Phillies Closer Battle Becoming Surprisingly Interesting

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY SportsHalfway through Spring Training, the position battle for the Phillies' closer role has offered more questions than answers.

Three weeks ago, after pitchers and catchers had reported but Grapefruit league games had not yet begun, the Phillies closer battle didn't seem like much of a contest at all. Early in the offseason, the Phillies signed David Hernandez to a one-year contract. They traded Ken Giles three days later and the assumption became that the closer's job was Hernandez's to lose.

That assumption made a lot of sense. Aside from Hernandez, the Phillies bullpen had few reliable options. Luis Garcia, Dalier Hinojosa, Jeanmar Gomez, and Hector Neris were…