Phillies’ Opening Day roster appears to be set

Mar 27, 2023 - 2:04 PM

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With Opening Day just three days away, the Phillies announced some roster moves this morning:

Barring additional moves, we can determine what the Opening Day roster will look like:

There are a couple of surprises. The Phillies liked what Dalton Guthrie showed them last year, but he had a weaker performance in Grapefruit League play than either Kody Clemens or Scott Kingery. Guthrie is probably the best suited to play centerfield of the three, and that probably worked in his favor, now that Edmundo Sosa will probably have more of an everyday role and can’t be counted on as the backup there.

When Spring Training began, most people didn’t have Andrew Vasquez on the Opening Day roster, but Ranger Suarez’s injury opened the door for him. Matt Strahm’s temporary placement in the rotation means the bullpen could use an extra left-hander, and with Vasquez being out of options, he got the call despite not having an overwhelming Spring. He probably shouldn’t get comfortable though. Assuming Suarez can rejoin the team soon, Vasquez will likely be designated for assignment, and with Noah Song likely needing a 40-man roster spot, Vasquez may soon find himself in a different organization.

I wouldn’t get too worked up over who did and didn’t make the team, as it will probably change soon. The Phillies could still use a right-handed hitter who can play first base (Darin Ruf?) and due to injuries and attrition, Clemens and Kingery will both likely find themselves on the major league team at some point this season.