3 Burning Questions Facing the Philadelphia Phillies Midway Through Spring Training

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Philadelphia Phillies once again have World Series aspirations in 2025, and seeds for a title run will have to be planted this spring.

Philadelphia boasts has a star-studded lineup and one of baseball’s top starting rotations, as has been the case for three years running. That core has come up in the playoffs each and every time, though, so something will have to change for the end result to be different.

Reporting live from spring training down in Florida, Fastball On SI staff writer Sam Connon broke down the three biggest questions hanging over the Rays midway through camp.

The Phillies lost a pair of All-Star relievers to free agency this winter, with Jeff Hoffman going to the Toronto Blue Jays and Carlos Estévez heading to the Kansas City Royals.

Jordan Romano is set to take over as closer after getting non-tendered by the Toronto Blue Jays in November. The two-time All-Star put up a 2.29 ERA, 1.076 WHIP and 8.4 WAR between 2020 and 2023, but he had a 6.59 ERA, 1.463 WHIP and -0.3 WAR during an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.

Romano has yet to take the mound in the Grapefruit League, so it remains to be seen if he has his mojo back.

Elsewhere in the bullpen, Joe Ross will join returning veterans in José Alvarado, José Ruiz and Matt Strahm. 23-year-old Orion Kerkering is also fresh off a breakout rookie year.

And with Jesús Luzardo arriving via a trade with the Miami Marlins to claim a spot in Philadelphia’s rotation, Taijuan Walker is set to take on a long relief role. He posted a 7.10 ERA and -1.6 WAR in 2024, pushing the Phillies to make the move for Luzardo.

Walker gave up two hits and one earned run in his spring training debut Sunday against the Blue Jays, seeming to get back into a groove. If he can be good for long outings out of the bullpen every now and then, the Phillies’ other relievers may avoid taking on more than they can handle.

Romano asserting himself as the undoubted closer would do the same, giving Philadelphia the chance to lock everyone else into consistent roles.

Kyle Schwarber has been dominating out of the Phillies’ leadoff spot for years now, but a change may be in the cards.

Manager Rob Thomson has left the door open to someone else taking over as his leadoff hitter in 2025. And while bumping Schwarber’s powerful bat down to the middle of the lineup would make sense, Thomson needs to land on a reliable replacement before making any moves.

Trea Turner could make the most sense as a leadoff hitter, as he hit .295 in 2024 and boasts a .296 batting average for his career. Turner was the Phillies’ leadoff man in their split squad spring training game against the Blue Jays on Sunday, so it’s clear that he is at least being considered.

In the 23 games he hit leadoff in 2022, Turner boasted a .337 batting average and .892 OPS. He filled that spot in the lineup 15 more times in 2023, only to hit .266 with a .674 OPS, so putting him in the position again in 2025 isn’t a no-doubter.

A speedster like Johan Rojas may be a fit, only he could lose his grip on a regular starting spot with Max Kepler coming in from the Minnesota Twins. Second baseman Bryson Stott is another option on the roster.

In the early days of camp, it seemed like Weston Wilson would sneak onto the Phillies’ Opening Day roster.

However, the utility man suffered an oblique strain in February and his status for the start of the regular season is suddenly in doubt. It isn’t as if Wilson is a superstar, but he has been able to produce at a high level in his limited big league action.

Catcher Rafael Marchán, infielder Edmundo Sosa and outfielder Rojas appear to have bench spots locked down, leaving one opening if Wilson hits the injured list.

Weight Loss of Philadelphia Phillies Reliever Could Trigger Bounce Back Season

Feb 12, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarado (46) prepares to warm up during a spring training workout at Carpenter Complex

There are cliches repeated at nauseum every year in preseason camp, and perhaps “best shape of my life” is the No. 1 thing that’s said.

But for Philadelphia Phillies star Jose Alvarado, that was actually the case.

The big left-hander is coming off the worst year he’s had with the Phillies since his first season with the team in 2021.

That year, he posted a 4.20 ERA and league average 100 ERA+ across his 64 outings and 55.2 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts.

In 2024, he had a similar 4.09 ERA and 100 ERA+ in 66 outings and 61.2 innings.

The glaring difference for Alvarado was his strikeout numbers were down, wringing up just 63 batters for a K/9 ratio of 9.2, the lowest of his career since his rookie season in 2017 when it was just 8.8 in 35 appearances.

One of the reasons for that was because he lost velocity on his pitches.

Per Baseball Savant, his dominant sinker averaged 97.8 mph in 2024 compared to 98.7 mph in 2023. His cutter, which he uses to play off his sinker, went from 93.1 mph with 6.3 inches of movement in 2023 to 92.5 mph with 5.5 inches of movement.

That might not seem like a huge difference, but in Major League Baseball where the margins between an out, a base hit and a home run are razor thin, it was enough for Alvardo to go from an elite reliever to an average one.

Philadelphia can’t have that this season.

They need Alvarado to turn back into what he was during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns when manager Rob Thomson could call upon the left-hander in any high-leverage situation with the confidence he would get the team out of the jam.

The good news is, Alvarado looked sharp in his spring debut.

He only threw one inning, but he didn’t allow a hit and struck out two batters.

Knowing he needed to bounce back after a down year in 2024, Alvarado said he focused on getting into better shape coming into camp.

“I had a great offseason. I changed my routine about eating. I lost weight. Latin people, we eat a lot of rice and beans. I switched for more protein, veggies. I came in in good shape and I’m so happy about the result today,” he said according to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Alvarado seems to have found his velocity again.

He hit 100 mph on the radar gun during that outing, an impressive feat this early in the spring as pitchers ramp up in preparation for Opening Day.

The goal the big lefty had this offseason was to lose weight so he could come to camp in better shape to prepare himself for a bounce back performance.

So far, so good.

Alternative rankings list reveal Carlos Alcaraz will face new threats at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Tomas Machac
he Indian Wells Masters is about to get underway in California, with Carlos Alcaraz looking to win the title for a third successive year.

With world No 1 Jannik Sinner absent as he serves his three-month suspension for failing a drugs test at Indian Wells last year, Alcaraz is the first favourite to lift the title at a tournament where he always feels at home.

Yet a glance at the ATP Race standings suggests the young Spaniard could face some new threats from in-form players who will be keen to chase the big prize money and ranking points up for grabs in Indian Wells.

The ATP Race rankings are based on results in 2025, with this calculation producing an end-of-year top eight that gain entry to the ATP Finals in Turin next November.

Sinner tops the ATP Race rankings after he claimed 2,000 ranking points in the only tournament he played this year so far at the Australian Open.

World No 2 Alexander Zverev is in second place in the ATP Race rankings after his run to the Australian Open final, yet it is the names just below that who could be among worth watching at Indian Wells.

This Canadian opted against playing in the Davis Cup for Canada last November as he took some time away from the sport to recharge his energies ahead of the 2025 season.

That decision has repeated some impressive rewards this year as Auger-Aliassime has more wins on his record than any other player in the men’s game.

His run to the Dubai Final saw him take his match win tally for this season to 15 and he is heading to Indian Wells in confident form.

“I feel like I’ve been digging very deep and pushing my body a lot these last few weeks,” said Auger-Aliassime after he lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai final.

PSG willing to make a lucrative offer for 20-year-old Barcelona star if his role diminishes under Hansi Flick – Report

This season, the midfield is one of the most competitive areas of the FC Barcelona team. Hansi Flick has up to seven players vying for the three midfield spots, and thus it is quite hard for any one of them to retain a starting spot.

Pedri has been a regular starter, while Frenkie de Jong and Marc Casadó are competing for the defensive midfielder role. The attacking midfield position is being contested by several players, including Dani Olmo, Gavi, Fermín López, and Pablo Torre.

Gavi started several games in this position after recovering from his injury, but lately, he has seen his importance decline in the team, especially with Dani Olmo back to full fitness. Still, there is no doubt that he remains one of Europe’s most exciting midfielders at just 20 years old.

As a result, other European clubs may attempt to lure him away. This already seems to be the case, as Fichajes reports that Paris Saint-Germain intends to submit an €80 million offer for him. If his importance in Hansi Flick’s team declines, they could look to take advantage of the situation.

PSG have moved for the Galacticos model that they deployed for many seasons and have now decided to bet in youth and promise. In Luis Enrique, they have an elite manager who knows how to improve players and they have been having a very good year so far.

The Spanish tactician knows Gavi well enough from their time together in the Spain national team and he could look to tempt the midfielder to join his exciting project at Parc des Princes. However, if there is any player who embodies Barcelona’s spirit, it is the 20-year-old.

Fans in football often seem to have a fickle memory and have already forgotten just how good Gavi was last season just before his ACL injury struck. They need to be cutting the Spaniard some slack as he works his way back to full fitness.

FC Barcelona’s expected squad for La Liga match against Real Sociedad

The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana return to La Liga action with a tough home game against Real Sociedad, and Hansi Flick is expected to call up the following players for Sunday’s clash:

Goalkeepers: 13. Iñaki Peña, 25. Wojciech Szczesny, 31. Diego Kochen

Defenders: 2. Pau Cubarsí, 3. Alejandro Balde, 4. Ronald Araujo, 5. Iñigo Martínez, 23. Jules Kounde, 24. Eric García, 32. Héctor Fort, 35. Gerard Martín

Midfielders: 6. Gavi, 8. Pedri, 14. Pablo Torre, 16. Fermín López, 17. Marc Casadó, 20. Dani Olmo, 21. Frenkie de Jong

Forwards: 7. Ferran Torres, 9. Robert Lewandowski, 11. Raphinha, 18. Pau Víctor, 19. Lamine Yamal

There is some very sad news for this one as Andreas Christensen has once again injured his calf just two days after getting the medical clearance and will miss another month of action, joining Marc-André ter Stegen (knee) and Marc Bernal (knee) as long-term injury absences. Pablo Torre should return to the squad after being left out of the Copa del Rey clash with Atlético Madrid, and Ansu Fati, who didn’t train on Saturday due to illness, misses out once again.

Predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1):

Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Iñigo, Martín; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski

The match kicks off at 4.15pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 3.15pm GMT (UK), 10.15am ET, 7.15am PT (USA), 8.45pm IST (India), and you can join us to follow and comment all the action.

Hansi Flick on right track to break legendary Barcelona manager’s historic run

Barcelona have been in exceptional form recently, and under Hansi Flick, they are not just chasing silverware but also aiming to set new records.

The German manager has made a strong impact, steering the team towards a highly successful run.

It must be noted that The Catalan giants ended 2024 on a disappointing note, suffering back-to-back defeats against Leganes and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

However, they have completely turned things around in 2025, going on an impressive unbeaten streak of 14 matches across all competitions.

During this period, they have secured 11 victories—five in La Liga, three in the Copa del Rey, two in the Spanish Super Cup, and one in the Champions League.

Alongside this, they have also registered three draws—one each in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. Their attacking firepower has been on full display, with the team scoring a remarkable 46 goals in these matches.

Already surpassed Xavi’s record

Hansi Flick is on the way to break Luis Enrique’s record. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Flick’s team has already surpassed the longest unbeaten run recorded under Xavi. In the 2022-23 season, Barcelona went 13 games without defeat at the start of 2023, winning 12 and drawing one before eventually falling to Manchester United in the Champions League.

Now, the team has its sights set on an even greater milestone—the record-breaking run under Luis Enrique in the 2015-16 season.

During that historic campaign, Barcelona put together an extraordinary 22-match unbeaten streak. It began on January 2, 2016, with a goalless draw against Espanyol and continued until April 2, when they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid in La Liga.

That remarkable stretch included 19 wins—12 in La Liga, five in the Copa del Rey, and two in the Champions League—along with three draws.

If Flick’s Barcelona can maintain their current momentum, they could soon find themselves matching or even surpassing that incredible record.

Arsenal legend’s Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus call proved right as Mikel Arteta faces music

Mikel Arteta’s attacking injury crisis at Arsenal is a reality he was given fair warning about.

Arsenal’s forward line has been hit hard with season-long injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, along with Bukayo Saka’s absence since December and Gabriel Martinelli’s current spell on the sidelines, denting the club’s Premier League title ambitions.

They now trail league leaders Liverpool by 13 points, although they have one game in hand. The squad depth was already a concern when Arteta opted for a last-minute loan deal for Raheem Sterling from Chelsea back in August, with the former England international failing to impress thus far.

The departures of Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace for £25m, Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham for an approximate fee of £27m, and Reiss Nelson’s loan move to the Cottagers, further exacerbated the issue, despite praise from Arsenal legend Alan Smith for the money raised by these exits.

Speaking to CasinoApps back in September, the ex-striker acknowledged the financial wisdom behind the sales. “Arsenal have generated good money for the academy boys,” he noted, via the Mirror. “Nketiah and Smith Rowe left for good sums, while Nelson went out on loan. That gave them an opportunity to raise some much-needed funds because of the new financial rules that the clubs have to adhere to.

“I do think the Gunners are a bit light through the middle in the striker position. Gabriel Jesus keeps on picking up injuries – he’s out at the moment – and we don’t know how close he is to fitness. It’s difficult to rely on him. If he is injured, then you’ve just got to have what you have, which isn’t ideal.”

Mikel Arteta can unlock Declan Rice with key Arsenal summer signing without spending a penny

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a move for Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich – and signing the Bayern Munich man could see Mikel Arteta transform Declan Rice.

Since Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham for an eye-watering £105m, he has played a pivotal role in Arteta’s squad. His ability to transition from a defensive position to leading an attack makes Rice an incredibly diverse player.

Where the 26-year-old has fallen this season is in his forward presence. Last season, Rice scored seven goals for Arsenal in the Premier League. The two seasons before that with the Irons, he scored five goals in each campaign.

This season so far, he has only bagged a single goal for Arsenal in the Premier League. The 26-year-old hasn’t been able to progress high up the pitch as he likes to do. However, paired alongside a player with the midfield presence of Kimmich, this could change for the better.

A key component of Kimmich’s play is his ability to control games from the centre of the field. With a player that has mountains of experience backing Rice up, the England international would feel much more comfortable pushing forward and playing a more advanced role.

The arrival of Kimmich wouldn’t just be an opportunity for Rice to unlock what fans already know he has, but the ex-West Ham captain could also learn a lot from the eight-time Bundesliga winner.

Portugal’s media reacts as Arsenal’s Fabio Vieira scores again for FC Porto playing in a new position

Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira has now played 30 games for FC Porto in all competitions whilst back on loan at his boyhood club this season.

In total, Vieira has now scored four goals and provided four assists for Porto and the Arsenal midfielder is seemingly improving with every game.

When he first arrived at the club, Mikel Arteta was incredibly excited about Vieira, stating his lofty ambitions for his new number 10.

However, the Portuguese midfielder never really enjoyed a consistent run of games in north London despite arriving all the way back in 2022.

Now, it’s hard to envision how Vieira will ever get the chance to star under Arteta, particularly given that Ethan Nwaneri is now making a strong case to replace Martin Odegaard as Arsenal’s number 10.

Fabio Vieira hailed as a ‘genius’ playing in a new position for FC Porto

Either way, it bodes well for the Gunners that Vieira is thriving out on loan, a player who is still under contract at Arsenal until 2027.

And following Vieira’s efforts for Porto against Arouca FC on Saturday evening in a 2-0 win, the Arsenal loanee was hailed as the best player on the pitch by Portuguese outlet A Bola.

Interestingly, Vieira played in a very unfamiliar position in the first half, sitting as one of Porto’s deep-lying midfielders, operating as a number six.

The Arsenal man played slightly further forward in the second half when he grabbed his goal, a performance that was said to have ‘unleashed the genius’.

Translated from Portuguese, A Bola wrote: “After scoring at Estadio do Dragao against V. Guimaraes in the previous round, the midfielder was once again instrumental in FC Porto’s victory in Arouca, scoring a goal that calmed the waters when the result was a complete unknown.

“He started the match playing as an 8-man, with Martin Anselmi asking him to take charge of the team’s attacking play, but in the second half he freed himself from some tactical constraints and began to show off his footballing skills.

“First, he sent a ball onto the crossbar, in yet another involved play, but in the second half he had an accurate shot that gave the team some confidence at a crucial moment in the game.

“He is gradually improving in form. The only blemish was the yellow card that ruled him out of the important match in Braga.”

Mikel Arteta didn’t make a mistake with Fabio Vieira

Of course, seeing how well Vieira is playing in Portugal, it’s easy to point the finger at Arteta accusing the Spaniard of making a mistake in the summer when allowing him to leave on loan.

However, Vieira had been struggling at Arsenal and seemingly lost a lot of confidence during a spell when he was often picking up injuries and not playing.

Arsenal take immediate action to STOP William Saliba from joining Real Madrid

Arsenal have hatched a plan to stop William Saliba from leaving for Real Madrid, with a report revealing how much the Gunners are willing to pay the central defender, as Los Blancos are said to be willing to offer £115.5million for a Germany international star.

Saliba has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League and is one of the first names on the Arsenal teamsheet. One of the major reasons why the Gunners have become regular challengers for the league title is because of the France international’s formidable partnership with Gabriel at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s team.

With Eder Militao and David Alaba having injury problems and Antonio Rudiger in his 30s, Madrid are on the hunt for a new centre-back and have identified Saliba as “an absolute priority”.

There have been reports that Madrid have already been in contact with Saliba’s entourage and are willing to pay a world-record transfer fee for a defender.

According to TBR, Arsenal have now responded to Madrid’s interest in Saliba by planning to open talks with the 23-year-old centre-back over a new deal.

The Gunners, who are aiming to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title this season, are ready to reward Saliba “with a significant pay increase and put him close to £250,000-a-week”.

The report has noted that such a pay-hike would see Saliba put “in the same category as the likes of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and the club’s highest paid player Kai Havertz”.

Arsenal are reportedly confident that Saliba can be convinced to sign a new deal and turn down the chance to move to Los Blancos.

The Gunners’ plan is to open talks with the defender in the coming months with a view to getting the paperwork sorted before the start of next season.

Saliba has made a total of 90 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. The defender has scored six goals, given two assists and kept 39 clean sheets in those games.