The Philadelphia Phillies have made a number of moves this offseason. But, general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. apparently is still trying to upgrade his 25-man roster before the new season begins.
With a potentially full slate of new starting outfielders and a different third baseman, Amaro has transformed half of his team's lineup since the 2012 season ended. Darin Ruf, Ben Revere, Delmon Young and Michael Young could all potentially be in the Phillies' lineup at some early point this season. Only Delmon Young's recovery from offseason surgery could prevent all four men from being in Charlie Manuel's opening day lineup (depending upon the opposition's starting pitcher.)
With Mike Adams added to the bullpen mix and John Lannan now listed as the Phillies' new number 5 starter, there doesn't appear to be many slots left to fill on the major league roster. However, some late additions could include a veteran reliever and a backup catcher.
Carlos Ruiz will miss the first 25 games of the season, due to his suspension for using a banned stimulant. As a result, Erik Kratz is expected to assume the starting catcher's duties. It would be advisable to add a veteran backstop to supplement an organizational inventory that is thin at this spot.
The likelihood of spring training injuries must also be factored into any necessary moves that Amaro will need to make before opening day arrives. Both he, Manuel and the fans know that getting this team back into the playoff picture will be challenging in an increasingly tough National League.
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