Phillies’ center-field competition could become a case of strength in numbers | Bob Brookover
Center field was considered the Phillies' weakest position as they headed to spring training, but the crowded competition could yield some positive results this season.
Some twists and turns were to be expected during the Phillies’ spring-training competition for the center-field job, and in less than a week, we’ve seen some whoppers.
Adam Haseley trumped the start of the competition with an opposite-field home run as the Phillies’ first batter of spring training, but then also became the first man out when manager Joe Girardi revealed Friday afternoon that the 2017 first-round pick had a strained groin that would likely sideline him for four weeks.
“He’s really disappointed,” Girardi said. “He worked really hard this winter and he was playing really well and moving extremely well and it’s disheartening for him and frustrating. I told him, ‘Look, we love the way you were playing. Make sure that you’re healthy and let’s not rush this back ... because if you do it again, it’s going to be worse than the first time.’”
Despite the injury to Haseley, it appears as if the Phillies still have some good center-field options based on what we’ve seen early in camp.
A fit and determined Odubel Herrera came flying out of the gate after being sidelined for 21 months by going 3-for-6 with a home run and three runs scored in his first two games.
A slimmed-down Scott Kingery homered in his third game of the spring, and a healthy Roman Quinn bounced back from a three-strikeout game earlier in the week with a double and a line-drive out Friday that left Girardi impressed.
And, finally, a bulked-up Mickey Moniak slugged his way into the center-field conversation with a couple home runs Thursday during an exhibition game against the New York Yankees.
The perception coming into spring training was that center field was the Phillies’ biggest weakness and now it seems possible that it could be a strength, thanks in part to the sheer number of candidates.
“From my point of view, each one of these players has some value, but a lot of that value is based upon what they could become,” former Phillies general manager and current NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “Not one of these guys is an established player.”
The most interesting early development is Herrera. He has returned to the field in an effort to prove he is a better person and a better player than the one who was suspended 85 games after being charged for a domestic violence incident against his longtime girlfriend Melany Martinez-Angulo on Memorial Day in 2019. Nothing he has done so far either on the field or off has discouraged the Phillies about their decision to give him a second chance.
» READ MORE: Phillies’ Odúbel Herrera apologizes again, continues to build case for starting job
Herrera, at 29, is the oldest player in the competition, but also the most accomplished. He has been an everyday player and an All-Star. At his best, he was a potent bat in the middle of the Phillies’ lineup and a center fielder capable of covering a lot of ground. At his worst, he was the player who was banished in disgrace two months into the 2019 season.
Should he continue to have an outstanding spring, it’s possible the Phillies could finally trade him, something former general manager Matt Klentak attempted without any success while Herrera was sidelined during the last two seasons. But if winning is the primary goal – and it is – then the Phillies should keep Herrera and find a way to get him back on the 40-man roster if he emerges as the best candidate.
“Odubel definitely has more of a big-league track record than any of them,” Amaro said. “He looks like he’s in good shape and he sounds like he is focused on being a baseball player. I do think he deserves the chance to do it.”
That does not mean the other candidates are unworthy of being everyday players in the big leagues.
Kingery, 26, went into the All-Star break in 2019 hitting .292 with an .889 OPS, 16 doubles, and 11 home runs in 58 games. He was unable to maintain that pace in the second half, and in his last 104 games, he has hit .209 with a .272 on-base percentage and .649 OPS. His 2020 season was a disaster, but there’s no way to calculate how his mid-summer battle with COVID-19 hurt his performance.
He’s probably the player who could bring the most return value in a trade because of his tremendous versatility in the field, although the six-year, $24-million contract the Phillies gave him before his first big-league at-bat in 2018 could be a deterrent in these difficult financial times. Kingery is due $4.25 million this season, $6.25 million next season and $8.25 million in 2023. Compared to the first-year salary-arbitration contracts for players who have performed at a similar level to him, Kingery is being substantially overpaid right now.
The Phillies still love his versatility and believe he will develop into a good player.
“He’s got a lot of ability,” Amaro said. “That’s one of the reasons he got that early deal. He has not been able to make the adjustments that translate to big-league success and there are a lot of guys who have had success in the minor leagues and can’t make the adjustments. You’re talking to one of them.”
The guess here is that Kingery is the best bet to be the opening-day center fielder.
Quinn, 27, is probably the most likely candidate to be traded before the season for one simple reason: he is out of options. That scenario, however, probably became less likely with the injury to Haseley.
“He obviously has not been able to put things together offensively or been able to stay on the field,” Amaro said. “But he and Kingery probably have the highest ceilings of all these guys because they have the dynamic tool of speed. And obviously in Roman’s case, it is game-changing speed that sets him apart from all others. But so far he has not made the adjustments he needs to make and he’s kind of running out of time. He needs to step up and make it happen very quickly.”
Haseley, 24, does not have dynamic speed and did not show any power last season, but Girardi was impressed that he came to Clearwater bigger and stronger in 2021. He needs to hit his fair share of doubles and home runs to be considered an everyday player, but he will now have to wait for his chance to show he is an improved player.
“He might be the most polished baseball player of the bunch, but offensively he is still learning how to maximize his ability and potential,” Amaro said. “It should help him being stronger and it sounds like he has developed a little different swing path. He’s a steady defender and he can play a variety of positions. I know there are some different views about whether he will be an everyday player. It will all depend on what he brings to the table offensively.”
Even though Moniak, 22, is off to a great start in camp, he is likely destined for the season at triple-A Lehigh Valley that was denied him last year because of the pandemic.
“The Phillies want to find out if he can play or not,” Amaro said.
The bottom line is the Phillies’ center-field situation might not be nearly as bleak as we thought it was through most of the offseason. Even though the competition lost one of its competitors Friday, the Phillies have some strength in numbers.
» READ MORE: Mickey Moniak powers his way into the Phillies’ crowded center-field competition | Bob Brookover