Phillies prospect Griff McGarry will begin his triple-A season in the bullpen

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies pitching prospect Griff McGarry will begin his triple-A season in the bullpen, manager Rob Thomson announced on Monday. McGarry was reassigned to minor-league camp with fellow right-hander Tyler Phillips earlier in the day.

McGarry, 25, pitched out of the bullpen in 12 of his 35 minor-league games in 2021 to ‘22, but was strictly a starter last season. He had been used in relief in 14 games over his four seasons at the University of Virginia, where he started 28.

Thomson said McGarry took the news “very well.” He emphasized that it is not necessarily a permanent change.

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“That’s a tough one, because if it goes very well, and we start stretching him out again, then he becomes a starter,” Thomson said. “So, for right now, he’s going to be out of the bullpen.”

The stuff is there, but the control is not. With every promotion McGarry has earned over the past few years, he’s seen his walk rate rise. In 2022, it jumped from 15.2% to 24.3% in seven games at triple A. In 2023, it jumped from 15.6% at double A to 40% in three games at triple A. It is a small sample size, but an overall trend worth noting.

McGarry made a few adjustments to his delivery, making his arm action a little shorter, similar to Braves ace Spencer Strider.

McGarry tried it out at big-league spring training to mixed results. In his first outing, on March 1 against the Marlins, he struck out the side. In his second, on March 4 at Toronto, he allowed three earned runs and one walk in two-thirds of an inning.

On March 10, his final big-league spring outing, he loaded the bases with a hit and two walks against the Pirates, but he got out of the jam he’d created.

The Phillies are hopeful that the transition will allow McGarry to go on the attack.

“[We want to] get him to power the ball through the zone,” Thomson said. “When he does that, he’s going to get people out, because his stuff is good enough.”

Right-hander Michael Mercado was also optioned to triple A. Thomson said the Phillies would like him to stretch out to three innings. He will pitch primarily out of the bullpen, but he does have experience as a starter.

“We really like [Mercado],” Thomson said. “This guy has got great stuff. And Phillips, too. We like him. We have a lot of confidence in him. If something happens, and we need a spot start, we are more than comfortable with him.”

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Mercado was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in November. He has already impressed many in the organization with his “big-league stuff,” but has struggled with his control over the past few years. He did a good job of limiting the damage in spring training, though, allowing just one walk in 5⅔ innings with 10 strikeouts.

When asked whether Mercado could help the Phillies this season, Thomson didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely,” he said. “High velocity. Really good stuff. Throws strikes. Really good mound presence. Really good poise. I really like this guy.”

Brandon Marsh (knee) played in an intrasquad game on the minor-league side on Monday afternoon. He could get into a Grapefruit League game as soon as Wednesday.