Phillies Bullpen Will Have Plenty of Options

Phillies free agent acquisition Mike Adams has already been throwing in Clearwater and is on schedule for spring training following surgery in October to correct his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

He probably won't pitch until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, but that was something the Phillies knew when they signed Adams this off-season.

"It has nothing to do with injury reasons," said Adams. "It's going to be a long spring training. There really is no reason to get 18 innings in the spring. We're going to save some bullets from the very beginning."

Adding Adams gives the Phillies two veteran deep in their bullpen to use late in games with Jonathan Papelbon closing games out.  In front of those two should be Antonio Bastardo and Chad Durbin to handle the six-and-seventh innings.

The rest of the bullpen is up-in-the-air, Michael Stutes said Wednesday that he's 100 percent following arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last June.  He should be working with no limitations this spring and should be in the mix for a bullpen job.  A  healthy Stutes could be a major upgrade to the Phillies pen if the preforms anywhere near his 2011 season.

Phillippe Aumont recorded his first major league save last season and could be a future closer, but this season the Phillies hope that he can use his electric stuff to get big league hitters out in the sixth-or-seventh inning.

Justin De Fratus pitched well at Triple-A when healthy, putting up a 2.49 ERA and 22/3 K/BB ratio over 21 2/3 innings. In 13 games with the Phillies he posted a solid 1.12 WHIP and 3.37 ERA with five holds.

Another interesting guy to keep an eye on will be lefty Jeremy Horst.  He posted real solid numbers in 2012, 1.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 40 K's in 31 innings pitched.  Other then Bastaro he might be the only lefty in the bullpen and that could give him a leg up over Stutes, De Fratus or Aumont.

Typcialy the team would go with six or seven bullpen arms, my feeling is the pen will look like this:

CL - Jonathan Papelbon
SU - Mike Adams
RP - Antonio Bastaro (L)
RP - Chad Durbin
RP - Mike Stutes
RP - Justin De Fratus
RP - Phillippe Aumont