FORT MYERS, Fla. - However the Phillies' bench shapes up - whether it features four or five men during the first week of the regular season - one thing is a must:
"We need somebody who can play shortstop, absolutely," manager Gabe Kapler said.
"We need someone who can play multiple positions in the infield on our bench and someone who can play multiple positions in our outfield on the bench. That's a necessity."
Kapler has taken a long look at Roman Quinn at shortstop the last two days. Quinn played four innings there Sunday against the Twins. He was there for the entire game Monday against the Red Sox.
Quinn grew up playing shortstop and outfield. He broke into pro ball as a shortstop but moved to center field during the 2014 season, when it became clear that J.P. Crawford was the shortstop of the future. Now, Quinn is relearning the shortstop position so he can potentially serve as a utility man on the Phillies' bench. He'd be an intriguing talent to have on the bench because he's a switch-hitter with electrifying speed.
As a shortstop, the Phillies won't be looking for Quinn to be a Gold Glover. They need someone to make the play on an emergency or fill-in basis. Quinn made three plays in Monday's game. He short-hopped one throw and Carlos Santana made the pick. He knocked down one ball, recovered and made a strong throw for an out. He made a nice play on a groundball while shifted behind second. It wasn't the prettiest exhibition, but it got the job done.
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"The more I play there, the more comfortable I'm getting," Quinn said. "I'm enjoying it. I'd like to think I can play any position. It's fun coming in from center field and playing shortstop. I love it."
Quinn turns 25 in May. Some schools of thought might come down against carrying a player of his potential as a reserve. Certainly, more time in Triple A would not hurt him, especially after missing more than three months with an elbow injury last year. But the Phillies are open to the possibility of carrying Quinn. His shortstop audition the last two days has made that clear.
"Everyday reps at the minor-league level are incredibly valuable," Kapler said. "However, because a guy is on the bench at the major-league level doesn't mean his development is stunted. He's getting a different kind of experience and a really valuable experience."
Tom Eshelman was charged with four runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Phils squandered a three-run lead and lost, 6-5, to Boston.
Aaron Altherr drove in four runs. He belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning against Boston ace Chris Sale. Cesar Hernandez grinded out a long at-bat before striking out and Santana and Rhys Hoskins both walked before the home run.
"When you have a guy like Sale, making him work is critical," Kapler said. "Cesar's punchout was an incredible at-bat. Santana and Hoskins made him work. [Sale] gets a little fatigued and Altherr gets a pitch to whack. So Altherr hitting a home run doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens as a result of team baseball."
