© Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Top Prospect Could be on Fast-Track to Phillies Closer Role
When Francisco Morales signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2016, he was a 16-year-old pitcher out of Venezuela. Now, six years later and a coming of age in Philadelphia's minor league system, he has a shot to crack the 2022 Opening Day roster.
According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, the Phillies' no. 11-ranked prospect Morales appearing on the Opening Day roster is a possibility given the fact that he is on the 40-man, and the club has yet to place Sam Coonrod on the injured list. Morales appeared in two spring training games before being optioned to minor league camp on March 23, so he is only able to return if he replaces an injured player.
The 22-year-old spent most of the 2021 season in Double-A with the Reading Fightin' Phils, but briefly appeared in Triple-A Lehigh Valley with the IronPigs as well. In 24 outings across both levels, including 22 starts, he pitched to a 6.28 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 91.2 innings. While his K/9 sat at a solid 11.5, a slight regression from 12.0 K/9 in 2019 was concerning. His walk rate in 2021 also increased dramatically from 2019, from 4.3 to 6.6.
However, the 6'4" righty still has his fastball—which has peaked at 98 mph—and ranges in the mid-90s, and his slider, thrown up to 88 mph, and generates a sufficient amount of swings and misses. Morales' arsenal also includes a change-up, but his fastball and slider are his out-pitches.
Recently, the Phillies decided to transition Morales from a starting pitcher to a full-time reliever, and are hoping to convert his workload to a late-inning role, possibly a closer, at Double-A Reading.
“It was an organizational decision,” Phillies Director of Player Development Preston Mattingly told Gelb. “There’s a lot of things that went into it. The main thing is when you see the power stuff he has with the slider, it’s a chance to be a real weapon for him. It gets him in a position where he can use that. The slider usage can go up. Come in for one-inning short stints and just let it rip. He’ll be upper-90s with a good slider.”
Morales' timeline is similar to that of fellow Phillies' reliever Seranthony Domínguez, who also began as a starting pitcher, but eventually converted to a relief role. In 2017, Philadelphia told then 23-year-old Domínguez, who had been in their system since he signed with them as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic, that he'd serve as a reliever moving forward.
Domínguez began 2018 with Reading, where he posted a 2.08 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings, for an average of 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. In late April, he was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he didn't allow a run in three outings. He made his major league debut with Philadelphia in May 2018, and in 53 games, collected 16 saves and posted a 2.95 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 58 innings.
Now, after being sidelined with injuries for all of 2020 and most of 2021, Domínguez looks to return to his dominant 2018 form and rejoin Philadelphia out of the bullpen. Could Morales' conversion from starter to reliever mirror that of Domínguez?
Jose Alvarado, who is reportedly dealing with injury and has yet to appear this spring, and Connor Brogdon, who has struggled with a dip in his velocity, seem unlikely to be with the Phillies come April 8. This also swings in Morales' favor, but even if he's not with the Phillies on Opening Day, he's primed to make an appearance out of the bullpen at some point this season—maybe sooner rather than later.
Competing for a spot on the roster as well are relievers Damon Jones and Ryan Sherriff, both of whom are on the 40-man. The pair have performed well this spring, particularly Jones, who's posted a 2.08 ERA in 4.1 innings of work. The 31-year-old Sherriff, who the Phillies claimed off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in November, has pitched to an ERA just over 4 in spring training, and is likely to appear at some point this season for Philadelphia.
Either way, Manager Joe Girardi and the Phillies have ample decisions to make with Opening Day just a week away. But Philadelphia's skipper is confident they will make the right choices, whether that includes Morales or not.
“I like our bullpen,” Girardi said. “It’s just getting everyone built up to where they need to be is what we’re trying to do. And some guys are a little behind others and you have to deal with it.”
More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
- How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
- Phillies Top-10 Prospects Heading Into the 2022 MLB Season
- 18-Year-Old Phillies Prospect is Making History
- How did Philadelphia end up with Citizens Bank Park?
- How the Phillie Phanatic Came to be America's Favorite Sports Mascot
- This Unlikely Draft Pick Could be the Final Piece in the Phillies Next Blockbuster Trade
- Phillies 2022 Opening Day Roster Prediction
- Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup
- Could Alec Bohm be Dealt Before the Season Begins?
- Castellanos Shows He's Ready to Play in Philadelphia
Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Facebook and Twitter!
