Expect big changes to Phillies roster

The Phillies have 43 players on their 40-man roster - two on the 60-day disabled list and one suspended - and all but three have appeared in the majors at some point in their careers. A new front office billed this season as a chance to evaluate the talent it inherited before making the next wave of decisions in the rebuilding process.

That phase is almost near.

The overturn on the 40-man roster, starting in a few weeks when rosters are expanded for September, will be immense. That is not an insignificant development; while some prospects will not reach the majors until later in 2017 or beyond, the shift on the 40-man roster signals how young the Phillies could be next season.

Their entire lineup and rotation could be 28 or younger, although the Phillies could add a veteran presence or two through free agency. General manager Matt Klentak said "balance" is important when constructing a roster.

"I love the fact that that's a possibility," Klentak said. "Good teams generally have good young players, and that's what we're trying to build toward, having good young players as the foundation of our club."

At least six and as many as 14 players have decent cases to be added to the 40-man roster before December's Rule 5 draft, when any unprotected player who is eligible can be plucked by another organization. That is why the Phillies are likely to delay J.P. Crawford's promotion to the majors; he need not be protected yet, and roster spots are at a premium.

The obvious additions are outfielders Nick Williams and Dylan Cozens, catcher Andrew Knapp and pitchers Ben Lively, Ricardo Pinto and Mark Appel.

Righthander Nick Pivetta, who was promoted Friday to triple-A Lehigh Valley, has a solid shot. So, too, does a 21-year-old lefthander named Elniery Garcia, who has a 2.72 ERA at single-A Clearwater. A National League scout predicted that either one of those pitchers would be selected if unprotected.

The last 10 days have further demonstrated how pitching is so frail. Lively, Pinto, Pivetta and Garcia become depth. Appel, a former No. 1 pick who underwent elbow surgery in June, should return for spring training. Some of those arms could eventually shift to the bullpen. For now, they will develop as starters.

The more interesting decisions are with some position players. Outfielder Andrew Pullin, who retired at the start of the season, returned to bat .330 with a .911 OPS over his first 300 plate appearances between Clearwater and double-A Reading. Jesmuel Valentin, the 22-year-old son of Jose, is another possibility as a fast riser who is now the second baseman at Lehigh Valley. Both of those players will probably go to the Arizona Fall League for a closer look.

Carlos Tocci presents one of the most difficult cases. The Phillies left the wiry centerfielder unprotected last winter, and no one chose him because he was so raw. Remember, a team must keep a Rule 5 pick on the active 25-man roster for the entire season. Teams make protection decisions not just based on merit but on the likelihood that someone will steal the player. That is why outfielder Jose Pujols and righthander Ranger Suarez, both of whom turn 21 later this season and are in the low minors, may not be added to the 40-man roster.

But Tocci, who turns 21 later this month, might stick as a fifth outfielder for someone in 2017. He has his flaws; team officials have spent years pushing Tocci to add strength. The Phillies love his defense. His hitting potential is debatable.

These, of course, are good dilemmas to face. The Phillies will clear space with the removal of seven free agents - Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Jeremy Hellickson, Charlie Morton, Peter Bourjos, David Hernandez and Andres Blanco. Some relievers could be trimmed from the roster.

Either way, it will look quite different real soon.

Amid a potential position change and consternation about his up-and-down season, the deeper concern about Odubel Herrera should be how lefthanded pitchers have confounded him. Herrera's regression from an outstanding rookie season and first two months of 2016 is clearest in his lack of production against lefties.

Entering the weekend, Herrera managed just three extra-base hits in 125 plate appearances against lefties - a .261 slugging percentage. He had a .474 slugging percentage against righthanded pitchers (26 extra-base hits in 355 plate appearances).

Herrera's splits were somewhat neutral during his rookie season. This season, he has a 283-point difference between OPSes against righties (.856) and lefties (.573). Those numbers are just another thing to consider as the team decides what is his best future role.

1. Bob McClure: There is lots of praise, from both inside and outside the organization, for the 64-year-old pitching coach's guidance of a young staff. McClure has developed a laid-back atmosphere in which throwing strikes is paramount. The rotation had a 3.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio entering the weekend. That ranked fourth in baseball behind the Mets, Dodgers and Nationals.

2. Tommy Joseph: It is fascinating to compare Joseph's first 239 plate appearances in the majors with Darin Ruf's first 240. Both had 15 homers and 55 hits; Joseph had 31 RBIs and Ruf 30. Ruf struck out more (75 to 52) but drew more walks to push his OPS (.882) above Joseph's (.799).

3. Hoby Milner: The Phillies shifted the former seventh-round pick from the rotation to the bullpen, dropped his arm angle and may have found a viable lefthanded reliever. Milner, 25, has a 1.79 ERA with 63 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 55 innings between double-A Reading and triple-A Lehigh Valley. Lefties have hit .195 against him.

mgelb@philly.com

@MattGelb