SAD NEWS: Top Experienced Star Is Signing With Formal Term After Disagreement With Phillies Coach Great Rob Thomson

SAD NEWS: Top Experienced Star Is Signing With Formal Term After Disagreement With Phillies Coach Great Rob Thomson

Every difficult playoff roster decision Phillies must make before NLDS vs. Dodgers
Who will make manager Rob Thomson’s 26-man NLDS roster and how will they be used?

The matchup is finally set. The Philadelphia Phillies will play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series beginning on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.

The No. 3 seed Dodgers took care of business against the No. 6 seed Cincinnati Reds in a quick two-game Wild Card series in LA to advance to the NLDS, where the No. 2 seed Phillies await. Now that we know who the Phillies will be playing in the best-of-five series, the only questions remaining are about the roster.

Who will Phillies manager Rob Thomson and his coaching staff decide to include on the 26-man roster for the NLDS?

The starting rotation should be fairly cut and dry with Cristopher Sánchez leading the way in Game 1 followed by Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo. The biggest decisions will revolve around the bullpen.

Phillies’ bullpen raises the most questions ahead of naming NLDS roster
With the Phillies typically carrying 12 pitchers instead of the maximum 13, that leaves nine spots on the NLDS roster for relief arms. There will obviously be the bullpen mainstays. Jhoan Duran, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks and David Robertson will be there, but after that it gets a little fuzzy.

The Phillies will have to decide what to do with veteran starter Aaron Nola after his rough season. After his dominant season finale last week, it would be shocking to see the career Phillie left off the roster for the first series of the playoffs, but as Thomson pointed out late in the season, the right-hander has never pitched out of the bullpen. That didn’t deter Nola from saying he’d do whatever the team needs, including pitching in relief.

Newcomer Walker Buehler made all of three appearances with the Phillies after signing on Aug. 31. He carries a stingy 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings as a Phillie into October and has experience pitching in relief in big-time postseason spots.

Taijuan Walker also got plenty of experience in the bullpen this season, throwing 20 relief innings with a 3.15 ERA. After being left off the NLDS roster in 2024, being added this year would be a big redemption arc for the veteran right-hander.

Then there’s left-hander Tim Mayza and righties Lou Trivino, Max Lazar, Seth Johnson, Alan Rangel and Michael Mercado to consider. Beleaguered Jordan Romano, who finished the year on the injured list, seems like the longest of shots to pitch in the postseason after dealing with a nerve issue. All are on the 40-man roster and with the team this week.

Phillies’ bench for NLDS roster coming into focus
As for the bench, that decision seems a little more cut and dry. Utility infielder Edmundo Sosa is all but guaranteed a spot, as is Rafael Marchán as the backup catcher. It would certainly be a surprise to see the Phillies carry a third catcher in Garrett Stubbs or choose Stubbs over Marchán outright.

We know that Johan Rojas is unavailable for the NLDS while recovering from a quad injury. That leaves Weston Wilson and Otto Kemp as the favorites to make the NLDS roster as the last two extras — if the Phillies carry 14 position players.

Wilson hit just .198 this season in a limited 125 plate appearances and struggled to a .171 average in September. But he’s a right-handed bat who can play infield and outfield.

Another right-handed bat who can play all over, Kemp hit .234 with a .709 OPS over two separate stints in the big leagues this season. However, September was his best month at the plate. The rookie hit .250 with an .856 OPS, four home runs and 11 RBIs in just 57 plate appearances.