Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki writes that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott played through an injured elbow in 2024, which the team thinks hindered his swing at the plate. Stott hit .280/.329/.419 with 15 homers, 62 RBI and 31 stolen bases in 151 games in 2023 before slashing .245/.315/.356 with 11 homers, 57 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 148 games last season. If his elbow injury is a thing of the past in 2025, the 27-year-old middle infielder could be in for a bounce-back campaign offensively. Stott still made plenty of contact in 2024, but most of it was weak contact, which once again could have been related to his elbow injury. The good news is that even if Stott doesn't bounce back closer to his 2023 levels with the lumber, he should still be very useful in terms of his speed. RotoBaller has Stott ranked as the No. 14 fantasy second baseman.

According to MiLB.com, right-handed pitcher Dylan Covey has elected free agency. Covey was designated for assignment by the New York Mets earlier in the offseason and will now test the open market. The 33-year-old was only able to log 20 1/3 innings in the minor leagues due to a shoulder injury. Across this stint, he held a 2.66 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP. During the 2023 season, Covey pitched 43 innings in the MLB with the Dodgers and Phillies. Covey posted a 3.77 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP. He generated an elite 53.5 percent ground-ball rate and a strong 4.2 percent barrel rate. However, he tallied strikeouts at a weak 15.7 percent rate and showed modest command of his pitches with an 8.9 percent walk rate. Covey could find a suitor during spring training and would compete for a low-leverage bullpen role.

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki writes that Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker will enter spring training with the final bullpen spot because he is owed $36 million over the next two years. However, Walker is going to need to perform in Grapefruit League action to keep the spot. Pitchers Max Lazar, Tyler Phillips, Nick Vespi and Joel Kuhnel could leapfrog Walker for the Phillies' final bullpen spot going into Opening Day if Walker struggles. The 32-year-old Walker was initially going to be in the team's starting rotation to enter 2025, but that all changed when the Phillies acquired lefty Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins this offseason. The former first-rounder in 2010 by the Seattle Mariners has aged poorly the last two years in Philadelphia, posting a 5.27 ERA (5.32 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with 196 strikeouts and 108 walks in 256 1/3 innings over 50 outings (46 starts).

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder/first baseman Weston Wilson will be competing with Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy at spring training this year for the second utility job behind infielder Edmundo Sosa, who is a lock for the Opening Day roster, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. If the Phillies are looking for balance on their roster, Wilson might make the most sense just because of the fact that he hits right-handed, and the team already has a lot of lefty swingers on the roster. He can also play left field occasionally against tough left-handed pitchers. However, both Clemens and Kennedy are out of minor-league options and would have to be exposed to waivers if they are cut. The 30-year-old Wilson has only played in 48 big-league games the last two years, but he's hit .375 with four homers, 12 RBI and six steals and could be on the short side of a platoon for the Phils to open the 2025 campaign.

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki writes that Philadelphia Phillies catcher Rafael Marchan is perceived as the favorite for backup duties behind starter J.T. Realmuto over Garrett Stubbs, who has been the backup for the last three years. Marchan is out of minor-league options, and the Phillies would prefer to preserve their depth at the position. However, the 25-year-old backstop has a long injury history and isn't a lock to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training. The Venezuelan catcher hits from both sides of the plate and has played in 40 big-league games since 2020, hitting .279 (31-for-111) with five homers and 13 RBI. Marchan hasn't really done anything to impress offensively in his four years at Triple-A, though, and he'd probably be more attractive from a fantasy perspective if he had a clearer path to playing time in the majors with another organization.