PHILADELPHIA – When it comes to the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies expect it to come through Citizens Bank Park.
With 16 games to go in their season, the Phillies still have work to do to clinch a playoff spot, the National League East, and a first-round bye. Once the club gets to October, however, they will need to deploy their best possible roster. As we have seen in recent weeks, the team is banged up. Calling up players from Triple-A has nearly become a daily task, and Rob Thomson is just trying to get his team across the finish line.
Once the season does end, however, the Phillies have choices they need to make. The one area where there can be some discussion on roster spots would be the bench. The club’s bench has wildly been ineffective when used in a game, but the team’s depth has shined when giving starting opportunities.
The Phillies need to choose these players wisely.
Roster Guarantees
Let’s get the bulk of the roster taken care of first. Everyone knows these players will be on the post-season roster.
Infielders – (5) – Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa.
Outfielders – (5) – Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Austin Hays, Johan Rojas.
Catchers – (2) – JT Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs
For the infield, Edmundo Sosa is the first role player to earn a spot. Replacing Trea Turner for six weeks proved that Sosa belongs and his defense could prove to be pivotal in the playoffs.
After adding Austin Hays at the Trade Deadline, his spot on the roster is seemingly locked in. This is under the assumption that he is healthy, however. Johan Rojas has spent the majority of the season with the big league club. I believe that keeps his spot on the Phillies’ roster safe as well.
Garrett Stubbs is not only the locker room DJ but also the team’s backup catcher. He will be one of the bench players that the team carries. Even though JT Realmuto will play every game of the playoff run.
Phillies Bench
With seemingly 12 of the 13 spots locked up on the Phillies’ playoff roster, it would appear that the club would stick to 13 position players and 13 pitchers for the post-season.
If that is the case, Kody Clemens would deserve the final roster spot for the Phils. Clemens has been nothing short of clutch in the limited opportunities he has been given this season. He can play practically the entire infield, could slide out to left field if needed, and his bat from the left side could be great late in games.
Other options include Weston Wilson, Cal Stevenson, and Buddy Kennedy. It feels like a two-horse race between Wilson and Clemens and while both have been solid, I believe Kody has the edge.
Roster construction for other clubs could also dictate the decision-making for the team as well. If their opponent has a lot of left-handed relievers, maybe they keep Wilson. The same case is for righties, which in theory would give Clemens the favor.
Follow the Numbers
If the Phillies somehow find themselves in the Wild Card round, I feel like that could change roster construction. With a short series, they might look to carry an extra arm in the event a game gets really out of hand (positively or negatively).
If they hold a bye and move into the Division Series, however, I feel as though they could tinker with their roster construction. With the longer series, it could benefit the Phillies by having an extra bat on the team.
The reasoning here is to try and take advantage of matchups. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola will go at least six innings in playoff games and Cristopher Sanchez has the potential to follow suit. You will only use your top relievers at that point and could benefit from another bat. This is the difference between having Yunior Marte, Max Lazar, Taijuan Walker, or Tyler Gilbert on the roster.
This would give the Phillies a chance to keep both Weston Wilson and Kody Clemens active. Adding clutch hitting and power hitting in two options. The Phillies have just 3 pinch-hit RBIs in 2024 and while late-game substitutions have paid off, they could use a Matt Stairs-like moment this year.
Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
