Lively will compete for the Phillies' final rotation spot during spring training, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
The Phillies currently have four locks to open the season in their rotation, leaving Lively to compete with the likes of Mark Leiter, Jake Thompson and Zach Eflin for the lone remaining spot. This could still change if Philadelphia goes out and signs another starter, as they are one of a few teams linked to free agent Jake Arrieta. While Lively posted what looks like a respectable 4.26 ERA across 15 starts (88.2 innings) in his first taste of the majors last season, ERA estimators suggest that mark could have easily been a run higher (5.58 xFIP, 5.27 SIERA). The soon-to-be 26-year-old also posted a lackluster 5.3 K/9, so even if he earns a rotation spot with a strong spring training, his upside is limited.