LAKELAND, Fla. — The Phillies split their squad and played two games Monday afternoon, so when the home game at BayCare Ballpark ended, hitting coach Kevin Long went to his computer to watch what Johan Rojas did across the bay against the Yankees. Long saw Rojas pull a Carlos Rodón slider to deep left that he just missed. He saw Rojas smack one of his hardest-hit balls to the opposite field only for it to be caught. He saw Rojas take three pitches — all strikes — in his third at-bat.

The next morning, when Long saw Rojas, he started with a joke.

“​What, did you need a strikeout or something?” Long said. “Because you didn’t even swing.”

This was illustrative — for a few reasons. With a week left of spring training, the club has yet to make its biggest roster decision. Rojas, who has not performed well this spring in his quest to become the starting center fielder, is testing the limits of how meaningless Grapefruit League results are. Team officials and coaches harbored one fear — that Rojas’ confidence would be damaged by constant failure.

That is not the case. So far. Long can tease his young outfielder. That strikeout Monday was his first in 10 days.

“What he’s doing mechanically is really coming together,” Long said. “I’m just proud of the kid that he’s stayed the course. He’s been diligent in his work. And you know what? I kept telling him, like, ‘We have to keep trusting it. Keep going. Keep trusting the process.’ And he’s doing that. The last week has been — literally, it’s been incredible.”

The team’s decision-makers met Tuesday morning to review the overall roster situation. They made a few cuts in the afternoon; the camp roster is still bloated at 50 players. The Phillies leave Florida on Monday evening. They have three bullpen spots to fill; Orion Kerkering will pitch Wednesday in a minor-league game after missing almost three weeks with an illness and might not be ready for Opening Day.

But center field is the focus. There could be a verdict later this week, manager Rob Thomson said.

The club, according to team sources, is still leaning in Rojas’ direction. There are arguments for keeping Rojas and for demoting him to Triple A, and all of those scenarios were discussed Tuesday morning. No decisions have been made. The Phillies will continue to monitor Rojas’ at-bats. He chased some pitches in four hitless at-bats in Tuesday night’s scoreless tie with the Tigers. He is hitting .156/.174/.267 this spring.

The Phillies asked Rojas to implement major swing adjustments, and in doing so, they told him not to pay attention to the results. So, it would be somewhat disingenuous for the Phillies to do so. They wanted Rojas to chase less. They wanted him to improve his bunting. They wanted him to refine his swing. They have seen some gains in those areas.

But this decision is and was always about how much offense the Phillies are willing to sacrifice at one position on the field. They can expect offense from just about every other spot. They know Rojas will bat ninth and play an elite center field.

Some of this equation was predetermined. The Phillies did not pursue significant outfield upgrades because they did not want to impede Rojas or Brandon Marsh. They wanted insurance, but not someone who would block them. So, as the Phillies evaluate the roster possibilities now, it is natural to conclude that Rojas is the best option. That is how they arranged it before camp started.

The debate is not necessarily Rojas or Cristian Pache, who does not project as an everyday player. Pache would be an extra outfielder who starts against lefties; this is how most of the industry views Pache. If Rojas isn’t the everyday center fielder, the Phillies would be committing to regular playing time for Whit Merrifield as the left fielder. Marsh would be in center.

The Phillies like the idea of Merrifield starting two or three times a week. If he had to step in for an injured regular, they are comfortable with that. But they believe Merrifield wore down in 2023 because he was a regular from the beginning of the season until the end.

That doesn’t mean Merrifield cannot protect Rojas. If the Phillies feel like they need more offense in a specific matchup, they can slide Marsh to center and play Merrifield in left. The last roster spot would be between Pache and Jake Cave, and it’s possible that another team will claim the odd man out on waivers.

But, knowing this was a potential outcome, the Phillies have done well to supplement their outfield depth since spring training began. They signed veterans David Dahl and Jordan Luplow to minor-league contracts; both players are expected to go to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Dahl, a lefty hitter, has had a solid spring. Luplow asked for his release while in Braves camp and he gives the Phillies another right-handed-hitting outfielder. They would be the first considerations if there is an injury in the majors.

The Phillies have long optimized for offense, so this is an unusual dynamic for the organization. Their pitching has improved and, too often in 2023, they fell victim to misplays and extra bases surrendered by a shaky outfield. This is why Rojas, hardly an unfinished product, is intriguing despite the unattractive spring stat line. Long has urged Rojas — and others in the organization — to look beyond that.

“I really, really like what I’m seeing from him,” Long said. “And I like the way he’s processing information and giving me feedback. He’s right on — with everything.”

The Phillies have challenged Rojas by often batting him at the top of Grapefruit League lineups so he receives the most at-bats against big-league pitching. It has not always felt like a true competition because team officials know they are best positioned with Rojas in center. (Marsh, who returned to game action last week, has yet to play an inning in center.) The Phillies will just have to determine how patient they can be with Rojas’ bat.

The decision that is made later this week is not forever. If the Phillies don’t see enough progress from Rojas in April or May, they can send him to the minors and reassess. Maybe they’re in the market for an outfielder come July.

Or maybe Rojas sticks with his swing changes and does enough as a No. 9 hitter who is there to make everything else better in center field.

On Tuesday morning, after Long joked with Rojas, he had something else to share.

“What you’re doing,” Long said, “it’s really starting to hold and it’s really starting to show up every single day.”