5 Phillies who don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster
By Tim Boyle
These five Philadelphia Phillies don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster right now.
The Philadelphia Phillies are going to need more than luck on their side to take the extra step in 2023 to capture a World Series title. The defending National League Champions have been hard at work building their roster.
Unfortunately, as with every team, there are some members of the 40-man roster who don’t look like they deserve to be there. Whether it’s because of contractual obligations or the rules in place, some less-deserving players currently occupy a 40-man roster spot.
These five will have to prove themselves pretty quickly if they want to remain with the team or face a chance at getting designated for assignment.
1) Why Cristopher Sanchez doesn’t deserve a spot on the Phillies 40-man roster
Cristopher Sanchez now has 52.2 MLB innings on his resume. The 26-year-old lefty even managed to make a couple of starts for the Phillies in the last two years. The results haven’t been dazzling. He is 3-2 with a 5.47 ERA thus far.
Sanchez certainly seems to be trending in the direction of moving from young starter to a potential bullpen piece exclusively. He pitched well in Triple-A last year. It hasn’t done the Phillies much good.
Sanchez is young enough for a team to claim him on waivers if he ever was designated for assignment. For this reason, he’s going to stick on the 40-man roster.
The Phillies have Bailey Falter succeeding in the role Sanchez would otherwise fill. Also a lefty, Falter managed to do what Sanchez hasn’t for the big league club. This season is a big one for him. He’ll need to earn his spot on the 40-man roster. Right now, it’s not something he deserves.