5 Phillies Spring Training invitees who won’t make the MLB roster
By Tim Boyle
3) Why Francisco Morales won’t make the Phillies roster
Another young and promising arm for the Phillies who will be at spring training but not make the MLB roster is Francisco Morales. He made his MLB debut last season then went to the Arizona Fall League in autumn. Morales has already made the transition from starter to reliever. A poor 2021 season was one of the major causes.
It’s looking like the right decision. Morales had a 1.48 ERA in 30.1 relief appearances in Double-A. He did struggle at the Triple-A level. The same was true when he gave the Phillies 5 frames during the regular season.
The story for Morales isn’t too different from McGarry’s. He strikes out batters at a high rate. He also walks them a ton. This pattern remained the same last season as a relief pitcher. While striking out guys at a rate of 12.4 per 9, he allowed 7.9 walks over the same time frame.
The organization doesn’t seem to mind high strikeout, high walk relievers. Jose Alvarado received an extension from the ball club recently. He’s an example of the two extremes. Alvarado has, however, gotten better. Working that same magic with a guy like Morales will be key for him to become a reasonable relief option for the club in the not too distant future.