Phillies Reassign Former First-Round Pick in Flurry of Roster Moves

The Philadelphia Phillies made moves with six more players as they try to get their opening day roster down to the required 26 players.

Feb 20, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Christian Arroyo (22) participates in media day at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The questions surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies’ opening day roster are dwindling with every move the franchise makes to get down to the 26 players required for opening day.

With three spring training games remaining, the Phillies optioned two players to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and reassigned four more to minor-league camp.

The optioned players were outfielder Cal Stevenson and right-handed pitcher Kyle Tyler. The players reassigned were infielder Christian Arroyo, catcher Josh Breaux, right-handed pitcher Nabil Crismatt and outfielder Oscar Mercado.

The moves were reported by several outlets, including the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The most notable move is Arroyo, a 29-year-old who was the San Francisco Giants’ first-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft out of high school. He reached the Majors in 2017 with the Giants but only played 34 games before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

He’s also played for the Cleveland Guardians and the Boston Red Sox. He was with Boston from 2021-23 and for his MLB career he has slashed .252/.299/.394/.693 with 24 home runs and 120 RBI. He spent last season in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization but was never called up.

The 28-year-old Stevenson qualifies as a journeyman now, as he’s had cups of coffee with the Athletics in 2022, the Giants in 2023 and the Phillies last season. With Philadelphia, he played in 18 games and slashed .250/.333/.375/.708 with six RBI. He’ll be on standby with the Iron Pigs if the Phillies need a fill-in due to injury.

The 28-year-old Tyler also has Major League experience with three teams but hasn’t pitched for the Phillies in a Major League game. Philadelphia claimed him off waivers last August and assigned him to Lehigh Valley, where he finished the season.

In the Majors, Tyler is 1-2 with a 4.31 ERA in 15 games (seven starts). He has 33 strikeouts and 25 walks in 31.2 innings.

Breaux, Crismatt and Mercado will remain in Clearwater and await their minor league assignments while getting more work.

Breaux has never played in the Majors but ended last season with Lehigh Valley. He is potential depth if the Phillies need help at catcher.

Crismatt has five Major League seasons under his belt and is 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA in 114 games, mostly in relief.

Mercado did not play in the Majors last season, but he spent the previous five seasons with the Cleveland Guardians and the St. Louis Cardinals as a part-time outfielder.

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