'Just Got to Go Take It' — Phillies Rule 5 Pick Close to Realizing Next Goal

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies have an exciting lineup for Wednesday's home spring training game at BayCare Ballpark against the Tigers with everyday players batting one through six, but the more interesting players to watch will be the many relievers fighting for their final two bullpen spots.

New setup man Brad Keller will pitch the first inning in his first spring appearance with the Phillies. Keller signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phils and is locked in with Jose Alvarado this season as the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran.

Beyond Keller on Wednesday, the Phillies will use relievers Zach Pop, Kyle Backhus, Zach McCambley, Tim Mayza, Trevor Richards and Genesis Cabrera.

Everyone from that group of six is in play for an Opening Day roster spot. Pop, Mayza, Richards and Cabrera are veterans who are all out of minor-league options.

Eager to debut

McCambley, a Rule 5 draft pick in December, faces similar roster restrictions in that the Phillies, if they don't carry him on the Opening Day roster or remove him at any point, would need to place him on waivers and then offer him back to the Miami Marlins for $50,000 if he clears.

After 134 minor-league appearances in the Marlins' system, McCambley is oh-so close to realizing the next part of his dream.

"I'm at the point where I'm five years in still looking for a debut. I've battled injuries over the years, but I think just where I'm at right now, mentally, physically, I'm in a good spot," he said at his locker in Clearwater Wednesday morning. "I know it's right there, I've just got to go take it. I've got all the confidence in the world in myself."

Finding the gyro

McCambley is coming off of his best minor-league season, a 2.90 ERA in 62 innings at Triple A with 83 strikeouts and only three home runs allowed. The slider has always been his best pitch, and he threw one to a perfect low-and-away spot Saturday to retire Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a weak flyball to center field in his first action of the spring.

"I've pretty much had that pitch since I started throwing it," he said of the slider. "That's pretty much the pitch that I go to. I'm really trying to backfoot lefties and go away to righties with that pitch. But in order to make them honor that, you have to be able to come inside and have other pitches to kinda bridge that."

That's where his new "gyro" pitch comes in. Entering last season, McCambley found that he needed a third pitch to make his fastball and slider more effective. He'd never been much of a changeup guy because spinning the ball has always been a strength.

But he feels he found something with the gyro, a pitch that moves differently than his other two.

"Honestly, I think it's just my pitch usage and getting away a little bit more from the fastball," McCambley said. "Kinda finding that bridge pitch between the four-seam and the big sweeper that I have. I kinda started throwing this gyro-cutter pitch that bridges the two. I'm able to zone it up well and get guys off the fastball a little bit.

"We came together last year and were like, let's try to throw this like a football, try to spin it like a spinning bullet kinda pitch. It just took off. I was able to zone it up better, get weak contact on it. It's a good pitch for me."

Something to prove?

Because of his Rule 5 status, McCambley is in an unique spot compared to the nearly dozen other relievers fighting for the final two spots in the Phillies' bullpen. Ideally, the Phillies will be able to keep him in the organization, but he needs to show over the next month that he deserves the roster spot.

"I think it's just about controlling what you can control and not putting too much pressure on yourself," he said. "At the end of the day, it's baseball. We've been doing it for a long time. I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you that sometimes you think of that stuff and coming to a new club, you want to show everybody what you can do. But for me, I've always been good at controlling what I can control and that's executing pitches and getting outs."