Three Philadelphia Phillies Non-Roster Invitees to Watch at Spring Training

The Philadelphia Phillies boast a veteran roster that has helped propel the franchise to three straight playoff berths, including a trip to the 2022 World Series.
But, each year, the Phillies bring a group of non-roster invitees to spring training in Clearwater, Fla. Some of those players, who are in camp on minor-league contracts, get a chance to impress the coaching staff during Major League spring training.
A few of them will impress enough to earn a job on the opening-day roster, especially if the Phillies have some injuries to deal with.
Now that Philadelphia has announced its non-roster invitees to spring training, here are three players that have a good chance to make the opening-day roster.
INF Rodolfo Castro
The Phillies already have a great utility infielder in Edmundo Sosa, but if there is any position player that could make the roster it is Castro. The Phillies acquired him in August, but he spent the bulk of the remaining season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
He’s played 194 MLB games across three seasons with a batting average of .219 with 22 home runs and 59 RBI.
If Sosa gets hurt or sees a downturn in his play during the spring, Castro could take advantage.
RHP John McMillon
In every team’s search for bullpen depth, McMillon could be an option. He’s pitched in just 14 games across two MLB seasons, but he’s put together solid numbers.
He is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 16 innings. He also has two holds.
The 26-year-old played his college baseball at Texas Tech and could give the Phillies an option as a middle reliever or one-inning set-up man, though he hasn’t been tested in the latter role in his MLB career.
RHP Nabil Crismatt
The Columbia native logged most of his time in 2021 and 2022 in San Diego and, aside from a forgettable 2023 in which his ERA soared to 8.31 in eight games, he’s pitched well.
Last year he only pitched in five games with the Dodgers and went 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA. For his career he is 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA in 114 games with eight holds and 162 strikeouts in 177 innings.
In his best seasons he logged between 45 and 50 appearances, had a 3.00 ERA and proved he could log multiple innings at a time.