Phillies Rebound From 2015 In First Game

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME: Phillies Defeat Tampa 8-3

The Phillies hope they will have a catching problem on their hands in the near future. Two of their top prospects in Spring Training are catchers Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. Both impressed in Sunday's 8-3 victory over the University of Tampa at Bright House Field. Alfaro went 0-for-2 with one walk and one run scored. His power has enthralled Phillies coaches in the first week of camp, but Sunday he impressed with his arm and legs. He nabbed a would-be basestealer in the fourth inning. He also beat out a double play in the first, which led to a run, and scored from second on a ball hit to left field in the third. "I like to see that, boy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He runs pretty good for a catcher." Knapp went 1-for-3 with one walk, two RBIs and one run scored. He ripped a bases-loaded single off Spartans first baseman Adrian Chacon's glove to score two runs in the first. "I like hitting bases loaded with one out. It's easy," Knapp said with a smile. "You can hit a ball like that and get a couple RBIs. It was good. I felt good at the plate today. I felt pretty comfortable." Knapp started the game as the designated hitter, but he moved to first base in the seventh inning (he borrowed Darin Ruf's mitt because he does not own one) as the Phillies were shorthanded with Ryan Howard not playing, Ruf out of the game and Cody Asche's and Brock Stassi's sides bothering them. The switch-hitting Knapp's versatility afforded him an extra plate appearance, and his first of the spring as a right-handed hitter. "It's nice to have that in my back pocket if I can stay in the lineup that way," Knapp said of his ability to play first. MLBPipeline.com ranks Alfaro as the No. 96 prospect in baseball, while Knapp earned the Phillies' Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2015. In a perfect world, both catchers continue to improve and live up to their potential and the Phillies ultimately have to move one of them to a different position. If that would happen, Alfaro could move to the outfield and possibly even first. Knapp could play first or outfield. He has played both in the past. "Whatever it takes to stay in the lineup," Knapp said. "If that's where I end up and I'm in the big leagues, I don't think I'm really worried about it as much, you know? As long as I'm in the big leagues playing every day." But those are discussions for another day. The Phillies look at both players as catchers, and they will both catch this spring and once their Minor League seasons begin in April. Until he heads to Minor League camp, Knapp is soaking in everything he can. "I've been just trying to pick [Carlos Ruiz's] brain as much as I can," he said. "He's got so much knowledge, it's just like, why would you not just ask him a ton of questions? "We've been having meetings every day, where we go over who we've caught in bullpens and live BPs and stuff. Chooch will just give us a heads up about what these guys like to do and how they go about their business and stuff. Sometimes, for a lack of a better word, the bull [sessions] are what you get the most out of. Just kind of stories, like, 'We were on the road and this happened.' It's just stuff like that."

PHILS PHACTS:

Vying For Opening Day Start – Jeremy Hellickson and Aaron Nola threw a combined 18 pitches in two perfect innings for the Phillies on Sunday at Bright House Field. Their performances in an 8-3 victory against the University of Tampa meant little in the long run, but they are worth noting because one of the two pitchers is expected to be the Phillies' Opening Day starter on April 4 against the Reds in Cincinnati. The runner-up is expected to pitch the second game of the season on April 6, which would not be a bad consolation prize: He would also be in line to pitch the homer opener April 11 against the Padres. "Yeah, I'd absolutely love the honor, but it doesn't matter one bit," Hellickson said about pitching Opening Day. "We're going to need all five guys to pitch how we're capable of pitching. I don't really think it matters who starts it off, but at the same time, it's a goal and it'd be fun." "It'd be a cool thing," Nola said. "If you haven't done it before, if you haven't had an Opening Day start in your career, it would definitely be cool. But wherever they have me, I'm going to go out there and compete." Nola said he would understand if the Phillies told him they preferred to ease him into the season, giving the nod to the more experienced Hellickson, who won the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year Award. "Being on the field and competing against the batters, trying to get a win for the team, that's the focus," Nola said. Hellickson, 28, went 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 27 starts last season with the D-backs. He has a 4.86 ERA in 72 appearances (71 starts) the past three seasons. The Phillies acquired him in an offseason trade with Arizona because they consider him a solid bounce-back candidate and they needed a veteran presence in the rotation. Hellickson certainly has motivation to pitch well. He will become a free agent following the season, so a big year would help him on the open market. And if he pitches well, the Phillies could potentially deal him before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. "I just really need to get back to being consistent," Hellickson said. "The last couple years I feel like I've thrown better than what the numbers said at the end, but my bad ones were just really, really bad. I couldn't stop the bleeding in those big innings. I've just got to be better out of the stretch with guys on base. Just be more consistent every five days. I can't give up one in seven [innings] one game and then give up five in three the next." Nola threw fastballs and curveballs in his short stint, although he said he will be making a concerted effort to improve his changeup this spring.

Today In Phils History - Well, there is one Phillies leap year player in Ralph Miller who was born on this day in 1896 (which technically still makes him less than 30 years old and a prime candidate to make the current roster). 

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Can The Phillies Avoid The Embarrassment?

PHILS PHACTS:

Taking The First Game Seriously – It might be too strong to say the Phillies seek revenge against the University of Tampa, but they certainly want to save face. The Division II college team beat the Phillies in an exhibition game last spring at Bright House Field. They meet again Sunday. "[Larry] Bowa and I are going to spend a lot of time putting that [lineup] together," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin joked. "We have to beat them this year." Nobody came out and said it, but it was embarrassing for the Phillies to lose to a bunch of college kids, even though everyday players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz never set foot on the field. Perhaps that is why veteran Jeremy Hellickson will start Sunday. "We agree, we think he can handle the pressure," Mackanin said. But seriously, is it important to have a better showing from a professional baseball team, even if the Phillies that play Sunday other than Hellickson are relatively inexperienced? "We certainly want to beat a college team," Mackanin said. "But you have to consider that it's very early in camp. We haven't even gone over every fundamental yet. So we're seeing where guys are at. I'm anxious to see how we look on Sunday." Mackanin said he plans to play some of the team's youngest players in camp, which likely means top prospects J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Andrew Knapp, etc. They are not expected to be in camp very long because they are expected to open the season in the Minor Leagues. "I want to see them as quickly as possible because down the road we've got to get our team together," Mackanin said. Herrera centered: Mackanin said he expects Odubel Herrera to remain in center field, despite the Phillies acquiring Peter Bourjos in the offseason. Bourjos is regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, but Herrera hit .297 with 30 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 41 RBIs and a .762 OPS in 537 plate appearances last season. They might not want to mess with success by taking him out of his comfort zone in center field. "He did such a good job at getting himself to become a pretty good center fielder," Mackanin said. "Now Bourjos has never played anywhere else so I told him and [Aaron] Altherr to work a lot on the corners, because I'm going to look at different scenarios, Bourjos in right and left and Altherr in right and left. And I'll put Odubel in right and left. But I'm leaning toward leaving Odubel alone in center field." Eickhoff update: Mackanin said Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff is "progressing nicely" from a non-displaced fracture of his right thumb. He could throw a bullpen session soon. Mackanin said he still thinks Eickhoff will be ready for the beginning of the season.

Phillies Upgrade Their Pool – The Phillies made a considerable investment on the international market last summer when they signed Dominican Republic outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz to a $4 million signing bonus. Expect them to make similar investments this summer. The Phillies will have $5,610,800 available to them during the 2016-17 international signing period, which is more than any team in baseball. It allows them to sign 16-year-old international players from July 2 through June 15, 2017, if the prospect turns 17 before Sept. 1, 2017, or by the completion of his first Minor League season. It is highly unlikely the Phillies will exceed their pool limit. Teams that exceed their pool by 15 percent or more are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, in addition to paying a 100-percent tax on the pool overage. In other words, if the Phillies exceed their allotment this signing period, they would not be able to sign a prospect for more than $300,000 until July 2, 2019. That makes little sense to a rebuilding team that could have a similar-size pool next signing period. It is why sources said the Phillies are not pursing somebody like 16-year-old Cuban outfielder Lazaro Armenteros, who figures to take more than $5.6 million to sign. The Phillies likely would pursue somebody like him when they rank more toward the bottom of baseball's international allotment, when it might be more advantageous to blow past their pool limit. The only wrinkle there would be if Major League Baseball implements a Draft system for international players, which Commissioner Rob Manfred favors. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1. But that might not happen quickly enough to affect the 2017-18 signing period.

But Did He Remember His Stapler? – It seems too perfect that one of the newest Phillies employees referenced a line from the tech-centric comedy "Office Space" as he described his freshly created role in the analytics department. What would you say you do here, Andy Galdi? The Phillies hired Galdi, 30, in January to be their director of baseball research and development. He spent the past three years at Google in Mountain View, Calif., where he served as a quantitative analyst for YouTube. The Phillies convinced him to leave lucrative Silicon Valley to run their analytics department, which includes data visualization and reporting, statistical research and data infrastructure. "I would say I'm there to help organize their data, the data that they have there and the data that's provided by MLB and [MLB Advanced Media]," Galdi said in a telephone interview. "And then I see how we can extract any kind of insight about anything regarding players or strategy or whatever." There is no question Galdi has the smarts for the job. He graduated from North Carolina in 2008, majoring in business administration and mathematics. He earned his Master's degree in statistics from Stanford in 2013. He worked as a baseball operations intern with the Mets in '09 and spent the following two years working in the NBA Commissioner's Office as a statistical analyst before he joined Google. He worked as a quantitative analyst with YouTube, where his team worked to make product enhancements. Now let's pretend most people don't know what a QA does. "There are certain metrics that YouTube cares about or any company cares about," Galdi said. "Let's say it's how much time users are spending on the website. That's a made-up example, but let's say it's something like that. We'll say, OK, this button works this way or we can have it work a different way. Or we can have this layout one way or another way. We'll kind of experiment." QAs design the experiment, which could be one portion of the YouTube audience seeing a button work one way, while another sees it work a different way. QAs work with engineers to run the experiment, deciding how long it needs to run, what's the proper sample size, etc., before analyzing the results. Galdi said he loved his time at Google, but the Phillies lured him back into sports. "I said I'd only come back to baseball if it's a good situation, and I think the Phillies are a great situation," he said. Of course, the outside perception of the Phillies and analytics has not been a good one. Phillies general partner John Middleton knew that and publicly placed a huge emphasis on analytics last year as Philadelphia hired president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak. "Like, are there even computers around?" Galdi said. "That's really not the case at all. They had already built PHIL [the organization's computer system]. They had already done a lot of this work toward making the situation there more technologically advanced, which is where I wanted to go anyway. It's not like I'm starting at zero. What I want to do is push it even further. "To be honest, I'm still learning a lot about what's already been done there and it's quite a bit." But besides organizing and extracting insight from data, Galdi and the Phillies' analytics department will try to come up with their own ways to measure information. "Most teams have access to a lot of the information," Klentak said. "The real advantage to be gained is how we manage it, what we do with that information and the process that we implement to make decisions based off that information." Say the Phillies are interested in an infielder and his defensive metrics the past three seasons are not particularly good, but their scouts think he is better defensively than those numbers indicate. Galdi and his team hope to have a handle on the uncertainties of their data to help make a more informed decision. "I'd like to say, 'Well, this is within the error bound of him being an average defender,'" Galdi said. "I wouldn't say it's defense, offense, pitching or one specific area that we could work on as an analytics community as a whole. I think it's measuring uncertainty." Galdi mentions the marriage between analytics and scouting. MacPhail, Klentak and Galdi have made it very clear the Phillies will not be one-trick analytical ponies moving forward. "I'm not going to revolutionize everything," Galdi said. "I'm not going to tell people how to start doing their jobs, like telling scouts to get the hell out of here. That's not what I'm about. I'm about coming in with some different ideas from a different industry, seeing what works and what doesn't. It's being a good teammate. So if there's a new technological thing I want to introduce or a new statistical study I want to talk about, I want to work with other people. I want to talk to everybody, work with everybody. That's what I really enjoy, trying to help people understand, trying to teach them. And then in turn, which I think is even more important, learn from them. How can their knowledge improve my analysis? "We have some really great scouts. The guys that I've met in the first two weeks are super impressive, great guys to talk to. Whenever you're doing any kind of analysis, you need as much background information as I can to make sure I'm not missing some big assumption or whatever." Said Klentak: "What Andy is going to be doing is a piece of the information puzzle. We're going to gather information in a variety of ways, most notably from our scouts, understanding the makeup of players, medical information as well as statistical and analytical information. Our job is take all of that information and incorporate it into a process to make the best decision."

Where Is Gene Schall? – Following a 12-year pro career, Gene Schall returned to Villanova University to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a minor in psychology. He needed an internship and there was only one opening ... in the IT department. "Not knowing anything about computers, I took it. Got assigned to the help desk. You can image how much help I was," he laughed. Mike Arbuckle, then the Phillies' assistant general manager/scouting and player development, reached out to Schall to see if he was interested in getting back into the game. "I was, but told Mike I didn't want to be in uniform as I had enough of that and I didn't want an office job," Schall said. "Mike replied, 'That makes you a scout.'" A new career was launched as an area scout for the Phillies in 2008 looking at amateur talent in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and South Jersey. The next year, Schall was promoted to regional supervisor. His territory was the eastern part of the country from Florida to Canada. He assumed the title as Mid-Atlantic regional supervisor in 2014. He now oversees three area scouts. The Major League Baseball season generally begins in April and ends in October. Schall explains: "In the middle of January of 2015, Johnny [Almaraz, director of amateur scouting] had a meeting at Citizens Bank Park. It was the first step in preparing for the Draft. We zeroed in on the top 10-20 players, kids we wanted to follow. Around the third week of January, junior colleges and high schools in Florida, the Southwest and Far West began playing. Division I college programs started in February. It cranked up even more in March." Airplanes, car rentals, hotels, games and players now consume Schall's schedule. While the naked eye is still No.1 in judging a player, technology has provided additional tools. "The information that is available today is mind-boggling, 10 times more than five to seven years ago," Schall said. "The radar gun helps, but Louisville Sluggers let you know how hard the kid is throwing. We have video of almost every player. Colleges and even high schools have multiple video cameras on the fields providing various views. Every high school league and college conference has all kinds of statistics. Through analytics, we can digest all this information and learn that a certain player may not play up to his stats. Analytics helps us paint a total picture." Technology is a gigantic tool to help scouts and their schedules. "I don't know how scouts did it 20-30 years ago," Schall said. "One scout told me he'd be heading for a game, would pull off the road when he saw a pay phone, call his voicemail to see if the game for which he's heading is still on or canceled. Today, we have the Internet, smart phones, iPads and GPS. Communication is 24/7, real easy to stay in touch with each other. A text lets me know if the game is still on. My GPS takes me right to the field. No more paper maps." The MLB Draft last summer began June 8. Commissioner Rob Manfred stepped to the microphone, "With the 10th selection in the Draft, the Phillies select Cornelius Randolph from Griffin High School, Griffin, Ga." Randolph is from Schall's territory, specifically scout Aaron Jersild, whose area, in addition to Georgia, includes South Carolina, Northern Florida and Latin America."Cornelius had been on our radar for two years of high school baseball and summer leagues," Schall said. "Aaron pegged him as a high pick right from the beginning. All of us saw him play multiple times. I probably saw him 25-30 times. We all agreed he was the most comfortable high school hitter in the country. Many high school players are question marks when it comes to hitting, inconsistency. This guy hit everywhere we saw him. "As Johnny said on Draft day, Cornelius is a ballplayer and he loves to play. We can see talent but we need to learn what makes a kid tick. Getting to know the parents and teammates is extremely important. Aaron spent a lot of time with the family. Some kids view being drafted as sort of a novelty. Others want to play. You need to learn if a kid is willing to spend time developing his skills in the Minor Leagues riding buses and failing. Baseball is a game of failure." Once the Draft was over, golf, pool time, Cape Cod? Well, somewhat. But more baseball was on Schall's calendar. Throughout the summer various high school showcase events were held across the country. The Phillies scout all the college summer leagues. Schall spent two weeks in Cape Cod ... scouting. Late August turned into a short down time for Schall and the amateur scouts before college programs re-booted in September. Some high schools have fall ball. According to Schall, late October is the unofficial end of the scouting season. The greatest joy of his job? "Finding future Major Leaguers, watching them go through the difficult development process and make it to the top," Schall said. All the travel doesn't get to him. "It's much easier than being a player riding buses and then having to play a game," Schall said, before confessing that his travel schedule can be a nightmare. "Sometimes I wake up in a hotel and don't know where I am. I've returned car rentals to the wrong company. Many times I arrive at an airport with tickets for three different destinations. It depends if a certain player is going to play, pitching rotations and weather conditions. The airline people think I'm crazy." This season, the Phillies have the No. 1 overall selection in the MLB Draft. Two of the often mentioned tops picks are left-handed pitchers from Schall's territory -- 6-foot-7 A.J. Puk from the University of Florida and 17-year-old Jason Groome from Barnegat (N.J.) High School. Schall will be one of many from the Phillies checking out these two young prospects. For Puk's first start in late February, the Phillies had four people on hand, including Pat Gillick. Schall's baseball career: A first baseman at Villanova University, Schall was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 1991 Draft. He spent 12 seasons, 1991-2002, in the Minors (.285 career batting average) and parts of two seasons, 1995-96, in the Majors with the Phillies (.252 for 52 total games). He was traded to the White Sox for Mike Robertson on Jan. 31, 1997. Schall later returned to the Phillies' organization, ending his playing days with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2002.

Today In Phils History - It was on this day that one of the greatest moments in Phillies history happened and I am not talking about Mike Schmidt's 4th appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated next to a list of "Baseball's Millionaires". While the team is know for having made several Hall of Fame caliber mistakes via trade, on this day in 1972 the tables were turned as the Phillies traded Rick Wise to St. Louis for Steve Carlton. 

THE BEGINNING:

With the Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of 63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries, bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least, be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100 losses... hopefully by more than one game!

Phillies Fall To Frat Boys

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phils Fall To Spartans 6-2

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg downplayed the end result Sunday afternoon at Bright House Field. The Phillies scheduled an exhibition against the University of Tampa, which is the No. 1 Division II baseball team in the country. The club wanted to give its younger players and non-roster invitees some work against the wide-eyed kids before opening the Grapefruit League season Tuesday against the Yankees. Philadelphia lost to the amateurs, 6-2. "Well, you know," Sandberg said, asked if it was embarrassing to lose to a college team, "it kind of shows where we're at as far as seeing players and workouts and seeing the work that needs to be done. I think it just emphasizes that." Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz and other Phillies veterans never touched the field, but the youngest player on the field for the Phils (Odubel Herrera, who was born Dec. 29, 1991) was older than every player on the Spartans. They also have years of professional experience in the Minor Leagues. In a twist, the Spartans took the lead in the seventh inning with a big assist from Andrew Amaro, the nephew of Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. The Spartans first baseman worked a bases-loaded, two-out, nine-pitch walk against right-hander Nefi Ogando to score the tying run. "It was one of my coolest baseball games ever," said Amaro, who is from Bensalem, Pa., and attended Penn Charter. "Obviously my name means something in the Philadelphia area. It was just cool to go out there and compete and have a pretty good game against my favorite hometown team." Amaro said there was no trash talking with his uncle leading up to the exhibition. "My uncle said he didn't even know about the game until four days ago," he said. Right-hander Hector Neris replaced Ogando, but served up a grand slam to Giovanny Alfonzo to give the Spartans the four-run lead. "That was awesome," Amaro said. "Giovanny is on Cloud 9. He said that was the coolest experience of his life." It wasn't for the Phillies. "You just get some of the cobwebs out," Sandberg said. "It kind of shows after some practices where we're at on certain things."

TUESDAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

Phillies take on the Yankees at home.

PHILS PHACTS:

Utley Out – Phillies second baseman Chase Utley will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League opener against the Yankees at Bright House Field. Utley sprained his right ankle in January and has not fully recovered. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said the Phillies are going to "ease him in a little down the road." Sandberg declined to say if Ryan Howard or any other regulars will be in Tuesday's lineup.

Beat The Clock – For the first time in Major League Baseball, when the Phillies faced the University of Tampa at Bright House Field on Sunday, the time between innings and pitching changes was timed. There was a large clock immediately to the left of the batter's eye in center field and a smaller one on the façade behind home plate. The goal is to improve the pace of play by eliminating time between the end of the break and the resumption of play. It is one of three major initiatives MLB has announced for the 2015 season involving the tempo of games. Immediately after the third out of each half-inning, the countdown began from 2:25; it will be 2:45 for nationally-televised games. With 40 seconds remaining, the next batter is announced and his walkup music begins. With 30 seconds, the pitcher throws his final warmup. At 25 seconds the batter's walkup music ends and the batter is required to be in the box and the pitcher ready to deliver with between five and 20 seconds. At least, that's the way it's supposed to work. And, for the most part, it went pretty smoothly Sunday. "It kind of went unnoticed for the most part," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I really didn't notice it that much at all. When the time was right for the hitter to walk up there, it kind of happened naturally. So I don't think there was a lot of stress about it. It just kind of flowed." Which, of course, is the goal. Since the actual time devoted to commercials between innings is 2:05 (2:25 for national games) the goal is to have the first pitch of the inning delivered before the clock actually runs out. And that was the case going into the bottom of the first when University of Tampa right-hander David Heintz's first pitch to Phillies leadoff hitter Odubel Herrera came with 15 seconds to spare. Not every changeover went as flawlessly but there weren't many snags considering that details of the changes were made public Feb. 20. Phillies starter Paul Clemens said he had no problem with the new rules. "I've always gotten to the mound quickly," he said. "I want to get on there and go. That way the opposing team isn't able to sit there and settle in. So I've always -- after the third out is made by my offense -- I've always gotten right back out there." Two other pace of play adjustments stipulate that batters must, under most circumstances, keep one foot in the box between pitches, and managers will no longer come onto the field to issue challenges. Those changes had little impact in this game. Since the umpires were not a standard MLB crew -- behind home plate was Gary Glover, who works on the Bright House Field grounds crew -- Sandberg didn't remind his hitters that they aren't supposed to step out between pitches. He'll do that before Tuesday's Grapefruit League opener against the Yankees. Also, since instant replay was not used, the tweak on how challenges will be issued wasn't a factor, either. That, plus the fact that there were 10 pitching changes, makes it difficult to read anything into the fact that the time of game was 2:57. Still, it was the first step on the latest significant update in the way MLB games will be played.

Rotation Competition – Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez said pitching is pitching and he will pitch happily anywhere. Of course, he would be especially happy in the Phillies' rotation. Gonzalez, 28, wants to start, and the Phillies are giving him a chance this spring. They open their Grapefruit League schedule Tuesday against the Yankees at Bright House Field, and Gonzalez will be competing with David Buchanan for the fifth spot in a rotation that figures to include Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams. "I've always been a starter," Gonzalez said through a translator Sunday. "That's important. I'm used to that. I've always been one." Gonzalez makes his Grapefruit League debut Thursday against the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla., and there will be plenty of eyes on him. He is in the second year of a three-year, $12 million contract, which has not yet panned out. "It didn't go as well as I wanted last year," Gonzalez said. "This year I'm much better prepared, and much more mentally focused on what I have to do. The setbacks last season … I thought I was physically ready and I'd have a setback. If it wasn't one thing it was another. This year, all that stuff is out of the way." The Phillies and Gonzalez originally agreed to a six-year, $48 million contract in July 2013, with the Phillies expecting him to immediately jump into the 2014 rotation as a legitimate No. 3 behind Hamels and Lee. But Gonzalez lost $36 million in the deal following a physical, which revealed shoulder issues. Those issues popped up last season, which precipitated a move to the bullpen. The club felt Gonzalez's shoulder would hold up better there. Gonzalez pitched pretty well in relief. He had a 3.14 ERA in 11 appearances with Double-A Reading and a 1.65 ERA in 12 appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley before he joined the Phillies in September. He allowed nine hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings that month. But Gonzalez believes he can be a better starter, and he expressed those desires to the Phillies after the season. They could use the help. The Phils have pretty decent bullpen depth, but should they trade Hamels or Lee at some point, they are remarkably thin in the rotation. So Gonzalez's health and durability are important. He said his shoulder is finally 100 percent healthy. "Hard work," he said about his offseason regimen. If Gonzalez can stay healthy and throw well, he could work his way into the rotation, although Buchanan enters spring as the favorite based upon a solid rookie season. But certainly the Phillies and Gonzalez hope he eventually lives up to the hype he brought with him in 2013. "I don't have to prove anything to anybody," Gonzalez said. "I just have to go out and play my game and not worry about what other people think."

Bringing Confidence To Bullpen Competition – Paul Clemens is not afraid to say he has a great arm and two "hellacious" pitches. But he will need to pitch well this spring to make the Phillies' seven-man bullpen, which has three openings behind Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles, Jake Diekman and Justin De Fratus. Clemens, who signed in the offseason as a non-roster Invitee, will need to improve upon the 5.51 ERA he posted in 48 appearances the past two seasons with Houston. It is not impossible for Clemens, who pitched two perfect innings in Saturday's 6-2 exhibition loss to the University of Tampa, to make the team. Jeff Manship made the Opening Day roster last season as a non-roster invitee and Manship does not throw nearly as hard as Clemens, who hit 96 mph on the radar gun in the first inning. "Some pitching coaches tell me how incredible my arm is and that I could play for a long time, so I think I've been showing some guys what I bring to the table," Clemens said. "I had a couple really good conversations with front office and some guys around here, so it's definitely motivating. "I feel like I've got two pretty hellacious pitches -- my fastball and my curveball. I feel like I could do a multitude of things in this game." So where has Clemens fallen short? "Command in both of [my pitches] all the time," he said. "You don't get away with much and I feel like if you go watch video of me, you go see some of the better hitters in the game, I've punched tickets on three straight pitches. I've proven to the guys who need to be proven to what I can do. "Sometimes I think I get too overzealous with my fastball and I just pound it and pound it and pound it. So picking my spots more, being smarter. You can't really challenge guys at this level. Once in a while you've got to pick your spots, but you can't challenge too many guys, even the guys you don't really know their names as much. You've still got to pitch."

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.

Let The (Exhibition) Games Begin!

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

The Phillies play the University of Tampa on Sunday afternoon in an exhibition at Bright House Field. Rule 5 Draft pick Odubel Herrera will hit leadoff and play center field. Cesar Hernandez (second base), Cord Phelps (third base), Darin Ruf (left field), Chris McGuiness (first base), Russ Canzler (designated hitter), Aaron Altherr (right field), Tommy Joseph (catcher) and Chase d'Arnaud (shortstop) follow him in the lineup. Right-hander Paul Clemens will start. "He's a guy that has a little bit of starting experience," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He could be a long-man type of guy."

PHILS PHACTS:

Bullpen Battle – The Phillies are in the beginning stages of a substantial rebuilding process. But they believe they could be extremely competitive in at least one area in 2015. They believe they could have one of the better bullpens in baseball. The Phillies bullpen finished ninth in the National League last season with a 3.60 ERA. But from June 1 through the end of the season, it ranked fifth with a 3.36 ERA and second averaging 9.81 strikeouts per nine innings. Credit a consistently strong season by Jonathan Papelbon, Ken Giles' arrival, Jake Diekman's big arm from the left side and marked improvement from Justin De Fratus for much of that. The club expects Giles, Diekman, De Fratus and others to take another step forward this season, making the bullpen even better. Those high expectations should create some interesting roster battles this spring. The Phillies typically carry seven pitchers in the bullpen, although they could open with six if they want to carry an extra bench player. "It's time to see them with hitters in there," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said on Saturday, following a rain-shortened workout. "[I'm] kind of open minded, as far as the bullpen goes." Here is a look at the bullpen candidates, as the Phillies get set to play the University of Tampa in an exhibition on Sunday at Bright House Field. Their first Grapefruit League game is on Tuesday against the Yankees: RHP Jonathan Papelbon: He is a lock, as well as the closer -- assuming the Phillies do not trade him before Opening Day. RHP Ken Giles: His 0.79 WHIP last season ranks fifth among all rookie relievers since 1914. His 5.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio is sixth, and his 12.61 strikeouts-per-nine innings average is 10th. He is a lock to make the team. LHP Jake Diekman: Also a lock, he posted a 2.70 ERA in 61 appearances from April 22 through Sept. 21, striking out 80 batters over 60 innings. RHP Justin De Fratus: He struggled in his first four appearances before being sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He returned and posted a 1.89 ERA in 50 appearances from May 26 through the end of the season. He is a lock, as well, leaving three jobs available in a seven-man bullpen. LHP Andy Oliver: He has an edge, if for no other reason than he is a Rule 5 Draft pick on a rebuilding team. If the Phillies like what they see, they could stash him in the bullpen just to keep his arm in the organization. But he will need to throw strikes. He struck out 85, but walked 47, in 64 innings last season with Triple-A Indianapolis (Pirates). LHP Mario Hollands: He was one of the best stories of 2014, coming out of relative obscurity to make the Opening Day roster. He pitched pretty well, too. He has a very good chance to make the team. The Phillies carried three left-handers in the 'pen last year, so it's not out of the question Diekman, Oliver and Hollands make the team. RHP Luis Garcia: The Phillies named Garcia their Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2014, based upon a dominant performance in Triple-A. Garcia fizzled in his first four appearances with the Phillies, posting a 12.71 ERA. He improved in his final nine, though, posting a 2.16 ERA. The Phillies believe that is the real Garcia, but he will have to prove it this spring to get a job. RHP Jeanmar Gomez: The non-roster invitee entered camp under the radar, but he has a good chance to make the team. The 27-year-old posted a 3.28 ERA in 78 appearances over the past two seasons with Pittsburgh. RHP Hector Neris: He pitched a scoreless inning last season for the Phillies, but went a combined 6-3 with a 3.61 ERA in 48 appearances last season with Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley. He will have to put up strong numbers in camp. RHP Phillippe Aumont: He is out of options, so if he does not make the Opening Day roster, he will have to clear waivers before the Phillies can send him to Triple-A. He has a great arm, but he has been unable to put it together. The possibility of losing Aumont could push him onto the roster, but only if he pitches well (i.e. throws strikes). RHP Ethan Martin: He missed some time last season with a shoulder issue, and Sandberg said his mechanics need some fine tuning. Martin would have to come on strong to turn a few heads. RHP Paul Clemens: He could be this season's Jeff Manship, who made the 2014 Opening Day roster as a swingman. But Manship had to pitch really well to earn that spot. Clemens will have to do the same. Left-hander Elvis Araujo and right-hander Nefi Ogando are also in camp, but neither has pitched above Double-A. Expect them to open the season in the Minor Leagues.

Pettibone Making Progress – Phillies right-hander Jonathan Pettibone pitched pretty well in 18 starts in 2013. But a right shoulder injury popped up that July, which has limited him to just seven starts and 35 1/3 innings at the Major League and Minor League levels since. He ultimately required surgery to repair the shoulder in June 2014, which has him behind schedule this spring. "It's a little tight just grinding through these past couple days -- starting to throw bullpens, stretching out my long toss and everything," Pettibone said on Saturday at Bright House Field. "It's come along great. We haven't had any setbacks, so that's definitely a positive." Pettibone, 24, will throw his third bullpen session on Sunday. He is expected to remain in Clearwater once the season starts to make a few starts before he joins Triple-A Lehigh Valley. From there, he hopes to begin his road back to the big leagues -- where he posted a 4.04 ERA in 100 1/3 innings as a rookie. "Anytime after surgery, you're kind of uneasy about the whole situation," said Pettibone. "But I've been kind of staying positive."

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.