Phils look to complement young stars at Meetings

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies could certainly use a few things before Spring Training begins in February. But they still want to see how many of their young players rise to the occasion in 2017, and the only way they can see that is if they play them.

So expect few surprises, if any, next week at the Winter Meetings. But Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said recently the front office remains committed to exploring options for improving the 2017 team.

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MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C. Fans can watch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

Club needs

Hitter: The Phillies acquired Howie Kendrick in a trade with the Dodgers on Nov. 11. He hit .255 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and a .691 OPS last season. Kendrick is expected to be the Phils’ everyday left fielder, which leaves them little wiggle room for another bat because they are committed to young players elsewhere. But there is no doubt Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and his coaching staff would love more help on offense.

If the Phillies add another hitter, it seems likely it would be somebody that helps in a reserve role, either as an extra outfielder or possibly somebody who could share time at first base with Tommy Joseph. Of course, if they find the right trade partner, all bets are off.

Catcher: Mackanin said he would like a veteran catcher to back up Cameron Rupp, but the team already has three catchers on the 40-man roster: Rupp, Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, the Phillies’ No. 11 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. ESPN.com reported there is mutual interesting in A.J. …

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