With baseball opening up tonight, and the Phillies’ first game back a mere 24 hours away, Philadelphia has finally released their 30-man roster.
The official roster shouldn’t come as a surprise. Big “minor” league names Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard should be added to the roster after five games, as this will keep an extra year eligible on their contracts before any form of arbitration.
New manager Joe Girardi will have a plethora of talent to work with this season. This roster has such a high ceiling, and plenty of young potential to get there. Now being under the reign of a World Series-winning manager, the Phillies could pose as a real threat in the NL East.
Headlining the roster comes Bryce Harper, (an unsigned) J.T. Realmuto, and Rhys Hoskins. Newcomer Didi Gregorius will likely start at shortstop. Jean Segura, coming off one of the worst seasons of his career statistically, will likely start at third base. Uncle Larry will make his return in left field after completely healing from his ACL tear last season.
On the mound, the Phillies will unleash a mean three-man rotation with Nola, Wheeler, and Arietta. Zach Eflin will look to found his balance early and lock up that fourth spot, while Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta will battle Spencer Howard for that final spot in the rotation.
In the bullpen, Hector Neris will likely eye up being the full time closer once again, as Adam Morgan, Tommy Hunter, and Jose Alvarez will all look to have bounce-back seasons. Former starter Cole Irvin will start out of the bullpen for Philadelphia as well, with Ranger Suarez in the trenches to play the same role.
Make sure to check out Philly Sports Network’s Phillies’ page to see the staff’s MLB and Phillies’ prediction when the season starts up.
Tomorrow night, the staff will also be holding a live stream for the season opener as well.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
