Phillies manager says Gomez will open season as closer

Despite adding Joaquin Benoit to their bullpen earlier this winter, the Philadelphia Phillies will start the season with Jeanmar Gomez as their closer, manager Pete Mackanin indicated Thursday, following his strong performance in the ninth-inning role in 2016.

"Gomez was so good for us for (five) months, he deserves right out of spring training to be our closer," Mackanin said during an appearance on MLB Network Radio.

Gomez, who had notched one save in 185 career appearances prior to the 2016 campaign, was thrust into the ninth-inning job in April after both David Hernandez and Dalier Hinojosa failed to endear themselves to Mackanin, and the 28-year-old right-hander instantly thrived. Through the first half of the season, Gomez converted 24 of 26 save opportunities and fashioned a 2.59 ERA over 41 2/3 innings. He struggled considerably after the All-Star break, stumbling to a 9.90 ERA over his final 24 outings, but still finished the campaign with 37 saves - the ninth-highest single-season mark in franchise history - and did enough to hang on to his job for 2017, at least to start the season.

Gomez, however, might not have the longest leash with Benoit in the fold. Though he has just 51 career saves on his resume, the 39-year-old right-hander has quietly been one of the game's best relievers for the better part of the last decade. Since 2010, only 15 relievers have accrued more WAR than Benoit (6.5), who owns a 2.40 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over that span while averaging 63 appearances per season.

This past season, Benoit got off to a dreadful start in Seattle, but rebounded immediately following a midseason trade to Toronto, allowing just one run in his final 25 appearances to finish the campaign with a 2.81 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 48 innings.