CLEARWATER, Fla. - When the 2016 season began, Tommy Joseph was a minor-leaguer and Hector Neris was, in many minds, proof that the Phillies were in for another long season.
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That Neris made the opening-day roster despite the inconsistencies that had plagued his professional career seemed an indication that organizational pitching depth was still several levels away. That Joseph was still part of the organization despite numerous setbacks and just a few months after he was dropped from the 40-man roster bolstered that perception.