As we approach Spring Training, MLBPW will feature a link on the sidebar on the left exclusively for position battles involving prospects. This will provide you easy access to any news you need to know about prospects in camp and their chances of making their respective team. Whether it's a top prospect with a starting spot that's his to lose or a up-and-comer battling for a bench spot, MLB Prospect Watch has you covered.
The Philadelphia Phillies have a veteran roster that is largely set entering Spring Training, but they do have a few openings on their bench and in their bullpen. One player with an outside shot at one of those bench positions is Matt Rizzotti, who broke out with a monster season at the plate in 2010, but as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, is a tough fit with the club as a left-handed hitting first baseman. Rizzotti will have to hit his way onto the Phillies bench because his lack of versatility leaves all of his value residing in his bat.
An easier spot on the Phillies roster to grab should be in their bullpen, where prospect Justin De Fratus will be aiming to land with a strong spring, notes Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News. In his first season exclusively out of the bullpen in 2010, De Fratus showed a knack for the role and posted his best professional season, striking out more than a batter per inning in between High-A and Double-A. Coupled with a strong Arizona Fall League season and a rapidly developing slider, De Fratus enters the spring with a legitimate chance to secure a place in the Phillies bullpen on Opening Day.
While prospects like De Fratus are competing for any spot on an Opening Day roster they can find, Chris Sale is almost assured of a spot on the Chicago White Sox opening day roster. The only question remaining is his role on the team. Drafted as a starter, but rushed to the majors as a reliever, Sale could potentially excel in either role. He's already shown flashes of dominance out of the bullpen, but he would have more value as a starter, argues Chris Cwik of FanGraphs.com, who also points out that much of this decision lays in the health of White Sox starter Jake Peavy. If Peavy misses time at the beginning of the season, Sale is a likely candidate to make his starts, with a potential shift back to the pen once the former Cy Young Award winner Peavy returns to the mound.
Also virtually guaranteed an Opening Day roster spot is Freddie Freeman, whose lock on the Braves first base job is as secure as any prospect could have in January. But despite his potential, Braves-Nation.com warns not to expect too much too soon from the 21-year-old. The warning has historical significance, as just six players since 1900 have played a full season as first baseman as rookies at age 21 or younger (and none since 1963), and only one (Orlando Cepeda) had an OPS over .740.
