The Phillies are moving Griff McGarry to the bullpen

Griff McGarry will start the 2024 season in the bullpen for Lehigh Valley. (Cheryl Pursell)

On Monday, the Phillies announced their first round of big league camp cuts. Among them was Griff McGarry, who was reassigned to minor league camp.

He will begin the season in the bullpen for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Rob Thomson told reporters, including Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inqurier, after Monday’s game against the Yankees. Thomson added that it’s not a permanent move and things can change if McGarry performs well in his new role. McGarry spent most of the last three seasons in the Phillies’ minor league system as a starter.

The Phillies added depth to its Triple A rotation in the offseason, with Spencer Turnbull, Kolby Allard, David Buchanan and Max Castillo all being acquired via free agency or waivers. One of those four, with Turnbull the most likely, could begin the season on the major league roster. Whoever does not make the big league team will likely join a mix of Nick Nelson, Tyler Phillips and Mick Abel in the Ironpigs’ rotation.

The Phillies revamped McGarry’s mechanics this offseason to help him improve in the strike zone. The changes come after a rough 2023 where McGarry walked 50 batters across 60 innings.

McGarry was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. Once a top five Phillies prospect, McGarry flashed high end stuff in the lower minors. At one point, McGarry was even in consideration for a spot in the big league bullpen as a reliever at the end of 2022. He hit a roadblock last year and is looking to get back on track with a better year in 2024.

Two other pitchers, Phillips and Michael Mercado, were also part of the Phillies’ camp cuts. Phillips was reassigned to minor league camp while Mercado, who is on the team’s 40-man roster, was optioned to minor league camp.