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Young group to vie for Phillies' 5th starter spot

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- If the Phillies don't acquire a veteran starting pitcher in the coming weeks, what is Plan B?

Simple: They will have their most critical roster battle of the spring.

MLB.com is looking Tuesday at the biggest roster battles for every team in baseball. Everybody knows that Aaron Nola is a lock to make the Phillies' rotation. Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta are favorites for three other jobs.

Eickhoff is a favorite because of his solid performance before he battled injuries last season. He posted a 3.