Sosa reignites debate over his role with the Phillies
Utility infielder again makes case for more playing time
Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/4ebhvpnn
PHILADELPHIA — According to Jerry Seinfeld, “People like to say salsa.”
Around here, people like to say Sosa.
Edmundo Sosa delivered again Tuesday night, much to the delight of Phillies fans.
The Phillies lost to the Chicago Cubs in the second installment of their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park, but Sosa injected life into the lineup — the kind of spark he often seems to provide when he starts.
“I just keep working every day on the things I have to do,” Sosa said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “During the days I didn’t play, I kept working on anything that we needed. Always ready, always focused. We have a plan when we go out to work.”
Sosa crushed a three-run homer to center field — 442 feet, just left of the shrubbery — in the second inning to put the Phils and right-hander Aaron Nola up 3-0, passionately waving a hand in the air as he rounded the bases.
He lined a double into the left-field corner to lead off a rally in the eighth, later coming home to help account for all four Phillies runs in the 10–4 defeat.
After that double, he made a questionable decision to take third on a Justin Crawford flyout to center, but replay confirmed he slipped the tag. It was an exhilarating moment.
And he played a virtually flawless third base in place of Alec Bohm.
If salsa is an underrated condiment that should be on every restaurant table, Sosa is an underrated player who should be on every major league roster — and perhaps play every day.
Such a flavor jolt is hard to come by.
Manager Rob Thomson wanted to give Bohm a breather Tuesday and get Sosa some consistent at-bats. It was his first start in a week.
The effort was vintage Sosa and again raised the question: Is there a way this super-utility man can play every day?
The manager bobbed his head sideways — considering all the stats and analytics and previous forays down that road. Right now, he won’t commit to more than a day or so.
“If he keeps performing, we’ve got to find a way to get him in,” Thomson said. “He’s gonna play (Wednesday) against a lefty.”
Sosa is a natural athlete. He has played a ton of shortstop in his career, particularly with the St. Louis Cardinals. But since arriving here in 2022, he mainly fills in at third for Bohm and at second for Bryson Stott, both of whom have been scuffling at the plate this year. (Once in a blue moon, the Phillies have experimented with Sosa in left field.)
After nights like Tuesday, the debate gets louder about whether he should be the full-time starter at third base.
Sosa, 30, is only five months older than Bohm. Both of their contracts are up at the end of the season. Bohm, a homegrown Phillies product, is making $7.7 million this year. Sosa is making $3 million.
Asked if salary plays a role in who gets more playing time, Thomson was unequivocal.
“No, never,” he said. “Not the salary, no. Never. It’s all about performance. … Performance is everything.”
Bohm hasn’t exactly won the hearts and minds of Phillies fans lately. The team has been open to moving him the last two offseasons but didn’t receive enough of a bite. He’s slashing .155/.231/.224 this April, though he’s had some better at-bats recently.
Speaking of that eighth-inning rally Sosa started, it could have been much more. Thomson sent Bohm up to pinch hit for the red-hot Brandon Marsh against Cubs lefty Caleb Thielbar. The bases were loaded and the Phils were down by four. He struck out.
A smattering of boos surfaced among the fans still remaining, and a stream toward the exits ensued.
Bohm plays nearly every day. Sosa fills in, often against left-handed pitching or when the Phillies want a defensive boost late in games. Offensively, the difference starts with consistency.
Since both players arrived in Philadelphia in 2022, Bohm has been productive against both sides of pitching. During that span he has hit roughly .301/.349/.446 against left-handers and .269/.317/.404 against right-handers, numbers that make him playable every day.
Sosa’s splits tell a different story.
Against left-handed pitching he has been excellent, hitting about .292/.335/.455 since joining the Phillies. Against right-handers the production falls to roughly .236/.285/.364.
That gap can’t be ignored. It’s why Sosa is often in the lineup when a lefty starts but not when a right-hander takes the mound. A bench player who mashes one type of pitching is still incredibly useful. It just doesn’t always translate to everyday value.
Manager Rob Thomson appreciates the flexibility.
“He’s ready every day,” Thomson said. “Whenever you put him in there, he gives you good at-bats and plays good defense.”
Sosa said he embraces the role.
“I just try to help the team,” he said. “If they need me to start, I start. If they need defense late, I do that.”
Defense keeps the debate alive
Where Sosa really strengthens the argument to play every day is in the field. He is the quicker athlete and the better range defender at third base. His first step and lateral movement allow him to reach balls deep in the hole that many third basemen cannot get to.
Bohm, though, has gradually improved. After struggling early in his career, he has settled into something close to league-average defense at third base over the past couple seasons. He handles routine plays more consistently and charges slow rollers with confidence.
That improvement shrinks the defensive gap enough that Bohm’s more complete offensive profile still carries the day.
In other words: Sosa might be the flashier defender, but Bohm still provides the more stable everyday package.
The Stott comparison
If Sosa has another path to more starts, it might be at second base.
Stott, who’s struggling so far this year, has been the Phillies’ regular there since 2022. Like Bohm, he produces against both sides of pitching — .248/.301/.344 against lefties and .277/.339/.415 versus righties.
Sosa’s slash is decidedly better against left-handers than Stott’s. The Phillies have leaned into that dynamic at times, with Sosa getting spot starts at second. In 2023, he produced a 146 wRC+ against southpaws, hitting .318/.362/.533 in those situations.
Defensively, Stott is excellent (despite being tagged with an error on Tuesday). Statcast metrics have consistently rated him among the better defensive second basemen in the league. In 2023, he recorded eight Outs Above Average, ranking in the 94th percentile. But Sosa is still a plus defender at second base.
It’s Stott’s combination of solid offense against right-handers, passable production against lefties, speed and strong defense that maintains him as the everyday option. At least for now.
The right role
What Sosa does best might be exactly what he did Tuesday.
He jumps into the lineup, creates energy and forces the other team to work. He can play third, second or shortstop and often improves the defense when he enters late.
And when the matchup favors him — especially against left-handed pitching — he can be more than a role player. But over a full season, the broader offensive profiles of Bohm and Stott still matter.
That is why the Phillies keep Sosa exactly where he is: one of the most useful bench players in the National League.
And one of the most reliable sparks when the lineup needs one.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.