Youth and hope will abound at Phillies camp

Jake Thompson scanned the near-empty clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park last month and saw other Phillies prospects who, like him, may not return to that room in 2016. But Forget that. Thompson, traded for one of the greatest pitchers in Phillies history, visualized a new era.

He saw a former No. 1 pick who needed a second chance; an athletic outfielder from Texas with pop; a college catcher from California who batted .308; a Dominican with a 100-mph fastball; and a Rule 5 pick who lashed 10 triples and stole 28 bases for the Montgomery Biscuits.

"It's pretty amazing looking around at, not just the talent, but how young the talent is," said Thompson, who arrived from the Rangers in the Cole Hamels trade. "We're not done growing yet. We're not 26 or 27. We're still growing as people and as baseball players."

The 22-year-old Texan nodded, and said what most are thinking: "It should be fun to see how it pans out."

The next six weeks in idyllic Clearwater, Fla., are a time to dream. The Phillies have invited 66 players to spring training, including a collection of young talent that has morphed the Phillies from hopeless to hopeful.

J.P. Crawford, for a few Grapefruit League innings, will pair with Maikel Franco to form the left side of the infield. Nick Williams, who also came from Texas in the Hamels trade, and Roman Quinn will roam the outfield. Thompson, Mark Appel, and Vincent Velasquez will make their best impressions as potential starters. Andrew Knapp will catch them.

And then, sometime in March, the prospects will take the short walk from Bright House Field to the Carpenter Complex and await their minor-league assignments.

Patience is not the sexiest thing in sports, but expect to hear Phillies officials stress that in spring training. Prospects are just that, and they will not be rushed to the majors. Some will prosper, others will fail. The more lottery tickets the better, and that was this winter's philosophy.

The Phillies will not score many runs in 2016. The rotation, almost entirely remade from last season, is still an unfinished product. The bullpen is a 200-piece puzzle of waiver claims, veteran reclamation projects, and middling homegrown arms.

But this season is about the transition from one era to the next, and the spring is a chance to develop that identity in a crowded clubhouse. That is why the Phillies will bring 23 players who are 25 or younger to camp.

"In a lot of big-league camps, there are one or two young guys who are invited and they're shell-shocked," Thompson said. "They're looking around and there's a 32-year-old shortstop, a 35-year-old first baseman. But it's going to be cool. You can look around and it's all young guys. It's all guys we know. We're friends. It's just exciting."

There are practical reasons for having a young camp. For one, Phillies officials have seen little live action of the players acquired in recent trades. Of the 66 players invited, just 18 were in big-league camp with the Phillies last spring.

Plus, a new front office tends to value players differently than the previous regime did.

"I need to learn a lot," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "I haven't seen most of these guys play in person very much at all. For me, I'm excited to get down there and see these guys. As an organization, I think it's important to have competition, to bring in a combination of veterans and young players. That's the way you build rosters, to create good, healthy competition."

Much of the major-league roster, though, is decided - except for the jumbled bullpen, where just about every job is open. The 13 position players who will break camp in April are near locks, including Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel, barring an injury.

The best competition could be for who starts the season between triple-A Lehigh Valley and double-A Reading. The influx of young starting pitchers makes for interesting rotation decisions at those affiliates. Good springs could propel some prospects above others, at least to start 2016.

Manager Pete Mackanin, who had the interim tag removed from his title at the conclusion of 2015, will make adjustments to the spring's drills and emphasis because of the roster's relative youth.

"I want to try to win games by improving incrementally," Mackanin said. "Instead of going from A to Z, I want to try to zero in on specific plays. I want to be so good at three or four little things, instead of 10 or 12, that are going to help us win games."

A large part of Mackanin's job will be to foster some sort of cohesiveness among a group of exiting veterans, stopgap players, and future core talents. The Phillies could have added other veteran players through free agency this winter but decided against it - the difference between, say, a 68- or 70-win team was not worth the potential sacrifice of playing time for a younger player.

The manager will look for some of those younger players to emerge as leaders. Aaron Nola, 22 and less than two years removed from college, is one.

"I feel like the chemistry is there, and it will continue to get better," Nola said.

Both Thompson and Mark Appel, the former top pick acquired from Houston as a part of the package for Ken Giles, cited the Astros as a model. They are, of course, the most recent example of success following a lengthy rebuild. Houston lost 416 games in four seasons before a surprise postseason appearance in 2015.

"I definitely feel the same culture is being created here," Appel said. "We have a lot of talented players in the organization."

"You have to go through a rough period," Thompson said, "to get to the good again."

In 2016, at least, it will be a different sort of losing for these Phillies.

mgelb@philly.com

@MattGelb