combat left-handed hitters. Robertson limited lefties to a .176 batting average last season, and the Phillies will be comfortable using him against both left- and right-handed hitters.

Age on opening day: 23

Suarez made three starts last season for the Phillies but could be a candidate to transition to the bullpen at triple A. The Phillies will have to make some tough decisions this spring about the IronPigs rotation, as there are simply too many starters.

Age on opening day: 26

Velasquez held right-handed hitters to a .211/.298/.308 slash line last season and was the only pitcher in baseball to face 300 right-handed hitters and allow three homers or fewer. He has a spot secured in the starting rotation, but the Phillies will need to see some consistency. He finished the season with a 7.09 ERA in his final 10 starts.

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Age on opening day: 31

Bleich was a first-round pick by the Yankees in 2008 but did not reach the majors until last July after after spending 10 seasons in the minors. He missed significant time because of a shoulder injury, spent a year in independent ball, and has been with five organizations. He was with the Phillies in 2016 and pitched for double-A Reading and triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Age on opening day: 25

Gilbert reached triple A last season and can be considered a lock to reach the majors sometime this season. He had a 3.25 ERA last season in 48 games between double A and triple A with 69 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings.

Age on opening day: 25

Irvin went 14-4 last season with a 2.57 ERA in 25 starts at triple A. He would have received a taste of the majors, but he did not need to be carried over the winter on the 40-man roster. Irvin will be one of the first pitchers promoted from triple A if a need arises.

Age on opening day: 29

Martin pitched in 19 games last season with Cleveland’s triple-A affiliate and recorded a 2.91 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. He has spent seven seasons in the minors but has yet to reach the majors. He’ll likely begin the season in triple A.

Age on opening day: 32

Paredes pitched in 25 games over the last two seasons with the Dodgers and was in their system when Gabe Kapler oversaw their minor-league operations. He spent most of last season in triple A and will likely return there this season.

Age on opening day: 22

Romero spent last season at double-A Reading, where he posted a 3.80 ERA over 18 starts with 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He could be forced to start the season at double A but should be able to move quickly to triple A.

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