Phillies Notes: Backup catcher job up for grabs
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Unlike last offseason, when they brought in veteran Wil Nieves, the Phillies this winter did not sign a clear-cut backup catcher.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Unlike last offseason, when they brought in veteran Wil Nieves, the Phillies this winter did not sign a clear-cut backup catcher.
As spring training games begin Sunday with an exhibition against the University of Tampa, several players are vying to serve as the No. 2 to 36-year-old Carlos Ruiz.
"That's one of the areas in camp I think there's some competition," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "[I] need some game reps and game situations to really see them. I like the way that they're all going about it as a group. To get them into games and see how that goes, that will play big in that decision."
Cameron Rupp is the favorite to land the Phillies' job. Koyie Hill and John Hester, nonroster invitees, are, aside from Ruiz and Rupp, the only other catchers in camp with major-league experience.
Rupp, 26, had 73 major-league at-bats over the last two seasons but is coming off a woeful hitting campaign. In 59 games at triple A, he hit .165. He was hindered by a strained left oblique, an injury he suffered two weeks into April on a swing that turned into his first double of the season.
Even after six weeks of rehab, he said, he felt as if he spent the rest of the season trying to catch up. "Started from scratch and ended up at scratch," was how he described it.
"It's over," he said. "A new chapter this year. You can't dwell on your failures. You've just got to move forward."
The Phillies still could trade for another catcher or claim one off waivers when teams trim their rosters. Hill, 36, is a journeyman who played 10 games for the Phillies last year. Hester, 31, has one big-league plate appearance since 2012. Tommy Joseph, 23, who will start Sunday's exhibition, is a long shot to make the team after consecutive seasons lost to injury.
Rupp said he's approached this spring "just as I do any year: competing for a job."
"Nothing's handed to anybody," he said, "so I come out every day looking to get better, work on things that I need to improve on, and put my best foot forward."
Extra bases
Rain forced the Phillies inside for their Saturday workout, but Cliff Lee was still able to throw his second live batting practice of the spring. The 36-year-old lefthander "spotted the ball" and looked "real sharp," Sandberg said.
- Jake Kaplan
