March 13, 2024
Jonathan Dyer/USA TODAY Sports
Phillies utility man Edmundo Sosa during spring training down in Florida.
The Phillies appear to be taking the same approach in spring training as their hungry (for hot dogs?) fans are: World Series or bust.
In back-to-back seasons, the Phillies made deep and loud postseason runs but neither has yielded a third ever championship.
Philly currently carries +1500 odds to win the World Series in 2023, the sixth best odds via FanDuel. They are second to win the NL East (+330) behind the Braves but are overwhelmingly favored to make the playoffs at -250.
Before the team hits the field against the Reds at the end of March to open their 2024 campaign, we're going to take a deep dive into each positional group.
Today's look is at the bench...
The bench is a pretty straightforward group going into 2024, much like the rest of the roster.
Edmundo Sosa returns as the Phillies' super utility man throughout the infield, and depending on the development of Johan Rojas and the health of Brandon Marsh, recently signed All-Star Whit Merrifield will be the first one called to fill any gap or to step in at second if Bryson Stott needs an off day.
Cristian Pache and Jake Cave are the other backup outfield options, and guys like Kody Clemens, Darick Hall, Weston Wilson, and Rodolfo Castro are each on the current 40-man roster with minor-league options and can take on various roles in a pinch – though the Phils would much rather avoid a situation where they would have to reach that far down for long.
Look, if you're worrying about the bench, then that should probably mean that your club is in pretty good shape, and even so, you don't really have to think too hard about this one if you're the Phillies.
Sosa, who just turned 28, will give you a decent glove wherever you put him – though 11 errors at third last season did make the hot corner a bit of a trouble spot – and at the plate, with a full season in Philadelphia under his belt, he did put up a solid 10 home runs and 15 doubles (both career highs) relative to his role, while slashing .251/.293/.427 in 300 plate appearances.
Merrifield, 35, makes for a pretty good insurance policy, regardless of whether he comes in and out of the lineup or finds a more regular spot from day to day, having posted 11 homers, 27 doubles, and 26 stolen bases in 592 plate appearances on the way to Toronto's 2023 postseason bid. His line was .272/.318/.382 last year and .284/.330/.420 for his eight-year major league career so far.
Here's a look at the Phillies' projected bench players for the Opening Day roster, a quick look at their stats from 2023, and what baseball-reference (conservatively) predicts for them in 2024:
| Player, Pos. | 2023 | 2024 | (Proj.) | |
PA | BA/OBP/SLG | PA | BA/OBP/SLG | |
Edmundo Sosa, INF | 300 | .251/.293/.427 | 369 | .254/.311/.418 |
*Whit Merrifield, OF/2B | 592 | .272/.318/.382 | 551 | .263/.312/.386 |
Cristian Pache, OF | 95 | .238/.319/.417 | 274 | .215/.280/.348 |
Jake Cave, OF | 203 | .212/.272/.348 | 319 | .221/.283/.372 |
*Merrifield's 2023 line with Toronto
Again, it's the bench. Don't think too hard about it.
Watch these Sosa dingers:
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
