3 Phillies on the 40-man roster who won’t survive the 2023 season

3. The Phillies may find a Jake Cave upgrade later this season

Jake Cave is already 30 and a lifetime .235/.297/.411 hitter. He has bounced around a lot in his career since 2016. He was a Rule 5 pick returned to the New York Yankees by the Cincinnati Reds, traded to the Minnesota Twins, and most recently an offseason waiver claim by the Baltimore Orioles and then Phillies.

Cave is not a bad depth piece to have. There aren’t any rookie jitters to worry about with him. With over 1,000 MLB plate appearances under his belt, the Phillies were wise to claim him back in December. Thanks to a remaining minor league option, they don’t even have to put him on the DFA bubble to begin the year.

The Phillies will at some point need to add some infielders to their 40-man roster. It’s barren right now. An injury is inevitable for someone. When that time comes, Cave would be one of the players they might choose to DFA. He’s older than some of their other hitters. Because he might even clear through waivers, it’s the logical step to take.

There remains a chance for the Phillies to make other upgrades to their roster before the first game of the season. Depending on what they do, Cave could end up gone before ever suiting up. It’s not likely. A veteran hitter like him can serve a purpose. However, the later we get into the season, the more of a need the Phillies will have to look for more significant upgrades. This could end Cave’s time with the organization, or at least on the 40-man roster.