Phillies Outright Four From 40-Man Roster

The Phillies announced today that they have outrighted outfielders Roger Bernadina and Casper Wells, as well as left-handed reliever Cesar Jimenez and right-handed reliever J.C. Ramirez. Including pending free agents Roy Halladay and Carlos Ruiz, and the remaining arbitration eligible players, the Phillies 40-man roster currently stands at 36.

Bernadina, 29, was claimed mid-season from the Washington Nationals. The Shark got plenty of opportunities to play in a depleted Phillies outfield but struggled, posting a .187/.256/.347 line. Bernadina was arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season.

Wells, 28, became famous in 2013 for being on the active roster of five MLB teams. Wells, an outfielder, memorably gave up five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning on August 24 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wells hit .042/.115/.083 for the Phillies in just 26 PA and spent most of September on the disabled list tending to vision issues. Wells was arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season.

Jimenez, 28, is the head-scratcher of the group for me. Through his first 18 appearances, Jimenez posted a 2.20 ERA with a 1.93 BAA. Jimenez was roughed up in outing 19, ballooning his ERA to 3.71 after the Braves put a three spot on him in 2/3 of an inning. Jimenez was arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season.

Ramirez, 25, struggled with command, posting a 1.875 WHIP, averaging 2.3 HR/9 IP. Ramirez is not arbitration eligible until after the 2015 season. We gave Ramirez an F in our Phillies Nation Player Review series.

Analysis: On September 5, I prognosticated that Bernadina and Jimenez were worthwhile, cheap lottery tickets for organizational depth and that the Phillies would keep them on the 40-man roster. I was wrong. Wells and Ramirez were slightly more predictable. Be on the lookout for an updated view of the 2014 40-man roster soon here at Phillies Nation.