Philadelphia Phillies Fan Favorite Continues To Be Viewed As Possible Trade Piece

The Philadelphia Phillies didn't make sweeping changes like many expected this offseason.

Coming off their second straight disappointing elimination in the playoffs that was largely due to their star-studded lineup going cold at the worst time, there was a lot of pontification that the aggressive-minded executive Dave Dombrowski would try to reshape this roster.

That hasn't happened, and with Spring Training around the corner, it likely doesn't happen.

So, for the third straight year, it's going to be up to this same core group of players to lead the Phillies to a World Series title after coming up short following their magical run to the Fall Classic in 2022.

Because no changes have been made, there aren't a lot of roster spots up for grabs.

That makes those who are on the fringes, like Kody Clemens, really uncertain about their future with the franchise.

Barring any injuries that could occur during the spring, Philadelphia is expected to carry Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, Bryce Harper, and Edmundo Sosa in the infield. Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Johan Rojas in the outfield. And J.T. Realmuto and his backup at the catcher spot.

That leaves two spots up for grabs.

Clemens and Weston Wilson seem to be the ones who will fill out those openings since both players have the ability to play multiple positions.

But, Matt Gelb of The Athletic still thinks Clemens could be a potential trade piece this winter.

"Clemens was an ideal 26th man when he had minor-league options. The situation doesn't diminish the importance of this spring for him; Clemens is essentially playing for 29 other teams. Someone needing a solid lefty bat off the bench could swing a trade with the Phillies in March," he writes.

The fact he's out of minor league options complicates the matter.

If he doesn't make the Opening Day roster or is removed from the 26-man roster for any reason, he'll be opened up to waivers and can be claimed by any team around the league, setting the Phillies up to lose him for nothing.

That would be a tough pill to swallow.

While Clemens doesn't have eye-popping numbers by any means with a .200/.246/.373 career slash line across his 146 Major League games and 395 plate appearances, he turned into a fan favorite this past campaign with clutch hits seemingly whenever they were needed.

Losing that type of player is never something an organization wants, especially if it's for nothing.

Of course, this entire notion will be put to bed if Clemens performs well during Spring Training and takes one of those final roster spots.