CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Phillies said goodbye to one lefty reliever on Sunday and hello to another.
Veteran Sean Burnett asked for and was granted his unconditional release from his minor-league contract.
Meanwhile, Hoby Milner returned to the organization after spending the spring in big-league camp with the Cleveland Indians. Milner was selected by the Indians in the Rule 5 draft in December but was unable to win a spot in that club's bullpen. Players selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend the entire season in the big leagues or be offered back to their original club for $50,000, half the selecting cost.
The Indians won the American League pennant last season and have a strong lefty presence in their bullpen with Andrew Miller and Boone Logan. So Milner was a long shot to make the club.
"It was my first big-league camp and it was a great experience," Milner said. "It's been a bit of a whirlwind. I feel like it's almost a 50-50 shot at coming back when you're a Rule 5 guy. They're trying to get back to the World Series and they're trying to go with a sure thing more so than a Rule 5 guy and I understand that. I knew I would have had to really impress if I wanted to be a third lefty and it just didn't work out. It's OK. It's just how it is. It's a business.
"But it was a great experience. Their bullpen is full of veterans. I got to pick those guys' brains and see how they go about their business and that was good."
Milner pitched seven innings for the Tribe in Cactus League play. He gave up nine hits and seven runs. He struck out nine and walked three.
MLB
Milner, 26, was selected by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Texas. He had a breakthrough season in 2016 after switching to a sidearm delivery at the suggestion of Rafael Chaves, the Phillies' minor-league pitching coordinator. Milner pitched in 49 games at Double A and Triple A and recorded a 2.49 ERA in 65 innings. He gave up 57 hits, struck out 76 and walked 15.
Milner is not on the Phillies' 40-man roster, but the team brought him to big-league camp for a quick look before opening day. He will start the season in the minors and try to build on the strides he made last year. He believes he tightened up his breaking ball during his brief time with the Indians and he also gained confidence.
"You feel valued when a team like that puts you on their 40-man," he said. "Now I'm here and it's just like a new chapter.
"I feel like I'm more on the map now. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to come to big-league camp over here. I assumed when I was sent back to the Phillies that I would go straight back to minor-league camp, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to come out here and for the staff to get to see me pitch because I'm a little different pitcher than I was last year. You're constantly evolving and I feel like I got better when I was there with the Indians."
Burnett had an out in his contract this weekend that he could exercise if he wasn't going to make the 25-man roster. The Phillies appear to have two spots open in their bullpen with five relievers in the running -- Adam Morgan, Joely Rodriguez, Alec Asher, Luis Garcia and Cesar Ramos. Ramos is a long shot because he's not on the 40-man roster.
Team officials were expected to meet late Sunday as they begin the finalize the 25-man roster. Opening day is a week from Monday.
