Roster projection: Which jobs are up for grabs in Phillies camp?

PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies pitchers and catchers will work out for the first time on Wednesday at Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Fla.

They will open the spring with one of the best rotations in baseball, following the offseason acquisition of left-hander Jesús Luzardo. They think right-hander Jordan Romano will return to All-Star form and help offset the losses of right-handers Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman in the bullpen.

The Phillies’ 26-man roster is mostly set, but there are always a few battles to watch in the spring. There are always hiccups along the way.

Here is our first projection of the Phillies’ Opening Day roster:

Catcher (2): J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchán
Everybody knows that Realmuto, who will be a free agent after the season, is the guy, although nobody knows exactly how many games he will start. The backup battle is interesting. Marchán is perceived as the favorite over Garrett Stubbs, who has been the backup each of the past three seasons, because Marchán is out of Minor League options and preserving organizational depth is always important in the spring. This is particularly true for the Phillies at catcher.

That said, Marchán has a long injury history. He’s not a lock.

First baseman (1): Bryce Harper
Harper finished sixth in NL MVP voting in 2024, his first full season as a first baseman. He not only is a perennial MVP candidate, but he is a Gold Glove candidate, too.

Second baseman (1): Bryson Stott
Stott played with an ailing elbow last year, which the Phillies believe hindered his offense. If true, Stott is an excellent bounce-back candidate. He slashed .280/.329/.419 in 2023, before going .245/.315/.356 last year. If Stott can match or improve upon his 2023 numbers, it will be a huge boost to the lineup.

Shortstop (1): Trea Turner
Turner played like an MVP and batting-title candidate in the first half, posting a .941 OPS before the All-Star break. He posted a .647 OPS after it. Turner will be looking for more consistency in his third season with the Phillies.

Third baseman (1): Alec Bohm
Early in the offseason, it looked like the Phillies would trade Bohm to reshape an offense that arguably needed a shakeup. Instead, Bohm remains. He will be a key piece atop the Phillies’ lineup.

Outfielders (4): Nick Castellanos, Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas
Castellanos, Kepler and Marsh are projected to be Opening Day outfielders, although Rojas could push for playing time in center, if he makes necessary improvements at the plate. Rojas had an encouraging winter ball season in the Dominican Republic. Does it mean anything? We’ll find out. Kepler is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 with Minnesota. Can he stay healthy? Can he hit lefties? Those are questions that need to be answered, too.

DH (1): Kyle Schwarber
The only question with Schwarber, who will be a free agent after the season, is where he hits in the lineup. Leadoff, like the past three seasons? Or fourth to provide protection to Harper?

Bench/Utility (2): Edmundo Sosa, Weston Wilson
There are probably only two bench jobs up for grabs: backup catcher (Marchán and Stubbs) and the second utility job behind Sosa, who is a lock. Wilson, Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy might be the top candidates for that job. The Phillies have a lot of left-handed hitters on the roster, so Wilson makes sense if they are looking for balance -- he hits right-handed -- and for somebody to occasionally play left against a tough left-handed pitcher. But Clemens and Kennedy are out of options, so if they don’t make the team, the Phillies could lose them. They could maintain organizational depth and go with another lefty bat in Clemens, at least to start the season.

Starting pitchers (5): Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Zack Wheeler
This could be the best rotation in baseball, if everybody stays healthy. Suárez, who will be a free agent after the season, is key. Andrew Painter will be in camp. He will not pitch this spring, but he could join the rotation this summer.

Relief pitchers (8): José Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Jordan Romano, Joe Ross, José Ruiz, Matt Strahm, Taijuan Walker
Only one job is available. It’s Walker’s job for now, because he is owed $36 million over the next two years. But he will have to pitch well this spring. Other 40-man roster candidates include Max Lazar and Tyler Phillips. Non-roster relievers to watch include Nick Vespi and Joel Kuhnel.