CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Hours before the Phillies hosted the Rays in their final Grapefruit League game on Monday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski chatted with reporters and broadcasters.
He discussed the roster (including Ranger Suárez's recovery from a sore lower back), recent bullpen acquisition Carlos Hernández and Kody Clemens making the team over Buddy Kennedy.
Here's what Dombrowski had to say:
Su¨¢rez¡¯s timetable
Su¨¢rez (lower back soreness) will open the season on the 15-day injured list. The left-hander will be eligible to be activated as early as April 8, but he will need more time than that.
¡°I don¡¯t think it will be long, long,¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°If things continue to progress the way they are now, he would pitch sometime in April. But we¡¯re going to be slow. We¡¯re not going to bring him back until he feels good. And he feels good now, but now, we¡¯re in that stage where we have to build him up.
¡°It could be very quick, but even when we start [building up], it¡¯s three weeks or something at least.¡±
Taijuan Walker will take Su¨¢rez¡¯s spot in the rotation to start the season. Walker's first start will be April 3 against the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park.
¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity,¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°It¡¯s good to have somebody like that. I hope he pitches like he did a couple years ago. I don¡¯t see why he can't with what he has now. He¡¯s thrown well enough.¡±
Clemens edges Kennedy
The Phillies told Clemens on Monday morning that he will make the team. Conversely, they told Kennedy they will try to trade him in the next few days. He is out of Minor League options.
If Philadelphia can't trade him before rosters are set at noon on Thursday, he will be designated for assignment. Dombrowski said there has been enough interest in Kennedy from other teams that he doesn¡¯t think he would have cleared waivers, which is why they are trying to trade him.
Clemens had a strong spring. He played well for the Phillies last season, too. But when will he play? He is a left-handed hitter on a roster filled with left-handed hitters.
¡°We¡¯ve always liked Kody Clemens,¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°We think he¡¯s a big league player. I have to say, like anybody else, if there was the right trade interest, we would have been open-minded to it. However, when we make [decisions on] these final roster spots, when we have players that we think are relatively close in ability, I talk to the manager Rob Thomson and ask him, ¡®How do you see it with your club?¡¯¡±
Essentially, Thomson did not expect Kennedy to play the first few weeks of the season. He was unlikely to pinch-hit for Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh or Bryson Stott.
¡°He said, ¡®If I end up giving [Alec] Bohm a day off or [Bryce] Harper a day off, having another left-handed bat at that point isn¡¯t bad,¡¯¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°We could¡¯ve made an argument that Buddy was a better fit, but I think the reality is whoever the 26th guy is probably isn¡¯t going to play much early in the season.¡±
Hern¨¢ndez added to bullpen
The Phils claimed Hern¨¢ndez -- a hard-throwing right-hander -- off waivers from Kansas City on Sunday before giving him a spot in the bullpen. He throws hard, but he has had difficulty throwing strikes.
The Phillies think they can help him.
¡°We¡¯ve tried to get Carlos Hern¨¢ndez for a couple years,¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°We¡¯ve really liked him. He has a great arm. He could pitch a couple innings. He¡¯s a guy that we think has good upside.
¡°We think it¡¯s worth a gamble with his arm.¡±
The lineup
Trea Turner might hit leadoff on Opening Day. Kyle Schwarber might hit first in the second game of the season on Saturday.
It depends whether there is a lefty or righty on the mound.
Dombrowski said he does not tell Thomson how to set his lineup. He believes it is a decision the manager must make. But how much difference does the lineup make, really?
¡°I ask the same questions myself,¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°I have other people that ask me the same question. You¡¯d be surprised how insignificant it is. Really, it¡¯s amazing to me. People that are very, very intelligent that do this from an analytical perspective ¡ it¡¯s surprising how insignificant it is.¡±