Categories: News

Phillies invite Kingery, Eshelman, 6 others to spring

The Phillies have invited eight non-roster players to spring training. They are:

SP Enyel De Los Santos
SP Tom Eshelman
SP Brandon Leibrandt
SP Cole Irvin
RP JD Hammer
C Edgar Cabral
2B Scott Kingery
OF Andrew Pullin

You’re basically looking at guys who will either be in Reading or Lehigh Valley in 2018. Does anyone have a shot at cracking the opening-day roster? Possibly. Kingery, of course, could find his way in if the Phils trade Cesar Hernandez, but that may not happen quite yet. Eshelman has an outside shot at a rotation spot right now, but he’s still down the chart and the Phils have yet to add any starting pitchers this offseason. Leibrandt is about in the same position.

Hammer might actually have the best chance at making some noise, as bullpen spots are always in flux and, even though he ended last season in Clearwater, he could rise quickly at age 23.

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.