The Phillies saw the volatility of starting pitching firsthand in 2016. Four of the five members of their Opening Day rotation – Aaron Nola, Jeremy Hellickson, Vincent Velasquez, and Charlie Morton – all missed time due to injury in 2016. The team also saw pitching prospect Mark Appel and rookie Zach Eflin both undergo surgery. It was safe to say the team needed as much pitching depth as possible.
Team president Andy MacPhail has stressed the importance of pitching ever since joining the team in 2015.