Joe Girardi’s best friend is back.
He’s back and it’s like he never left (literally)!
The Phillies announced on Sunday they signed infielder Ronald Torreyes to a minor league contract with an invite to the big-league camp. The fan-favorite utilityman provides solid infield defense, and good clubhouse morale-boosting.
Torreyes appeared in 111 games for the Phillies last season and hit seven home runs. He provided solid defense at third base in 55 of those games when Alec Bohm was struggling. Torreyes is a solid option for Triple-A depth, and it’s likely he will see major league playing time at some point this season because, well, injuries. He probably will not crack the Opening Day roster this season.
If Ronald Torreyes plays for the major league team this season, it is set to mark the fifth time in eight years he has played for manager Joe Girardi.
28-year-old third baseman Johan Camargo is projected to be the replacement for Torreyes on the bench. It would be nice to see the 2022 Phillies bench consist of Camargo, Matt Vierling, Adam Haseley, and Garrett Stubbs. Stubbs is the best option for the Phillies currently to serve as the backup catcher.
In addition to announcing the signing of Torreyes, the Phillies also signed catcher Austin Wynns and right-handed pitcher Dillon Maples. Wynns saw limited time in the big leagues last season with Baltimore and provides always needed catching depth, while Maples pitched 31.1 innings with the Chicago Cubs and will give the team another bullpen arm in the minors in case of injury.
Only a couple more weeks until Opening Day, and it’ll be interesting to see how Dave Dombrowski constructs his second Phillies Opening Day roster.