There are going to be a ton of new faces in camp this year. Seventy (70!) players are competing for 26 jobs, but in reality, only a few roster spots are open. But the most important new guy in camp is manager Joe Girardi, who begins his first season leading the Phils.
You have to think having a seasoned manager with a World Series title on his resume will help this team big time. Gone are new-age musings and participation trophy attitude of Gabe Kapler, who somehow managed to get another big league managing gig with the San Francisco Giants. Girardi is a brilliant guy - he has an engineering degree from Northwestern - who embraces analytics without being a slave to them. Girardi brings instant credibility to the manager's office.
Here are some of the storylines to follow this spring:
- JT Realmuto's arbitration hearing and subsequent talks for a long-term contract extension
- Is Rhys Hoskins still broken? Can Girardi and new hitting coach Joe Dillon fix him?
- Who are the starting pitchers behind Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Jake Arrieta?
- Who's in the bullpen? The only guys who seem to have jobs locked up are closer Hector Neris and Jose Alvarez. It seems like most of the 70 guys in camp are relievers looking for jobs.
- And speaking of relievers, are Seranthony Dominguez and Adam Morgan healthy?
- Can the Braves and Nationals be caught now that they've both lost all-star third basemen to free agency?
That's a lot to deal with before the season begins in six weeks. But it's good to be talking about baseball again. Welcome back, everybody.
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