CLEARWATER, Fla. - Dressed in street clothes, Michael Stutes packed his belongings into a red Phillies duffel bag and walked out the back door of the clubhouse Friday. It was early in the morning and with the roster trimmed even further, the usual clamor of the room was silenced.
The 24-year-old righthander passed a table in the middle of the room where Cliff Lee sat alone eating breakfast. Their eyes met, and Lee nodded his head; words not necessary.
Across the room, Vance Worley gathered his things together and said his goodbyes. "We'll see you soon," Brad Lidge told the young righty.
"I'm leaving on a good note," Worley said.
At this time last spring, neither Stutes nor Worley was on the Phillies radar. Sent back to minor-league camp Friday, each one stands a decent chance of contributing for the Phillies in 2011.
The Phillies will likely break camp with 12 pitchers. But even with a staff full of aces, they are sure to use more than 12 arms for the entire season. (They used 21 in 2010 and 22 in 2009.) Stutes and Worley have moved up the depth chart.
"Those two are legitimate guys who could help this club someday," pitching coach Rich Dubee said.
For now, their time must wait. Along with Stutes and Worley, the Phillies reassigned lefthanders Dan Meyer and Juan Perez to minor-league camp. With 11 locks for the pitching staff, that leaves four pitchers - Antonio Bastardo, David Herndon, Scott Mathieson and Mike Zagurski - in camp to compete for a 12th spot. The Phillies could decide to carry only 11 pitchers north, but that does not appear likely.
"We need guys who can pitch multiple innings," Dubee said.
Eventually those pitchers could be Stutes or Worley. Stutes was converted to a reliever last spring and finished the year at triple A. As a nonroster player in his first big-league spring training, he allowed one run and three hits in nine Grapefruit League innings. Most impressive was his ability to throw strikes; he fanned nine and walked just one.
"I think I made the best of my opportunity," Stutes said. "Hopefully I made some impressions. Hopefully I'll get a chance as soon as possible."
Dubee agreed.
"He's much more under control than last year when we did see him in some games," Dubee said. "His command was better. His angle was better. So he left with a very good impression."
Worley, 23, didn't leave as sterling an impression, but Dubee has an idea why.
"For the first time in his career he had a chance to make a team," Dubee said. "I think he pressed a little bit. Last year, he came up and there weren't any expectations. He was a guy we needed. He could step in carefree and just go with it.
Worley began 2010 at double-A Reading and ended up pitching in five games (two starts) for the Phillies. He will be used as a starter at triple-A Lehigh Valley and provides insurance for the starting rotation but also could be used as a reliever later.
In his first major-league spring training, Worley allowed four runs on nine hits and four walks in 91/3 innings.
"It went OK," Worley said. "Not spectacular. It was a learning experience."
Both pitchers will go to the minors and work on some secondary pitches - for Stutes, his change-up, and Worley, his slider and change.
"I realized there was pretty much no chance of making the team," Stutes said.
No, but Worley and he have at least made the Phillies talk about them.
