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Philadelphia Phillies: 3 things to know about new pitching coach Caleb Cotham

By David Esser

Feb 15, 2020; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds assistant pitcher coach Caleb Cotham, left, works with Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley (22), right, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, at the Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK
Feb 15, 2020; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds assistant pitcher coach Caleb Cotham, left, works with Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley (22), right, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, at the Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK /
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ARLINGTON, TX – JULY 29: Caleb Cotham #53 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the seventh inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 29, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – JULY 29: Caleb Cotham #53 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the seventh inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 29, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

He’s a former player!

One of the coolest aspects to Cotham’s story is that he’s a former MLB pitcher, who played fairly recently. He last pitched for the Reds in 2016, and made a handful of appearances with the Yankees the year prior as well. Cotham didn’t have a ton of personal success in the majors, as his career was derailed due to injury, but his recent playing career should help him connect on a more personal level with the some of the Phillies main arms.

Guys like Aaron Nola, Wheeler, and Eflin are all still very much in the prime of their careers, and could benefit working one-on-one with a guy who has MLB experience. Young bullpen arms like JoJo Romero and Connor Brogdon could do the same as well.

Injecting some youth into the organization is a step in the right direction for the Phillies, as a lot of successful organizations around the league have prioritized hiring former players to their coaching/front office staffs as well.

Cotham also briefly pitched for Joe Girardi during his rookie season, which was listed as a prominent reason for him choosing Philadelphia over other teams. Cotham and Girardi should definitely be on the same page sooner rather than later.

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