PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- With the start of spring training this week in Clearwater, Florida, Phillies baseball has arrived as a hopeful distraction from the misery of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Although it will be a spring training unlike any other, with limited-capacity seating at Spectrum Field and a Grapefruit League pod that includes only the Yankees, Pirates, Orioles, Blue Jays and Tigers, this is still the first sign that baseball season is getting close.
Here is what we're following are some of the storylines to watch this spring from your Phillies.
Will the Phillies bullpen show improvement?
Honestly, it can’t get any worse, considering last season’s bullpen was historically bad, and it was the No. 1, if not only, reason they were unable to end their playoff drought, now nine seasons strong.
Some notable newcomers to the Phils' pen this season:
· Offseason signee Archie Bradley, who could lock up the closers role
· José Alvarado, who the Phils got in a trade
· Sam Coonrod, who they also acquired through a trade
There is also, maybe, Brandon Kintzler — a spring training invitee on a minor league deal trying to make the club. Kinztler had a 2.22 ERA and 12 saves with the Marlins last season, so he’s familiar with the Phillies.
At this point, there are no plans for expanded playoffs as there were in 2020, so an improved bullpen alone won’t guarantee a spot in October. However, it will certainly help.
How will the rotation fare?
In his end-of-season chat and spring training preview with us, former Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. strongly emphasized the importance of high-quality pitching — and not just the bullpen.
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Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin seem to have the top three spots in the Phils rotation solidified, but who will come after them?
Will Vince Velasquez finally get it together? Will Spencer Howard progress into the young stud Phillies fans were hoping to see last season?
Or will newcomers Matt Moore and Chase Anderson earn a rotation spot?
Pitchers and hitters often work on specific things during spring training, so numbers in March can be deceiving. But Amaro was pretty clear, when previewing the National League East earlier this week, that health and back-end-of-the-bullpen and rotation pitching will be critical in deciding which team takes the division.
The offseason signees
While Bradley headlined the pitching additions made this offseason, and new President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski was the key newcomer to the front office, talk was dominated by speculation about whether catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Didi Gregorius would be back.
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Despite some trepidations from fans that Phillies management would limit their spending because of pandemic-related revenue hits, the team's payroll remains among the highest in baseball.
Realmuto, most notably, and Gregorius were examples of the Phillies not hesitating to open their checkbook to shore up those two positions.
But now that Realmuto is under contract for five years, and Gregorius two, they still need to deliver as they have in the past. The expectation is they’ll continue to do so. Again — spring training numbers can be deceiving. It took Gregorius a while to get his first hit in spring training 1.0 last year. But come April, the hope is Realmuto and Gregorius will pick up right where they left off.
Sophomore slump for Bohm?
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm was one of the few really bright spots of a disappointing 2020 season. He emerged as a rare, promising young player of the Phillies, who fell just short of National League Rookie of the Year.
However, as with many athletes returning from their rookie seasons, will Bohm be able to maintain a .338 batting average, .400 on-base percentage and .481 slugging percentage?
If the Phillies are going to succeed, they’ll probably need another big season from the 24-year-old Nebraskan.
Amaro said he believes having Bohm for a full season this time is a plus for the Phils.
How healthy will Hoskins and McCutchen be?
At well over a year since his 2019 ACL injury, will left fielder Andrew McCutchen be fully recovered?
And what about first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who is recovering from offseason elbow surgery?
During Grapefruit League games, keep an eye on how well McCutchen is moving in the field and base paths, while monitoring Hoskins’ bat speed and timing.
Who will win the center field spot?
During a video conference last week for the signing of Gregorius, manager Joe Girardi revealed there is going to be a competition for center field among — at least for now — Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn and Adam Haseley. Kingery is in the running because Jean Segura has grabbed a hold of second base, according to Girardi.
This is the big position battle of spring training.
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On Tuesday, the Phillies announced Odúbel Herrera among the list of non-roster invitees. Herrera hasn’t played for the Phils since 2019 when Major League Baseball suspended him following a simple assault charge, which was dropped. He was eventually removed from the 40-man roster, but it had to be for baseball reasons. Herrera is still owed the salary on his contract.
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What kind of Bryce Harper will Phillies fans see in 2021?
Bryce Harper is the face of the Phillies, and he’s entering the third year of his 13-year contract.
While all baseball players go through slumps here and there, Harper — for the most part — has not disappointed in his first two season in red pinstripes.
He’s also stoked that the club was able to bring back his friend, Realmuto. Now the question is: Will he lead this team into the deep postseason that this city has long craved?
Fans in 2021?
Keep it locked to KYW Newsradio to see if and when state and city officials start allowing fans back into sporting events, presumably in a limited capacity.
The Phils will be hosting some fans at spring training in Florida, but will they be able to do that at Citizens Bank Park in April?
Although the Phandemic Krew made tons of noise outside the ballpark, not a single fan entered CBP last year.
They were certainly missed.