The Philadelphia Phillies have made a roster decision on a World Baseball Classic standout.
The Philadelphia Phillies are starting to crunch their roster as we inch closer and closer to Opening Day, and on Wednesday morning, they made a move with a player who starred at the World Baseball Classic.
The Phillies have optioned outfielder Dante Nori to minor-league camp, right after Nori slashed .400/.435/.750 with a couple of home runs and six RBI over 24 plate appearances for Team Italy.
Nori has only played seven games for Philadelphia in Spring Training, managing two hits across 11 trips to the dish.
The 21-year-old is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Phillies' system. He was originally selected by Philadelphia with the 27th overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Because of the Phillies' question marks in the outfield heading into 2026, some fans have already expressed frustration over the team's decision to option Nori, especially after how well he played in the WBC.
However, given Nori's age and the fact that he has barely gotten any playing time in Spring Training due to his WBC trip, this was always going to happen.
Dante Nori. Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images.Philadelphia's starting outfield is currently made up of Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford and Adolis Garcia, and the Phillies certainly weren't going to put Nori on the bench where he wouldn't be getting consistent reps.
Plus, Nori still clearly needs some more seasoning.
The Toronto native slashed .261/.361/.372 with four homers and 47 RBI across 577 trips to the dish between Single-A and Double-A last season. He did steal 52 bases, and his plate discipline is impressive, but Nori isn't quite ready for the big leagues just yet.
Perhaps there is a chance that Nori will be called up at some point in 2026, but given the fact that he does not turn 22 until October, even that seems relatively unlikely.
MLB's estimated time of arrival for Nori is 2027, so maybe we will see the youngster next season.
Aggravation has been a hallmark of Phillies fans throughout the offseason, as the team mostly stayed pat over the winter and actually lost some significant pieces via free agency.
Regardless, Philadelphia is still viewed as one of the top teams in the National League. The Phillies will open up at home against the Texas Rangers next Thursday.
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