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The Phillies don’t seem eager to sign Craig Kimbrel

“I am not blind," Matt Klentak said. "I know that some of our key guys have had some tough outings so far in the first 10 days. I’ve watched it, I know it. ... We’re not going to pitch shutouts every single night but I like the depth that we have.”

Craig Kimbrel is still unsigned two weeks into the 2019 season, but Phillies general manager Matt Klentak doesn't seem interested.
Craig Kimbrel is still unsigned two weeks into the 2019 season, but Phillies general manager Matt Klentak doesn't seem interested.Read moreMatt Slocum / AP

A few late losses in the first stretch of the season does not seem to be enough impetus for the Phillies to change their course and make a splash by adding closer Craig Kimbrel.

The Phillies were hesitant at the start of the season to add a reliever, even though Kimbrel remained a free agent after his long-term contract demands stifled interest. The Phillies, after a busy winter, have roughly $18 million to spend before hitting the luxury-tax threshold. Kimbrel, who made $13 million last year with Boston, would push them near the brink.

General manager Matt Klentak was asked before Wednesday night’s series finale against the Nationals whether anything had changed with the team’s interest in Kimbrel.

“I feel really good about the construction of our bullpen,” Klentak said after declining to mention Kimbrel by name, because he is a free agent. “I am not blind. I know that some of our key guys have had some tough outings so far in the first 10 days. I’ve watched it, I know it. Some of them will have more bad outings. We’re not going to pitch shutouts every single night, but I like the depth that we have.”

The Phillies lost Tuesday night, when the bullpen collapsed while three relievers -- Pat Neshek, David Robertson, and Adam Morgan -- were rested by manager Gabe Kapler. The team’s first loss of the season came last week in Washington, when Robertson walked three straight batters, the final one with the bases loaded.

The Phillies invested $74 million the last two winters to add Neshek, Robertson, Juan Nicasio, and Tommy Hunter. Nicasio, who is earning $9 million this year after being tacked on by Seattle in the Jean Segura trade, is not one of Kapler’s trusted arms. Hunter is out indefinitely with an arm injury after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection last week.

The Phillies’ bullpen is near the major-league average in ERA and has compiled the fourth-fewest innings in the National League. It has baseball’s ninth-highest slugging percentage allowed, but it is still lower than those of the Mets, Braves, and Marlins. The two losses stand out, but there are much less-efficient bullpens that have been relied on more heavily than the Phillies'.

After signing Harper, the Phillies touted their financial flexibility and that they would not be handcuffed later in the season just because they landed the superstar free agent. Two tough losses in the first 10 games might not be enough for the Phillies to cash in that flexibility and make a move that would limit them in June or July.

“I’m very encouraged by the fact that Robertson and Seranthony [Domínguez] have looked much more like themselves in recent outings," Klentak said. “Neshek and Morgan look like they’re back to being the best version of themselves this year. I’m encouraged that, in triple A, we have Victor Arano doing very well right now after a tough spring. Enyel De Los Santos punched out 10 in five innings the other day.

"I think we have reinforcements to come if and when we need them. I trust in the track record of our group. They’re not going to be perfect every night. In the best of times, they’re not going to be perfect every night, and certainly, when you’re facing lineups like the Washington Nationals, they’re good hitters, and sometimes they’re going to get our guys, and sometimes we’re going to get theirs.”

Extra bases

Roman Quinn’s rehab assignment was transferred to triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, and he could join the Phillies as soon as this weekend. His rehab assignment ends on April 24, and the Phillies must activate him by then or place him on waivers. ... The Phillies are off Thursday before opening a three-game series in Miami on Friday against the last-place Marlins. Jake Arrieta will match up against right-hander Sandy Alcantara; Zach Eflin will go against left-hander Caleb Smith on Saturday; and Vince Velasquez will match up against right-hander Jose Urena in the series finale. “This weekend is a little bit of a trap series for us,” Klentak said. “Heading into Miami, I think the environment will be a little bit different, and I really think we need to keep the same level of focus.”