Phillies Minor League Update

Now that my trip to New York to see the Phillies play the Mets at Shea and some minor league baseball is behind me, I figure it is as good a time as any to combine the two baseball related aspects of my trip (Phils and minors) and do an update on the...you guessed it, Phillies minor league system. Stats are from a two week period ending with the games last Sunday (as you can see I'm a little behind). I did my best to make up some fun categories to group the prospects in the system to spice things up a bit...

Current Phillies

• AAA - Danny Sandoval: 4-19, 3 R, HBP
• AAA - Chris Roberson: 6-29, 4 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 SB (25), 7 K
• AAA - Scott Mathieson (W, 3-0): 8 IP 3 H 1 ER 2 BB 7 K
• AAA - Brian Sanches (S, 17): 4 IP 3 H 2 ER 3 BB 4 K
• A - Randy Wolf: 5 IP 0 H 0 ER 1 BB 5 K

With the recent purge of big league talent from the roster, Sandoval, Roberson, Mathieson, and Sanches have each been given a chance to clock some major league service time - all are well-suited for their current respective roles with the big club and should be prime candidates to win jobs with the Phils out of spring training come 2007. Wolf showing up on this list just shows how long I've gone without updating this thing...he's already had three starts with the Phillies since his last rehab start in the minors.

Former Phillies

• AAA - Carlos Ruiz: 11-45, 2 HR (11), 3 2B, 9 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, HBP, 10 K, PB (5)
• AAA - Gavin Floyd: 21 IP 21 H 10 ER 8 BB 13 K
• Floyd (L, 4-2): 6 IP 7 H 5 ER 2 BB 5 K
• Floyd (W, 5-2): 8 IP 5 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K
• Floyd (L, 5-3): 7 IP 9 H 5 ER 4 BB 3 K
• AAA - Eude Brito: 19 IP 17 H 6 ER 6 BB 10 K
• Brito: (W, 9-6): 7 IP 5 H 0 ER 3 BB 2 K
• Brito: 7 IP 4 H 1 ER 2 BB 5 K
• Brito (L, 9-7): 5 IP 8 H 5 ER 1 BB 3 K
• AAA - Clay Condrey (L, 2-1, S, 2): 3.1 IP 2 H 1 ER 0 BB 3 K

Ruiz, Floyd, Brito, and Condrey all have made appearances in South Philly this season and all four should make return appearances come September. For those of you interested in finding a pattern in Gavin Floyd's AAA journey, here is his start to start progression: Good, Good, Bad, Bad, Good, Bad, Good, Good, Bad, Bad, Good, Bad...and his most recent start (yesterday) qualifies as a Good. If anybody knows how to make sense of any of that, let me (and Gavin for that matter) know...

Cream of the Crop

• AAA - Michael Bourn: 11-47, 2 3B, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB, 5 SB (13), 13 K
• AA – Gio Gonzalez: 11.1 IP 13 H 6 ER 5 BB 13 K
• Gonzalez (L, 4-10): 5.1 IP 9 H 6 ER 2 BB 5 K
• Gonzalez (W, 5-10): 6 IP 4 H 0 ER 3 BB 8 K
• A – Carlos Carrasco: 19 IP 8 H 1 ER 12 BB 20 K
• Carrasco: 6 IP 2 H 0 ER 5 BB 7 K
• Carrasco: 7 IP 3 H 2 R 1 ER 3 BB 7 K
• Carrasco (W, 8-5): 6 IP 3 H 0 ER 4 BB 6 K

Bourn, Gonzalez, and Carrasco...these three names ought to top any list of top Phillies prospects heading into 2007...the order of the three is to be determined...

Solid Bets

• AA – J.A. Happ: 13.1 IP 6 H 5 ER 6 BB 12 K
• Happ (W, 5-1): 7 IP 2 H 1 ER 3 BB 5 K
• Happ (L, 5-2): 6.1 IP 4 H 4 ER 3 BB 7 K
• (A +) - Mike Costanzo: 11-39, HR (9), 2 2B, 8 RBI, 8 R, 11 BB, HBP, 6 K, E (18), CS (2)
• A - Matt Maloney: 11.1 IP 11 H 4 ER 5 BB 15 K
• Maloney (W, 13-5): 6 IP 5 H 1 ER 2 BB 8 K
• Maloney (L, 13-6): 5.1 IP 6 H 4 R 3 ER 3 BB 7 K

Costanzo may be the biggest surprise on a list of "solid bets", but I really think there is little to no chance that the Phillies opt not to promote Costanzo to the majors at some point in his career. Whether or not he has a future as a starting third baseman in the bigs is anybody's guess, but he has enough positives about his game to profile as a big leaguer in some capacity.

Newest Members to the Organization

• AAA - Matt Smith: 1 IP 2 H 2 ER 0 BB 0 K
• AAA - Justin Germano: 6 IP 3 H 1 ER 0 BB 3 K
• (A+) - Hector Made: 10-35, HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 6 K, 2 E (11)
• A - C.J. Henry: 3-15, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, BB, SB (15), 4 K, E (26)
• A - Wilfredo Laureano: 3 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 1 K
• R - Jesus Sanchez: 1-12, SB (4), 5 K, E (5)
• R - Carlos Monasterios: 6 IP 8 H 2 ER 1 BB 5 K
• Monasterios: 2 IP 2 H 0 ER 0 BB 1 K
• Monasterios (L, 1-3): 4 IP 6 H 3 R 2 ER 1 BB 4 K

Seven new players added to the system...and nary a one to get excited about. Cynics like to claim that Justin Germano, the player acquired in the Rheal Cormier trade, is a better prospect than any of the four guys the Phils took on in the Abreu/Lidle Yankees swap; there is nothing I like more than being a raging cynic (it just comes naturally to me...see the previous post for evidence), but I just can not agree with that sentiment.

For all of his warts (and man, oh, man there are plenty), C.J. Henry is the top dog of the septet of new minor leaguers infiltrating the Phils minor league system. Germano and Smith seem like good bets to contribute to the 2007 Phillies (and perhaps the September 2006 Phils), but both have limited upside as professionals. By all accounts, Hector Made (acquired for Fasano) is a ballplayer with the potential to someday become a useful utility infielder in the pros...for comparison's sake, Danny Sandoval had an OPS of .702 in 199 at bats in High A as a 21-year old; Hector Made had a .709 OPS in 315 at bats for the High A Tampa Yankees as a 21-year old. Laureano and Monasterios are two minor league arms that are so far away from the majors that it would be incredibly difficult to make any meaningful prediction on their future...and Jesus Sanchez could have very well slotted into the upcoming "Good Glove, No Bat Catchers" group based on everything the Phillies said after adding him.

But back to Henry...he is the only guy listed out of the seven with any kind of star potential. He is a heck of a long way of ever fulfilling that potential, but enough scouts have seen enough in his abilities to throw out the possibility that he can be an above average major league player. I am not encouraged at all by any of his minor league numbers to this point, but will do my best to give a 20-year old former first round pick a break for now.

And in case anybody was wondering, I had to look up what a group of seven was called...though I had a feeling it was "septet" from the start.

AAAA Guys…for the moment

• AAA - Josh Kroeger: 6-37, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R, BB, 9 K, E (3)
• AAA - Brennan King: 6-26, HR (12), 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, 4 K, E (14)
• AAA - Angel Chavez: 7-25, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, 6 K
• AA - Angel Chavez: 2-14, 2B, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 E (14)
  
• AAA - Ryan Cameron (2 W, 5-2): 7.1 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 3 K
• AAA - Seung Lee (W, 7-7): 5.1 IP 6 H 2 ER 1 BB 5 K
• AAA - Travis Minix: 1 IP 0 H 0 ER 0 BB 0 K

With a couple lucky breaks, any of these players could find themselves on a big league roster someday. Some quick news on these "4A" kind of players: Cameron had an excellent week out of the Red Baron bullpen...King has been on the DL for over a week now...Chavez and Kroeger are the only two players listed above who are currently on the Phillies 40-man roster...

High Risk, High Reward Projects

• (A+) - Greg Golson: 16-47, 3 HR, 3B, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 13 R, 3 SB (4), 2 BB, HBP, 11 K, 2 CS (2), 2 OF assists
• A - Welinson Baez: 12-38, 3B, 4 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, SB (3), 3 BB, 15 K, 2 E (27)
• A - Lou Marson: 5-35, 3B, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 8 BB, 6 K, 2 E (11), PB (7)

C.J. Henry would also qualify for this list...Golson, Baez, and Marson are three players Phillies fans can dream on as each has the potential to be anywhere from a solid contributor to a well above average regular at important positions (CF, 3B, and C respectively) on the Phils someday. Golson has been fantastic since "earning" his promotion to Clearwater, a very encouraging sign for those who had begun doubting his future (guilty as charged).

Good Glove, No Bat Catchers

• AA - Jason Jaramillo: 10-30, 2 HR (6), 3 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 HBP, 2 K, E (8)
• (A+) - Tuffy Gosewisch: 5-26, 2 HR (8), 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R, BB, 6 K, PB (5)

Best week for Jaramillo in a good long time...many Phillies fans still consider him a top prospect and I know for a fact the organization remains high on him, but after watching him with my own two eyes at various points this season, I must admit that I am thoroughly unimpressed with his game...hopefully this impressive week is a springboard for a good stretch to close his season out as I'd like nothing more to be proven wrong about Jaramillo...

Major League Relievers?

• AA – Zack Segovia: 18.2 IP 18 H 7 ER 4 BB 15 BB
• Segovia (L, 8-5): 3.2 IP 8 H 7 R 5 ER 2 BB 3 K
• Segovia (W, 9-5): 7 IP 6 H 2 R 1 ER 2 BB 6 K
• Segovia (W, 10-5): 8 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 0 BB 6 K
• (A +) - Derek Griffith: 19.1 IP 16 H 5 ER 5 BB 11 K
• Griffith (W, 7-7): 5 IP 7 H 3 ER 2 BB 2 K
• Griffith (W, 8-7): 8 IP 4 H 0 ER 1 BB 6 K
• Griffith: 6.1 IP 5 H 2 ER 2 BB 3 K
• (A +) - Andrew Baldwin: 17 IP 21 H 9 ER 3 BB 10 K
• Baldwin (L, 7-7): 2.1 IP 10 H 6 R 5 ER 0 BB 1 K
• Baldwin: 6.2 IP 6 H 2 ER 3 BB 3 K
• Baldwin (W, 8-7): 8 IP 5 H 2 ER 0 BB 6 K
• A - Josh Outman: 19.1 IP 8 H 4 ER 7 BB 22 K
• Outman (L, 8-6): 5.1 IP 6 H 4 ER 3 BB 4 K
• Outman (W, 9-6): 7 IP 1 H 0 ER 1 BB 9 K
• Outman (W, 10-6): 7 IP 1 H 0 ER 3 BB 9 K

Okay, I'll admit that this grouping of players is a bit of a stretch on my part, but I'll do my best to explain. The four guys listed as potential big league relievers are all included because they all have solid arms, but aren't quite good enough to rise ahead of some of the other, more talented arms in the Phillies system. I saw Segovia in person at Reading and came away believing that a switch to the bullpen would do wonders for him long-term. Outman is the best prospect on the list and should be given the opportunity to start throughout his minor league career, but I see a conversion to the bullpen down the line nonetheless...call it a hunch.

Minor League Relievers

• AA - Joe Bisenius (W, L, 1-1, S, 1): 8.1 IP 5 H 4 ER 3 BB 10 K
• AA - Nick Evangelista: 6 IP 6 H 4 R 3 ER 2 BB 5 K
• (A+) - Pat Overholt (W, 2 L, 3-2): 3.2 IP 4 H 8 R 4 ER 3 BB 8 K
• A - Brett Harker (S, 13): 5 IP 2 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K
• A - Will Savage (L, 0-1): 9 IP 10 H 3 ER 2 BB 5 K
• A - Pat Zagurski: 2.1 IP 4 H 2 ER 0 BB 0 K
• A - Andy Barb (2 W, 6-2, 2 S, 16): 7.2 IP 3 H 0 ER 1 BB 7 K

This group is all about Phillies minor league pitchers currently pitching exclusively out of the bullpen for their minor league squad. I like Bisenius, Evangelista, and Harker a lot although it should be noted the sucess rate of minor league relievers reaching the majors isn't especially high. Nate Johnson also deserves a mention and should find a spot on the list next week...

Below the Radar

• A - Jeremy Slayden: 16-48, 2 HR (9), 7 2B, 11 RBI, 9 R, 3 BB, 2 SB (3), 16 K, E (5)
• A - Justin Blaine (L, 2-2): 6.1 IP 5 H 5 R 2 ER 5 BB 2 K

This is another grouping that is a bit of a stretch...I really had no other place for Slayden or Blaine, so here they are. Slayden is a good hitter who has a future as a pinch hitter/reserve corner outfielder/fill-in first baseman if he can fine tune his shoddy defense. Justin Blaine is not a player I would normally advocate as a sleeper (no strikeouts, too many walks), but he is such an extreme groundball pitcher that he may find a home in a big league bullpen someday.

Make or Break Season: 2007

• (A +) - Bryan Hansen: 15-38, 2 HR (4), 2 2B, 9 RBI, 5 R, 7 BB, 5 K, 2 E (9)
• (A +) - Kyle Kendrick: 19 IP 15 H 8 ER 7 BB 8 K
• Kendrick (W, 6-4): 6 IP 4 H 6 R 5 ER 2 BB 3 K
• Kendrick: 7 IP 7 H 2 ER 2 BB 2 K
• Kendrick (L, 6-5): 6 IP 4 H 1 ER 3 BB 3 K
• A - Clay Harris: 7-42, 2B, 6 RBI, 5 R, 7 BB, 2 HBP, 10 K

Hansen will get another shot at AA Reading next season...he'll need to do a bit better than the .146/.186/.183 he put up in 82 at bats to start this year off. Kendrick was dominant in Low A, but has only been ordinary thus far in High A...will the real Kyle Kendrick please stand up? Harris is a good hitter, versatile in the field, but too old to be putting up less than amazing numbers for Lakewood. I'd love to see him challenged by being double jumped to AA Reading next season...if he performs well there, then maybe the Phillies have found something...if not, then no big loss.

The Forgotten Men

• (A +) - Brad Harman: 2-15, 2B, R, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 E (34)
• (A +) - Tim Moss: 11-43, HR, 3 3B, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, 2 HBP, SB (14), 10 K, CS (4), 3 E (6)
• (A +) - Julio De la Cruz (W, 5-8): 6 IP 5 H 2 ER 2 BB 4 K
• A - Max De La Cruz: 2.1 IP 3 H 6 ER 4 BB 0 K

These players have been "forgotten" in the sense that they have underperformed so dramatically this season, they are no longer considered prospects by fans of the team. That being said, I am still a big fan of Brad Harman's game.

Short Season/Rookie Ball Guys I Like

• SS - CF Quintin Berry (5^th Round): 4-34, 4 R, 4 BB, HBP, 6 K
• SS - 2B/SS Zach Penprase (13^th Round): 9-39, 3 RBI, 6 R, 5 SB (13), 3 BB, 4 K, CS (4), E (4)
• SS - OF Jay Miller (17^th Round): 10-36, 3B, 6 RBI, 5 R, SB (4), 2 BB, HBP, 8 K, CS (1), OF assist
• SS - OF Gus Milner (14^th Round): 12-42, 3B, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, HBP, 11 K, 3 CS (3), 3 E (4)
• SS - RF/1B Doug Morales: 0-11, R, BB, HBP, 3 K, 2 E (3)
• SS - C/1B/3B/LF Tim Kennelly: 0-10, R, BB, HBP, 4 K
• SS - C Joel Naughton: 7-17, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K
• SS - Edgar Garcia (L, 2-4): 5 IP 8 H 3 R 2 ER 0 BB 3 K
• SS – Daniel Brauer: 18 IP 14 H 6 ER 5 BB 23 K
• Brauer (L, 1-2): 5 IP 7 H 3 ER 3 BB 7 K
• Brauer (L, 1-3): 6 IP 5 H 2 ER 2 BB 6 K
• Brauer (W, 2-3): 7 IP 2 H 1 ER 0 BB 10 K
• SS - Sam Walls: 3.2 IP 10 H 5 ER 0 BB 2 K
• SS – Michael Dubee: 6.2 IP 13 H 8 ER 4 BB 7 K
• Dubee: 4.1 IP 6 H 4 ER 3 BB 6 K
• Dubee (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP 7 H 5 R 4 ER 1 BB 1 K
• SS – Andrew Cruse: 12 IP 12 H 2 ER 4 BB 11 K
• Cruse (L, 2-3): 6 IP 5 H 2 R 1 ER 2 BB 5 K
• Cruse (L, 2-4): 6 IP 7 H 4 R 1 ER 2 BB 6 K
• R - SS Adrian Cardenas (1^st Round): 15-36, 8 RBI, 2 R, 6 SB (12), 6 BB, 4 K, CS (2), 6 E (14)
• R - CF D’Arby Myers (4^th Round): 14-38, HR (2), 4 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB, HBP, 3 SB (10), 6 K, E (3), OF assist
• R - 1B Michael Durant: 0-2, 2 K
• R - LF Jermaine Williams: 2-22, 2 R, HBP, SB (2), 8 K
• R - OF Dominic Brown (20^th Round): 9-31, HR (1), 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 SB (8), 8 K, OF assist
• R – Kyle Drabek: 9 IP 11 H 9 ER 4 BB 4 K
• Drabek: 0-2, R, 2 BB, E (1)
• Drabek: 4 IP 4 H 6 R 5 ER 4 BB 2 K
• Drabek: 5 IP 7 H 5 R 4 ER 0 BB 2 K
• R – Jarrod Freeman: 6.2 IP 8 H 5 ER 2 BB 5 K
• Freeman: 5 IP 5 H 3 ER 0 BB 3 K
• Freeman: 1.2 IP 3 H 6 R 2 ER 2 BB 2 K
• R – Robert Roth: 11.1 IP 4 ER 12 BB 6 K
• Roth: 4 IP 1 H 4 ER 6 BB 2 K
• Roth (W, 1-1): 5 IP 3 H 0 ER 2 BB 3 K
• Roth (L, 1-2): 2.1 IP 3 H 2 R 0 ER 4 BB 1 K

Gotta love how the Phillies have allowed Drabek to DH on some days he isn't pitching...Cardenas, Myers, and Brauer have all been awesome...

Short Season/Rookie Ball Guys I’m Not Yet Sold On

• SS - SS Jason Donald (3^rd Round): 11-44, 5 2B, 6 RBI, 6 R, SB (8), BB, 9 K, E (6)
• SS - 1B Charlie Yarbrough (7^th Round): 6-35, 2 HR (4), 6 RBI, 4 R, BB, HBP, 6 K, E (3)
• SS - 3B Cody Montgomery (16^th Round): 1-19, 2 BB, 6 K, SB (3), 2 CS (3)
• SS - 3B/OF Jacob Dempsey (21^st Round): 11-36, 2 HR, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB, HBP, 10 K
• SS - C Shawn McGill (23^rd Round): 6-17, 2B, 2 R, SB (2), 2 BB, 5 K
• SS - John Brownell (W, 1-0): 7.1 IP 8 H 1 ER 3 BB 8 K
• SS – Ben Pfinsgraff: 12 IP 9 H 2 ER 1 BB 15 K
• Pfinsgraff (L, 3-3): 6 IP 5 H 4 R 2 ER 0 BB 7 K
• Pfinsgraff (W, 4-3): 6 IP 4 H 0 ER 1 BB 8 K
• R - OF Terrance Warren (8^th Round): 6-29, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 11 K, OF assist
• R - OF Darin McDonald (12^th Round): 5-26, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 HBP, 3 K, CS (3)
• R - C Michael Fuentes (29^th Round): 2-10, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K
• R - 2B/3B Michael Deveaux (33^rd Round): 6-17, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K, E (3)
• R - 2B/3B Herman Demmink (28^th Round): 4-9, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R, BB, 2 SB (4)
• R - SS/3B Derrick Mitchell: 11-37, 2 HR (2), 2 2B, 3 RBI, 6 R, 4 SB (5), BB, 4 K, 4 E (11), 2 CS (3)
• R - Matt Olson: 12 IP 9 H 5 ER 3 BB 6 K
• Matt Olson (L, 2-3): 6 IP 5 H 2 ER 1 BB 2 K
• Matt Olson (L, 2-4): 4 IP 3 H 2 ER 2 BB 2 K
• Matt Olson: 2 IP 1 H 1 ER 0 BB 2 K
• R - Antonio Bastardo: 1 IP 2 H 1 ER 0 BB 0 K

Not a very inspiring list, but you never know...