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The Phillies Will Have to Deal with an Upcoming Roster Crunch

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The Philadelphia Phillies are about to face a roster crunch, which means important decisions will have to be made. Once they get Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber back from the injured list, the team will have to make an important roster choice. One of the corresponding moves is likely to be David Dahl being designated for assignment. Then comes the difficult choice. This will likely be either Cristian Pache being designated for assignment or Johan Rojas being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. While Kody Clemens may be optioned to Triple-A, that does not seem to be the direction things are heading.

Phillies Facing Upcoming Roster Crunch

Recent Roster Decision

It is not a coincidence that Clemens played some left field during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Before the injuries to Harper and Schwarber, it appeared that Clemens would replace Dahl on the 26-man roster. Harper and Schwarber going on the injured list likely extended the time Dahl will spend with the Phillies. Dahl has no minor league options. Given the timing of the injuries, it is somewhat surprising that the Phillies recalled Rojas from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had been optioned to Triple-A on June 17 as the corresponding move to Trea Turner being activated from the injured list.

There are a number of alternative options that the Phillies have on the 40-man roster. While injuries are bound to happen, it still seemingly defeats the purpose of why Rojas was sent to Triple-A in the first place. The Phillies currently have four position players on the 40-man roster who are in Triple-A at the moment. Given how Weston Wilson has been playing recently, he should have been given consideration. In 53 Triple-A at-bats in June, he had a .377/.484/.981 line with 10 home runs and 20 RBI. Wilson also can play multiple infield and outfield positions. This would give the Phillies more defensive flexibility.

Dahl vs. Clemens

In 16 games this season Dahl has a .250/.288/.476 line with three home runs and eight RBI. Meanwhile, Clemens has a .250/.280/.563 line with three home runs and 10 RBI in 19 games. Dahl has a 112 wRC+ and a .328 wOBA this season, while Clemens has a 133 wRC+ and a .360 wOBA. Defensively, Dahl has two Defensive Runs Saved and one Out Above Average. For comparison, Clemens has three Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average. Dahl plays all three outfield positions. However, Clemens can play the corner outfield spots and has made major league appearances at all four infield positions.

Pache’s Phillies Days Are Numbered

In 41 games this season Pache has a .195/.302/.256 line with no home runs and eight RBI. He has a 66 wRC+ and a .261 wOBA this season. Defensively Pache has three Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average. This comes after Pache had a career-best season in 2023. Last season in 48 games, he had a .238/.319/.417 line with two home runs and 11 RBI. He also had a 99 wRC+ and a .320 wOBA in 2023. While Pache has increased his walk rate from 10.5% in 2023 to 13.5% in 2024 his strikeout rate has increased. In 2023, he had a 28.4% strikeout rate compared to a 36.5% strikeout rate in 2024.

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One important reason Pache’s days as a Phillie are numbered is because he has no minor league options. This means he will be designated for assignment when it is time for him to be removed from the 26-man roster. Another reason for his likely departure is that the Phillies are likely to trade for an outfielder at the deadline. This leaves no room for Pache on the 26-man roster. While it is possible Whit Merrifield could be designated for assignment, that seems unlikely. Merrifield is making $8 million this season while Pache is making $761,000. While Merrifield has struggled, the team is unlikely to give up on a player they are paying $8 million to this quickly.

 

Photo Credit: © Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

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