The composition of the Phillies’ season-opening bullpen became clearer on Saturday when they removed six more pitchers from their spring training roster.
Left-hander Nick Vespi and righties Koyo Aoyagi, Jose Cuas, Joel Kuhnel, John McMillon and Guillo Zuñiga were reassigned to minor-league camp. So was infielder Rodolfo Castro.
All six of the pitchers were in camp as non-roster invitees. Aoyagi, Cuas, McMillon and Zuñiga have minor-league options remaining; Vespi and Castro do not.
Six locks for the Phillies’ season-opening bullpen are Jordan Romano, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Jose Ruiz and Joe Ross. Matt Strahm would have been another but he’s dealing with a left shoulder impingement that could keep him out for Opening Day. This leaves five pitchers on the Phillies’ active spring training roster for two bullpen spots. One of those jobs will most likely go to Taijuan Walker.
The other opening will come down to Nabil Crismatt, Devin Sweet, Kyle Tyler, Michael Mercado or someone the Phillies pluck away from another organization before the regular season begins.
Crismatt, who started the Phillies’ Grapefruit League opener, has the most big-league experience of the four. He is also the only one of the four who is not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, so the team would have to remove someone to add him if he ends up as the selection.
Crismatt is a 30-year-old right-hander from Colombia who made 114 appearances from 2020-24 with the Padres, Cardinals, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. He owns a 3.71 ERA in 177 innings. Crismatt is not a hard thrower, averaging 90 mph with his four-seam fastball and sinker, but has solid off-speed stuff led by a changeup. He has pitched well this spring, allowing two runs over 6⅔ innings with six strikeouts and one walk.
The Phillies acquired Sweet from the Tigers on November 4 for cash considerations, likely because they were so impressed by his huge strikeout numbers (111 K’s in 76 innings) at Triple A. Sweet has allowed three runs in five innings this spring.
Mercado is a hard thrower trying to find his role in the organization heading into his age-26 season. He has been both a starter and reliever for the Phillies but it appears they currently view him as a multi-inning reliever. Mercado has allowed five runs (four earned) in 3⅔ innings of camp.
Tyler was claimed off waivers by the Phillies last August from the Marlins after he appeared in eight games with Miami, starting seven. He has allowed just two unearned runs in 6⅔ innings this spring. Tyler, who relies primarily on his cutter, is one of many pieces of starting pitching depth the Phillies have between Triple A and the majors, along with Mick Abel, Seth Johnson, Tyler Phillips and Alan Rangel. Moises Chace and Jean Cabrera are two more starters on the 40-man roster likely to begin the year at Double A. And there is, of course, top prospect Andrew Painter, who is building up gradually in his first season back from Tommy John surgery but could be helping the Phillies in the majors by July.
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