Categories: News

Phillies release Holaday, Hanigan; Knapp likely to make roster

The Phillies have released catchers Bryan Holaday and Ryan Hanigan. Further, they’ve assigned pitcher Michael Mariot to minor league camp and have optioned Roman Quinn to minor league camp.

First, the catching news, which means – barring any last-minute addition to the roster – that Andrew Knapp has won the backup catcher job and will land on the 25-man roster for opening day.

Knapp is hitting .184/.205/.395 with two home runs this spring; he has played catcher and first base and will likely serve as Tommy Joseph‘s backup.

As for Mariot, it seemed clear that he would be reassigned to the minors. The pitching ranks are one thinner now, but it seems the Phils are still determining who will go north with them.

Quinn had a good spring (.289/.373/.422, 4 XBH, 10 K, 6 BB, 4 SB, 0 CS) and certainly looks like a major league outfielder, but he’ll need to put up a couple good months in Lehigh Valley (without major injury) before he’s a sure bet in Philadelphia.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.