Aaron Altherr batting against R.A. Dickey in Dunedin (Photo: Frank Klose/Philliedelphia)
The Phillies got some really bad news yesterday- Aaron Altherr is out four to six months with a wrist injury. He's having surgery today in Philadelphia, and his season is in jeopardy. Best case scenario, he's back in July. Worst case? 2017. This is a real shame, as Altherr showed potential 20 home run power and a plus glove in the outfield. He had a chance, if everything broke right for him, to be a 4-WAR type of player. The Phillies would have been thrilled with that. That would have helped them be better than a 63-99 team this year, and in the future.
The obvious initial impact is in the starting line-up. The presumption of many was that Altherr and Odubel Herrera were set to start in right and center-field, respectively. Then the assumption was that Cody Asche and Peter Bourjos were somewhat locked in a battle for the left field job. Tyler Goeddel, the Rule 5 pick from this Winter, was projected as the fifth and final outfielder, and really the 25th man on the roster. Now, Goeddel is projected to get a lot more starts, and Bourjos and Asche are likely to both get regular starts. Right now at least, that's where the Phillies roster is. You can bet against Pullin, Lough, and Hunter making the team, most likely, and you can put Quinn and Williams in AAA, most likely. This leaves the Phillies with one more spot to fill.
As is, the biggest beneficiary of this roster opening seems to be Darnell Sweeney. The young utility man seemed destined to be AAA Lehigh Valley's second baseman to start the season, but this opening makes him look like a good option. He can provide versatility in the field, playing second base (and possibly more) in the infield, and providing a corner outfield option off the bench. He provides the Phillies with a second Andres Blanco type off the bench to use wherever he's needed. Even though both he and Darin Ruf are only marginally outfielders, they provide enough depth on the roster to fill in if needed out there.
The other possibility is that this team will still go outside of the organization yet. Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur has local ties (he attended Villanova) and is out of options if he doesn't make their team. The Phillies will certainly look at more than one option here, and could look on the free agency market yet too. They aren't likely to just settle for the "next guy up" to fill in here.
If I had to bet right now, I would put the smart money on Sweeney, followed by someone not on the roster right now, Williams or Quinn, and Hunter finally. Clearly though, the Phillies have their first major injury issue of the Spring. One thing to consider here- the Phillies have the roster spots of Matt Harrison and Aaron Altherr that they can use, if they put both on the 60-Day DL. In other words, their options aren't limited by space.
