Handicapping Phillies' Crowded Bullpen Battle With 2 Weeks Left in Camp

The Phillies brought a dozen relievers to spring training to battle for two open spots in their bullpen and the group has pitched early and often in camp, covering four more innings on Sunday.

It's a mixture of veterans invited to camp on minor-league deals, young pitchers acquired over the last year and a few homegrown arms.

The group includes left-handers Kyle Backhus, Genesis Cabrera, Tim Mayza and Andrew Walling, and right-handers Zach Pop, Zach McCambley, Max Lazar, Seth Johnson, Nolan Hoffman, Chase Shugart, Lou Trivino and Trevor Richards.

Only two of those 12 can make the Opening Day roster if the rest of the bullpen — Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks and Jonathan Bowlan — is healthy.

Who will win the jobs? Let's dive in with two weeks left in camp.

The book on Backhus

Backhus, for multiple reasons, sure appears to have the inside track to one of them. He's been the most effective in Grapefruit League play, he offers a unique look with his low-sidearm delivery, he would give the Phillies a third lefty in the 'pen, and he can be optioned to Triple A, providing the front office a reliever it can freely send to the minor leagues when in need of a fresh arm.

Backhus made his fourth scoreless appearance of the spring on Sunday in Fort Myers against the Twins. He faced four batters, inducing a groundout the opposite way to Victor Caratini, walking Ryan Jeffers, then striking out Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee.

Three of the four hitters Backhus faced were righties. He's mainly here as a lefty specialist, but curing his woes vs. opposite-handed hitters was a priority this offseason into the spring. With the three-batter rule, lefty relievers tend to face nearly as many righties, if not more. Backhus last season held lefties to a .139 batting average but righties hit .365.

"I'm pretty sure he dominated lefties pretty good last year but righties gave him more trouble so he's been working on that side of the plate, trying to be a little more effective against righties," J.T. Realmuto said after catching Backhus for the first time earlier this spring.

"Just his angle is really tough. If he throws his fastball in on righties, it's going to be really tough to turn on that just because it's coming in with so much angle. That's something he's been working on this spring, being able to front-hip righties with the fastball and not just throw it away. And also he's working on a changeup."

How about the others?

Phils' priorities

With Backhus looking likely to make the Opening Day roster, the competition for the other opening in the Phillies' bullpen only intensifies.

The Phils could go in numerous directions with this decision depending on what they prioritize most. Manager Rob Thomson does not sound like he needs a true long reliever, especially in April. If Backhus makes the team, the chances also shrink a bit that the Phillies would go with a fourth lefty out of eight relievers.

As with Backhus, optionality could be a huge factor in this final spot.

Out of options

Pop is the lone reliever of the group who is both on the Phillies' 40-man roster and out of minor-league options. This means he's the only one of the dozen the Phillies cannot freely send to the minors; they'd first have to pass him through waivers.

However, veterans like Trivino and Mayza often have opt-out clauses in their minor-league deals toward the end of spring training that allow them to explore another opportunity if a better fit arises elsewhere. That is probably the case this month, as well. So it's not necessarily just Pop.

The Rule 5 pick

McCambley is a Rule 5 pick, so he faces similarly restrictive roster rules to Pop. If McCambley does not make the Phillies' Opening Day roster and isn't hurt, the Phils have to pass him through waivers, and if he clears, offer him back to the Miami Marlins for $50,000. Only if he clears and the Marlins decline could the Phillies send him to Triple A.

McCambley has allowed one run through five innings of Grapefruit League play. He's walked five, though his last two outings have been walk-free and his two most efficient. He needs to keep that up to increase his chances.

"I know it's right there, I've just got to go take it," McCambley said earlier this spring about being so close to his MLB debut.

The others

• Shugart has been the most effective of the righties with 4⅓ scoreless innings. The Phillies acquired him in January from the Pirates for minor-league infielder Francisco Loreto. Shugart had a 3.40 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 35 big-league appearances last season with Pittsburgh. Thomson has talked him up a few times in camp.

• Lazar may be the right-hander among the group best fit to retire hitters from both sides based on how his cutter moves in to lefties and the way he utilizes a back-foot curveball. He also has the most experience in the Phillies' bullpen, 47 appearances over the last two seasons.

• Trivino and Mayza have been hittable (.342 combined opponents' batting average), and Richards has walked four in 4⅔ innings.

• Johnson and Hoffman have been used the most, with Johnson's 5⅔ innings second on the team and Hoffman third at 5⅓. Johnson's goal remains correcting the walks, which have been problematic for him as a starter and reliever. Hoffman has allowed 10 hits and two homers while striking out nine.