The 2024 season officially gets underway for the Philadelphia Phillies on Feb. 24 when they face the Toronto Blue Jays in their Spring Training opener.
Sure, it's an exhibition game, but it signals how close Opening Day is to actually coming up on the calendar.
The Phillies have bigger aspirations than anything that takes place during the regular season.
They have their sights set on bringing home a World Series title, something their owner said is time to make happen, but they still need a solid showing throughout the 162-game schedule to make that a possibility.
Depth pieces will be important during this time period as injuries, fatigue and poor performance can cause some roster changes.
Philadelphia was able to add to their pitching staff when handing former first round pick of the Atlanta Braves, Kolby Allard, a one-year deal this offseason.
He's struggled during his six-year career in Major League Baseball, but will have an opportunity to be a contributor either out of the bullpen or in the back-end of the rotation with the Phillies this year.
Allard will get his first chance to showcase what he can do as he will take the mound as the starter on Feb. 24 against the Blue Jays according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ideally for the 26-year-old, he performs well enough during Spring Training to solidify a spot on the Opening Day roster.
However, if Philadelphia doesn't feel like he should take up a spot early in the year, they can start him at Triple-A and wait until they need to call upon him to join their bullpen or rotation.
A lot will be determined by his performance on the mound.
Having a solid showing against Toronto would be a good first step.
More must-reads: