Phillies Nation

Phils Prospect Cosart Reflects, Prepares For Future

Posted by Jay Floyd, Wed, December 15, 2010 02:05 PM

With the release of Baseball America’s list of top ten Phillies prospects on Monday, some players will be getting some much deserved attention. One in particular, Jarred Cosart, is a fireballing right-handed starting pitcher with the potential to move up the organizational rankings very quickly.

The 20-year-old Cosart has excellent command and a superior fastball that regularly hits 97 MPH. As a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws in 2010, Cosart posted a 7-3 record with a 3.79 ERA and 77 strike outs in 71 1/3 innings pitched. He projects to be the type of pitcher whose presence could effect the odds involved in sports betting some day, much like Cliff Lee did when news leaked that the Phillies were preparing to sign him this week.

Cosart missed much of the 2010 season with an elbow injury, but the Phillies did a superb job of catching the injury, before it was too late, and shutting him down to prevent further damage. Cosart was was back to 100% in time to spend the month after the season pitching in instructional ball at the Phillies spring training facility in Florida. While there, he experienced no hindrances. The Phillies were satisfied with the progress he made, despite being a bit rusty following the period away from game action. “There were absolutely no setbacks in instructional league, just a little bit of rust having not thrown to live competition for a few months. The arm felt great, though. And overall, the coaches were very pleased with my outings and, obviously, that the arm felt good,” Cosart said in an exclusive interview.

Despite missing time, Cosart was able to improve on various aspects of his game. The Texas native developed a better curveball and refined his delivery to enhance deception when it came to his change up. His focus on conditioning, resulting from his rehab work, is likely to keep him in better shape going forward as well.

Cosart, a 38th round draft selection in 2008, did not appear in a game after June 26th last season, when he left a road start after 2/3 of an inning with the elbow discomfort that landed him on the disabled list for the remainder of the season. Looking forward to 2011, Cosart is squarely focused on having an injury-free season and developing himself further. “The biggest goal is staying healthy. I’m 100 percent confident in my pitching ability. I just need to get over the little setbacks I’ve had. I want to establish myself as one of the best and get better each time I take the mound, every fifth day, as well as the days in between,” Cosart said.

The Baseball America list of Phils prospects also included six other players that appeared with the Lakewood BlueClaws championship club in 2010. The opportunity for so many of Philadelphia’s best young talent to have bonded together while getting used to the postseason at such an early age could be beneficial to all of them in the long run, as the players move closer to the big show, according to Cosart. “I can’t even express the brotherly love that we had in Lakewood. From the coaching staff to the players, everyone got along and we all wanted to win. It would be an honor and a great experience to (some day) put on a Phillie uniform with some of the same teammates I won a South Atlantic League championship with,” Cosart said.

With plenty of minor league players’ eyes aimed toward the ultimate goal of the big leagues, it’s surely a positive thing when those hungry individuals can get to see big league talent up close in the same dugout. During the 2010 regular season, home grown Phillies stars such as Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Howard, both former BlueClaws, made rehab appearances in Lakewood. Ruiz and Howard were an inspiration to the Lakewood players as each one serves up proof of the organization’s ability to draft and develop key talent for the parent club.

“It’s exciting to everyone to see that the Phillies like to develop their Major League team from the minor leagues,” Cosart stated.

The off-season has brought down-time for Cosart and resulted in him missing the game of baseball. He missed the roar of the crowd so much this off-season that he set up an account on Twitter, in order to interact with baseball fans via the internet. In addition to chatting with the Phillies faithful on a regular basis, Cosart is staying busy this off-season by working out with a trainer and has continued a steady routine of stretching exercises, which he feels is key for a pitcher’s health. His throwing routine will begin this week, leading up to an early arrival at spring training on January 15th, where he hopes to prove himself worthy of a move upward in the Phils’ system.

Looking forward to rubbing elbows with some more big league talent, Cosart cites the opportunity to work closely with the parent club’s premiere pitcher in Clearwater as too good to pass up.

“I wouldn’t say I’m heading there early because I missed time, but because I’d like the opportunity to…be able to be around guys like Roy Halladay to learn anything I can that will help me become a better person and player.”

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor.  You can read more from Jay on his site, PhoulBallz.com, and hear him on 97.3 ESPN’s Weekend Sports Guide with Tyrone Johnson on Saturday afternoon.

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Cliff Lee Signs $120 Million Pact with the Phillies

Posted by Jay Floyd, Tue, December 14, 2010 11:30 AM

Originally posted December 13, 2010 at 9:40 pm.

This afternoon Jayson Stark stated on ESPN.com that the Philadelphia Phillies were the rumored “mystery team” in the mix, along with the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, for the services of a free agent known as Cliff Lee.

Later in the evening, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal cofirmed via Twitter that the Phillies are involved in the pursuit of Lee.  Other info via the likes of Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman (yes, the real one) and others state that the Yankees still have the edge on the monetary value of the contracts offered.  However, if location means enough, as Lee stated in the past that he loved his time in Philadelphia, the Phils are certainly a contender to be high on Lee’s list of desired destinations.

Other reports state that the Phillies have touched base with multiple teams in an effort to trade Joe Blanton, which would help to free up money in the team’s ever-rising payroll.  Blanton is owed $8.5 million ($17 million total) in each of the 2 years remaining on his contract.

If the Phillies do re-acquire Cliff Lee, plenty of Phillies fans will be overjoyed.  However, it will still stand to be mulled over by some that the Phillies gave up several top prospects for Lee, later gave Lee away for very little to Seattle and then spent more money than they’ve ever given any pitcher to bring him back.

UPDATE, 10:20 pm: The twitter comments are coming too quickly to keep posting on here from the big guns, but in summation, it seems to be getting closer and closer to become a reality. Let’s not jump ahead of ourself because NOTHING is even close to done. However, by the sounds of the tweets from Jon Heyman and others, the Phillies may have jumped into the lead.

These “sources” are saying that it is probably not going to happen tonight, but there are so many factors at work tonight. Heyman has said Lee could leave as much as $70 million on the table to sign with the Phillies. Wow. We’ll have more as it comes.  -Pat Gallen

UPDATE, 11:35: Do yourself a favor and read the twitter of Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He’s summing up everything beautifully over a series of tweets (so make sure you read them backwards, of course). – Pat Gallen

UPDATE, 11:55 pm: Jon Heyman says the Yankees have been told they are out of the Cliff Lee dealings. – PG

UPDATE, 11:58 pm: Sources tell T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (Rangers beat writer) that Cliff Lee is coming to Philadelphia, it is a done deal. – Pat Gallen

UPDATE, 12:04 am: The deal is done! Cliff Lee is a Philadelphia Phillie according to multiple sources. Unbelievable. Welcome to the big time, folks. Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Lee. Have fun and Happy Holidays all! – PG

UPDATE, 12:17 am: The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but word is it’s a five-year, $100 million deal. Lee reportedly leaves a seven-year deal on the table from the Yankees that would have been worth more than $150 million. -PG

UPDATE, 12:35 am: Todd Zolecki of MLB.com says the deal is for five years with a vesting sixth-year option. The deal could be worth up to $120 million. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets that the Phillies are working to trade Joe Blanton to free up some salary space. – PG

UPDATE, 1:28 am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Lee left a seven year, $154 million pact on the table from the Yankees to join the Phillies. – PG

UPDATE, 10:32 am: Jerry Crasnick has crunched the numbers and this is what it comes down to.

Lee’s deal includes a $27.5 million option that vests if he pitches 200 innings in 2015 or a total of 400 innings over the 2014-15 seasons. If the option doesn’t vest, the deal includes a $12.5 million buyout.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems as though the five years equal out to $107.5 million with the guaranteed buyout in 2015 pushing the grand total to $120 million. The sixth year option, should it vest, would make the deal six-years, $135 million or the same as what the Yankees and Rangers offered as their base salary before options were included.

So yes, it’s a deal. However, Lee is still making plenty of bank, bro. -PG

UPDATE, 11:00 am: Crasnick tweets that he may not be leaving much on the table after all. -PG

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Winter League Updates

Posted by Jay Floyd, Mon, December 13, 2010 06:30 PM

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Why Flande, Sanchez Were Released

Posted by Jay Floyd, Wed, December 08, 2010 08:22 AM

While several free agent and potential trade names have been floated around at this week’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, with the Phillies organization attached to them, the moves that the Phils have actually made were of minimal impact at the minor league level.  In an effort to clear space on their 40-man roster, the Phillies released pitchers Yohan Flande (pictured) and Jesus Sanchez.

Flande, a Dominican lefty hurler that will turn 25 years old prior to spring training, is currently pitching for the Toros in the Dominican Winter Baseball League. In 6 games (4 starts), Flande has posted a 1-1 record with a 4.91 ERA and a .303 batting average against, for the Toros. In 27 starts for the Double A Reading Phillies this year, Flande went 10-8 with a 4.38 ERA.

The right-handed Sanchez performed well this season with the High A level Clearwater Threshers as a starting pitcher. In 23 games (22 starts), Sanchez, who turned 23 years old after the season, posted a 9-7 record with a 2.99 ERA. Sanchez was a key pitcher on the Lakewood BlueClaws team that won the South Atlantic League championship in 2009. He was also the last remaining player that the Phillies acquired in the trade that sent Bobby Abreu to the Yankees in 2006.

Flande and Sanchez were among players added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster in November 2009 to protect them from last year’s Rule 5 draft, the annual selection process aimed at preventing teams from stock piling too much talent in the minors and leaving players there to relatively waste away. Each pitcher is now available to any team that wants to claim them off waivers.  Currently, the Phillies’ 40-man roster sits at 38 total players.

According to multiple reports, the Phillies will attempt to reach new contractual agreements with Flande and Sanchez. Each pitcher would need to clear waivers before that happens.

What do these moves translate to? The Phillies likely have their sights set on some players, that they feel two 40-man roster spots could be better utilized on.  Those players could be new Major League acquisitions or prospects they’ll target in the Rule 5 draft this coming Thursday, December 9th. And with so many pitching prospects outshining Flande and Sanchez this season, the organization must not feel too concerned about potentially losing one or both of these individuals.

MANUEL AND AMARO AT LAKEWOOD

In other news from the organization, the Lakewood BlueClaws announced that their parent club, the Phillies, would be making a stop at the Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood, NJ on Wednesday, January 26th, 2011, as part of the club’s Winter Tour. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. will be on hand. Registration for the dinner event is $40 per person and proceeds will benefit BlueClaws charities. To sign up, click here, or contact Amy DeMichele at 732-901-7000 ext 172.

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Rizzotti Recalls Highlight of His 2010 Season

Posted by Jay Floyd, Tue, December 07, 2010 10:00 AM

Phillies first base prospect Matt Rizzotti turned a lot of heads this year, as he shined at multiple levels, earning two promotions on his way up to Triple A Lehigh Valley. In 125 combined games at High-A level Clearwater, Double A Reading and Lehigh, Rizzotti posted an impressive .343 batting average and slammed 17 homers while driving in 76 runs. Rizzotti then spent time at instructional ball in Florida until the Arizona Fall League began, where he continued his outstanding 2010 with a .333 average in 19 games for the Mesa Solar Sox.

When I spoke with Rizzotti recently, he had plenty to say about all the accolades he had received this season, including being named to Eastern League All-star team and being honored as Phillies minor league player of the month for May. However, there was one event from his remarkable 2010 that stood out to Rizzotti as premiere aspect. Faced with the pressure of being the Reading cleanup batter, Rizzotti had the weight of thousands of baseball fans’ hunger on his shoulders, on a nightly basis. The R-Phils’ Arby’s RBI Guy has much to answer for, as Rizzotti shares in this exclusive interview.

Check out the media players below to hear Rizz discuss his season highlight as well as the actual product of his own imagination.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay on his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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De Fratus Reaches Goals, Sets Sights Higher For 2011

Posted by Jay Floyd, Tue, November 30, 2010 12:45 PM

Right-handed pitcher Justin De Fratus has been a fast mover up the Phillies prospect rankings over the past couple of years, thanks to a deep determination and a goal-oriented outlook.

As a player in his youth, Justin wanted to be the best pitcher he could be, so he worked countless hours under the watchful eye of his father, Terry. The focus was always on throwing strikes, which helped De Fratus stand out and continue pitching beyond high school.

While pitching for Ventura College, De Fratus set his sights on becoming a professional pitcher. He signed his first pro contract after being drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft.

As he spent the 2008 season with the Williamsport Crosscutters, De Fratus set out to reach Class A ball in 2009 and did so by helping the Lakewood BlueClaws lock down their first of two consecutive South Atlantic League championships.

In 2010, De Fratus focused on three more potential accomplishments to strive for. Certainly, every minor leaguer’s goal each season is to reach the big leagues, but with more sensible targets in mind, such as reaching Double A, successfully pitching in the Arizona Fall League and representing the United States in the Pan-Am qualifiers, De Fratus’ list of objectives for this year were attainable.

“I accomplish every goal that I set out for myself…and then more. Outside of going the the big leagues, this season was really just a dream come true,” De Fratus said in an exclusive interview.

After beginning the 2010 regular season with High-A level Clearwater and posting a 2-0 record with 15 saves and a 1.79 ERA in 29 games, De Fratus was promoted to Double A Reading in July. Over the last two months of the season, he went 1-0 with 6 saves and a 2.19 ERA in 20 games. Other impressive stats collected by De Fratus during the regular season included his strike out total of 71, compared to his walk total of 16 in 65 innings pitched, between the two levels of the minors.

De Fratus, a 6′5″ 215-pounder, followed up his exceptional regular season campaign by pitching for Team USA in the Pan American qualifying tournament held in Puerto Rico. De Fratus pitched well in relief and helped the Americans clinch a tie for third place (9-1 overall record) and earn a spot in next year’s Pan American games in Mexico.

“After I saw (former teammate of De Fratus in Lakewood, BJ Rosenberg) do it last year, I thought it would be really cool to pitch for my country like that,” De Fratus said of his aspirations of pitching for Team USA. “That’s really the best word to describe it. Other than speaking about how proud you are to put on that USA uniform, the one word to describe (the experience) is just ‘cool’. I’m grateful that I am one of the few who got to do that.”

Following the time representing his country, De Fratus ventured to the Arizona Fall League, where he was not scored upon in 7 appearances and held opponents to a .125 batting average.

As a member of the AFL’s Mesa Solar Sox, De Fratus set out to improve his slider, which he felt he had lost the feel for this year. Former Major League hurler Ricky Bones worked closely with De Fratus to help with the adjustments. “He changed the grip by literally a quarter of an inch and it made a world of difference,” De Fratus stated.

De Fratus’ pitching repertoire also includes a change up as well as a mid-90’s fastball.

Aside from building bonds with his Autumn teammates, De Fratus feels the advantages that he will take away from pitching with two extra teams for an additional two months, following the minor league regular season wrapping up, will be his strength. “My season lasted longer than the big league season does. I know I have the stamina to go start to finish in a full season,” De Fratus said.

Moving toward 2011, De Fratus has a single goal in mind: to reach the Major Leagues. This month, the Phillies added De Fratus, who spent a couple games with the big league team in spring training in 2010, to their Major League 40-man roster, in order to protect him from the MLB Rule 5 draft.

“I’m really excited, with being put on the 40-man. I’m excited to get to show what I can do (this coming spring) in front of Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee. Whether I make it to the big leagues or not, it’s just an exciting opportunity to get to pitch in front of them.

“I know in my heart and I feel that I have a good shot at, hopefully, making the team out of spring training. That’s all I’m concerned about right now, is putting myself in the best possible position to make the Major League club, and if I don’t, I want to be the first person they call,” De Fratus said.

The commitment that De Fratus possesses will undoubtedly lead to a call up to the big club, and if his track record is any indication, that should happen as soon as De Fratus wants it to.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor.  You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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Updates on All Four Caribbean Winter Leagues

Posted by Jay Floyd, Sat, November 27, 2010 02:30 PM

With many individuals from the Phillies’ organization playing in the Caribbean “Winter” leagues, there is still plenty of baseball action to keep tabs on. Below is a run down of all the key players spending time trying to sharpen their skills and gain some extra experience during the North American offseason.

Dominican Winter Baseball League-

David Herndon, a 2010 rookie that spent the entire season on the Phillies’ big league roster, is pitching for the Cibao Gigantes. In 2 relief outings, Herndon has pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He hasn’t walked or struck out a batter in his limited game time, to this point. Herndon, 25, was a Rule 5 draft pick by the Phillies last off-season. In 47 games in the Majors this season, Herndon posted a 1-3 record with a 4.30 ERA, while allowing just 2 HR in 52 1/3 innings pitched.

Antonio Bastardo, a teammate of Herndon with the Phillies this season, continues to occupy the same bullpen as Herndon. In 5 relief outings with the Gigantes, Bastardo has held his opponents hitless in 5 innings, while striking out 6 batters and walking none. With the Major League Phillies this year, Bastardo went 2-0 with a 4.34 ERA in 25 games.

Juan Perez, who the Phillies recently signed to a minor league contract, is another pitcher on the Gigantes roster. The lefty hurler is 1-1 with an 11.81 ERA in 13 DWBL outings…all in relief. The 32-year-old Perez pitched with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque in 2010, and posted a 4-3 record with a 2.96 ERA and a save in 45 games there. Last week, Perez was announced as a Phillies non-roster spring training invitee.

Domonic Brown, another Phils rookie in 2010, is playing with the Escogido Leones. The lefty hitting outfielder has struggled, going just 1-for-19 (.053 avg) in his first 6 games played in the Dominican League.

Timo Perez, a former Major Leaguer who spent time with the Phillies Double-A club in Reading this year, has been hitting very well for the Licey Tigres. In 27 games, the lefty batting outfielder has posted a .333 average, which is good enough for 4th best in the league. Perez, a Dominican native, also has 2 HR and 15 RBI for the Tigres.

Phillies pitching prospect Yohan Flande hasn’t been extremely sharp with the Toros. In 5 games, 4 of which were starts, the 24-year-old Flande has a 1-1 record with a 5.63 ERA while allowing opposing batters to post a .313 average. In 27 starts at Double-A Reading this year, Flande went 10-8 with a 4.38 ERA.

Infielder Ozzie Chavez, who split the regular season with Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, is batting .130 in 12 games with the Toros, with no extra base hits and 3 runs scored. Chavez is a native of the Dominican Republic.

Derrick Loop, who pitched with High-A level Clearwater and Lehigh Valley in the Phillies system this year, has a 1-0 record and a 3.00 ERA in 11 relief outings for the Aguilas. Loop has held batters hitless with runners in scoring position thus far in DWBL action.

Former Phillie Fabio Castro leads the Dominican League in all three pitching triple crown categories (wins, ERA & strike outs) for the Gigantes. Castro is 4-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 52 strike outs in 35 innings over 6 starts.

Mexican League-

Pitcher Brian Mazone, who went 7-13 in 28 starts with Lehigh Valley this year, is doing poorly with the Mexicali Aquilas. In 3 Mexican League starts, Mazone has a 0-2 record with a 10.22 ERA. Mazone, a 34-year-old minor league journeyman, has never pitched in the majors.

20-year-old catcher Angel Chavarin, who was a member of the Gulf Coast League champion Phillies squad this year, is hitless in 2 games with the Mexicali Aquilas thus far.

Highly regarded catching prospect Sebastian Valle has been solid with the Los Mochis Caneros. The Mexico native Valle has posted a .264 average with 3 homers and 10 RBI in 27 games. Valle was a member of the A Level Lakewood BlueClaws that won two consecutive South Atlantic League championships over the past couple seasons.

Puerto Rican League-

Julio Rodriguez, another member of the 2010 SAL title winning Lakewood club, is pitching with the Carolina Gigantes. The 20-year-old righty hurler has a 2-1 record 3.80 ERA in 6 games, 5 of which were starts. In 20 games combined between short season Williamsport and A level Lakewood, in 2010, Rodriguez went 7-3 with a 1.89 ERA in 90 1/3 innings pitched.

Former Phillie Antonio Alfonseca is also a member of the Carolina roster. In 12 games, Alfonseca is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA.

Venezuelan League-

Luis Unda, a left-handed outfielder, has gone 3-for-9 (.333 avg) in 4 games with the Cardenales. Unda, 20, batted .245 with no homers and 16 RBI in 44 games with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2010.

Switch-hitting infielder Freddy Galvis is batting .188 in 21 games with the Navegantes. Galvis has well regarded defense, but his .586 OPS in 138 games with Double A Reading in 2010 isn’t the sort of offense the Phillies are hoping for from him.

A member of the Phillies’ 2009 World Series team who toiled around at Double A in 2010, Sergio Escalona, hasn’t been on point thus far with the Tiburones. In 8 games, Escalona has no decisions and a 9.00 ERA. One plus for the 26-year-old lefty is that opponents are only batting .167 against him.

Melvin Dorta, a 28-year-old infielder that played with Reading and Lehigh Valley in 2010, is batting .108 in 12 games with the Aragua Tigres.

Harold Garcia, who made headlines this year by setting the Florida State League hitting streak record at 37 consecutive games, is batting .267 through 19 games with Zulia Aguilas. Unfortunately for Garcia he has no extra base hits and is just 1-for-3 in stolen base attempts.

24-year-old infielder Fidel Hernandez, who spent time at Clearwater and Reading this year, is also on the Aguilas roster. His .191 average and .515 OPS are rather unimpressive.

Venezuela native Cesar Hernandez is 7-for-21 (.333 avg.) in 8 games with the Margarita Bravos. Hernandez, 20, is a switch hitter. He batted .325 with 32 steals in 65 games at short season Williamsport in 2010.

Andy Tracy, who played with the IronPigs and the Phillies over the past few seasons, has joined the Bravos after struggling (2-for-29) in 8 games with the Aguilas in the Dominican League. In 3 games in the Venezuelan league, Tracy is 1-for-4, with a double and 2 walks.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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Phillies Promote Two Minor League Managers

Posted by Jay Floyd, Tue, November 23, 2010 11:45 AM

Four of the Phillies’ six minor league clubs will officially have new managers in 2011 after the Phillies announced on Monday that they have given promotions to Mark Parent and Chris Truby.

Parent, a former Major League catcher who played with the Phillies, among other clubs, will move up to Double A Reading. Parent, 49, managed the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to a second consecutive South Atlantic League title in 2010 and then spent time as hitting coach with the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Solar Sox. The Autumn assignment could be more than busy work for Parent, who seems to be a likely candidate for the role of hitting coach at the Major League level in the coming years.

Speaking in an exclusive interview following Lakewood’s title clincher in September, Parent seemed to be considerably focused on acquiring a big league spot. Replying to an inquiry about the potential realignment among the Phillies’ minor league management positions, Parent stated, “The higher you get (in baseball), there’s more on the line. I’m a Major League guy. I like the big leagues, (but) I’ll do what (Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.) asks me to do.”

Parent now has a mildly revised outlook toward the near future, as evidenced by what he told me Monday evening.

“I’m happy doing whatever the Phillies want me to do this season. You have a group of instructors (and) teachers of the game here that will do their very best job for the benefit of the organization,” Parent said. “Last year in Lakewood couldn’t have went much better in terms of growth in the young players, largely because of their commitment. I’m looking forward to going to Reading. Reading has long been the stop of many major league players, even a Hall of Famer or two. Hopefully, I can do my part in helping more players become contributing Phillies in the Major Leagues. The bottom line, though, is to develop players that want to win and know what it takes compete.”

Truby, a 37-year-old, who played in the Majors with four teams, will follow Parent as the skipper in Lakewood. Truby spent the last two seasons managing the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters, and many of the players he led there should follow Truby upward in the system this coming year.

“I’m obviously very excited,” Truby said, via a press release from the BlueClaws. “Lakewood is a place that everyone has rave reviews about and it’s a step up for me, a progression in my career.

“You want to get to the point where you move up into a full season league. Going to Lakewood, where they’ve won two championships in a row and get the fan support that they do is exciting.”

Last week, the Phillies hired Mickey Morandini to manage the Williamsport club. The 44-year-old Morandini, who has been coaching high school ball in recent years, has spent time as a guest instructor at spring training with the Phillies in the past. Morandini played 965 games as a member of the Phillies over parts of 9 seasons during his playing career.

Another addition to the Phillies’ minor league rankings was Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who also was once a part of the Phillies organization, as a player. Sandberg was of course traded to the Cubs after debuting with the Phillies as a 21-year-old in 1981. Sandberg will manage the Triple A level Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

High-A level manager Dusty Wathan will remain in place with the Clearwater Threshers, while Roly deArmas will return to manage the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2011.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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Phillies’ Arizona Fall League Wrap Up

Posted by Jay Floyd, Fri, November 19, 2010 11:30 AM

The month long Arizona Fall League has come and gone for individuals from the Phillies organization assigned to play on the Mesa Solar Sox. The six-team league’s regular season wrapped up on Thursday, with just two teams advancing to a winner-takes-all championship game on Saturday afternoon.

Each roster in the AFL features 7 players from 5 different organizations. Mesa served as the Autumn home to Phillies prospects Justin De Fratus, Matt Rizzotti, Tyson Brummett, Jacob Diekman, Tim Kennelly, Josh Zeid, BJ Rosenberg and Chris Kissock. John Mayberry Jr. was also assigned to spend some time with the Solar Sox, but he injured his calf in his debut on October 12th and spent the subsequent weeks at the Phils’ spring training home in Clearwater to receive treatment. With Mayberry and Zeid both departing from the team early, the Phillies avoided exceeding the 7 man roster limit.

De Fratus, a 23-year-old righty hurler, continued to show why I predicted that he would be a big mover up the Phillies’ reliever rankings next season. In 7 games for the Solar Sox, De Fratus did not allow a run, earned a save, held opponents to a .125 batting average and struck out 11 batters in 7 innings. De Fratus, an 11th round draft choice in 2007, posted a 3-0 record, with 21 saves and a 1.94 ERA while striking out 71 against 16 walks in 65 innings combined, at High-A Cleawater and Double A Reading during the 2010 regular season.

Matt Rizzotti, who I wrote about on Thursday, wrapped up an impressive calendar year by ending his AFL season with a .333 avg. and a .500 on-base percentage in 19 games played. At three levels of the Phillies minor league system during the 2010 regular season, Rizzotti posted a .343 batting average while smashing 17 homers and driving in 76 runs in 125 games.

Josh Zeid was one of two Phillies representatives chosen to play in the AFL Rising Stars Game (De Fratus was the other) earlier this month. Zeid, 23, wrapped up his AFL season shortly after the AFL’s version of the all-star game. In 4 starts for Mesa, the right-handed Zeid, posted a 3-0 record with a 3.86 ERA. His strike out to walk ratio (12:1) was also quite impressive.

Rosenberg, a 25-year-old right-hander who struggled with injuries all year, had a rough stretch throughout his AFL stint. En route to a 0-1 record and an 8.53 ERA, batters hit .333 against Rosenberg in 10 games. His disappointing season is a full turn around from the 7-3 record, 1.18 ERA and 22 saves he rocked in 2009 with Lakewood and Reading.

Brummett, another righty pitcher, went 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA in 10 AFL games, 3 starts. In 19 innings, he struck out 13 and walked 2. Brummett, 26, was a 7th round draft pick in 2007.

Catcher Tim Kennelly looked sharp in AFL action after attempting some field duties during the season with High-A Clearwater. In 15 games with Mesa, Kennelly posted a .293 avg. with 4 doubles and 4 RBI. Kennelly, 24, batted .274 and slugged 5 homers while driving in 69 runs in 115 games for the Clearwater Threshers in 2010.

Righty Chris Kissock, who joined the Mesa roster after participating in the Pan-Am qualifiers with Team Canada, went 1-0 with a save and a 2.38 ERA in 10 outings (1 start). Combined at two levels with Clearwater and Reading this season, the 25-year-old Kissock had a 7-3 record with a 2.68 ERA in 47 relief outings.

Diekman, a 23-year-old lefty hurler, struggled after reporting late to the AFL. Diekman allowed 12 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in 5 outings with the Solar Sox. Combined in 45 games between Class A Lakewood and High-A Level Clearwater, Diekman held opponents to a .187 batting average en route to a 2-2 record and a 2.91 ERA.

De Fratus and Rizzotti will be eligible for the MLB Rule 5 draft unless each is added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster by Saturday. MLB rules state that a player who was drafted, aged 19 or older, who has spent 4 years with a minor league contract and is not on his organization’s 40-man roster is eligible to be selected by another Major League club in the annual December treasure hunt. For those drafted under age 19, the length of time moves to 5 years. Expect the Phillies to protect both De Fratus and Rizzotti.

The Arizona Fall League’s championship game will feature the Scottsdale Scorpions playing host to the Peoria Javelinas and will be televised live on MLB Network this Saturday at 3pm.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay by checking out his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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Rizzotti Impressive in 2010, Future Questionable

Posted by Jay Floyd, Thu, November 18, 2010 12:50 PM

MESA, AZ- Matt Rizzotti, who enjoyed an outstanding season in the minor leagues at three levels of the Phillies organization, brought his hot bat to the Arizona Fall League last month. As a member of the Mesa Solar Sox, the lefty batting first baseman from Floral Park, NY has continued his impressive 2010 into the Autumn.

The 6′5″ Rizzotti has made himself a prospect to be reckoned with by blazing through the minors throughout the regular season, posting a .343 batting average and a .985 OPS in 125 games. He was also one of just two Phils minor leaguers who moved up two levels to stay, during the season. The other was pitcher Vance Worley.

Among Arizona Fall League batters that include top prospects from several Major League organizations, like Seattle’s second overall draft choice from 2009 Dustin Ackley, the Angels’ Brandon Wood who has played at the Major League level, the Blue Jays’ Eric Thames who was an Eastern League MVP candidate this year and the Braves’ top prospect Freddie Freeman, Rizzotti ranks near the top in batting average (.344) and on-base percentage (.500).

However, while some of Rizzotti’s stats are swelling up in Hulkish fashion, his power numbers haven’t gone green accordingly. Through 18 games in the Arizona Fall League, Rizzotti has collected just 2 extra base hits, both doubles.

“It’s the same as when I started the season in Clearwater. I wasn’t trying to do too much, and that’s exactly what I am trying to do out here,” said Rizzotti, who hit just 1 homerun in 31 games at High A level Clearwater, prior to earning a promotion to Double A Reading, where he smashed 16 homers in his next 77 games. “In Clearwater, the power wasn’t necessarily there, and then there was a point where I started to feel good and take some bigger cuts.

“The season here is just a month long and I’ve just been focusing on having good plate appearances and seeing more pitches. Even though the power isn’t there, mentally I still feel fantastic up there (at the plate) and that’s important. Sometimes you don’t mind sacrificing power for feeling very focused.”

Rizzotti, a 6th round draft pick in 2007 out of Manhattan College, credits Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent with influencing his maturation as a hitter this Fall. Parent, of course, is a former Major Leaguer who managed the Phillies Class A club the Lakewood BlueClaws to the South Atlantic League championship this year. “(Mark Parent) brings experience…all the tough situations of the game- he’s been through them all. It’s really good to (be around) him.” Rizzotti stated.

Parent’s collection of big name contacts are probably what made the biggest impression on Rizzotti, however. This week in Mesa, as Parent spoke of his days as a player and working out with Nolan Ryan, Rizzotti shot a disbelieving, “There’s no way you worked out with Nolan Ryan!” toward his coach. Parent had to present the saved entry for the Hall of Famer, and other well-known baseball names, in his own cell phone’s directory in order to convince Rizzotti that his tales were true.

Back at home on the east coast, Rizzotti must be added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster soon. Without doing so, Rizzotti could be subjected to Major League Baseball’s Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 selection process, done annually each December, is designed to prevent organizations from stock piling too much talent in their minor league system and to allow players who may be blocked at higher levels to gain an opportunity to ascend toward the Majors elsewhere.

The clock is ticking for a 24-year-old prospect like Rizzotti, but don’t expect the Phillies to simply let him walk away for nothing.

When the Phillies protect Rizzotti, he will still be blocked at his position by 3-time all-star and former league most valuable player Ryan Howard, who is signed through at least the 2016 season. That situation could result in Rizzotti’s name becoming attached to trade talks. If such rumors start to fly, it won’t bother Rizzotti.

“If those rumors arise, it’s not a good thing, it’s not a bad thing. I came up in the Phillies organization and I know everybody, I know the whole system and if I got traded it would be just like starting over. As a player, it’s always good to be traded because that means someone is thinking (highly of you) somewhere.”

The focus remains strong with Rizzotti to reach the Major Leagues. Ideally, he’d like to stick with the organization that drafted him. He’s virtually grown up in the Philadelphia system and he has built relationships, with players as well as coaches, that are closer than he keeps his own buzz cut.

The Phillies recently announced the hiring of former Phillie and Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg to manage their Triple A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Provided Rizzotti remains with the Phillies, he could start the 2011 season with the ‘Pigs and might be afforded the opportunity to begin building his own collection of Hall of Fame digits.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay on his site, PhoulBallz.com.

To hear Jay’s previous interview with Matt Rizzotti, click HERE.

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Exclusive Interview w/ Phils Prospect Jake Borup

Posted by Jay Floyd, Tue, November 16, 2010 08:30 AM

Jake Borup is a right-handed pitching prospect that was chosen in the 23rd round by the Phillies in the 2010 amateur draft out of Arizona State University. As a sophomore in 2010, Borup posted an 11-1 record and a 4.08 ERA in 16 games with the Sun Devils.

Borup was assigned to Philadelphia’s short season rookie league affiliate, the Williamsport Crosscutters, after signing his first professional contract. In his first 3 months of pro ball, Borup posted great statistics while playing in the NY-Penn League. In 16 appearances (4 starts), he was 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA and held opponents to a .215 batting average.

The 6-foot-5-inch hurler’s fastball registers around 91 MPH.

I talked with Jake over the weekend about his pitch repertoire, his draft experience, what he has learned thus far as a professional pitcher and plenty more.

While speaking candidly with Jake, I found him to be considerably engaging. Jake has opinions to share and has agreed to bring his thoughts about the world to the public, with an upcoming series of blog posts on PhoulBallz.com and PhilliesNation.com. Obviously, we look forward to introducing Jake to our readers and delivering his distinct outlooks on life and his career to phans everywhere.

Listen to excerpts from the interview with the media player below.

Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor. You can read more from Jay on his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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Checking In- The Dominican Winter League

Posted by Jay Floyd, Fri, November 12, 2010 01:15 PM

 
The top domestic baseball league in the Dominican Republic is the Dominican Winter Baseball League.  Baseball fans wait all year for the 6-team league that sends its annual champion to play in the Caribbean Series, a tournament that features the winners of the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan and Dominican leagues.  Each team plays a 60-game schedule and features a star-laden roster.

The Dominican Winter Baseball League is peppered with Major League affiliated talent. All 30 clubs are represented on rosters of the league’s teams.  Many players around the DWBL should be familiar to Phillies phans.  Let’s take a look at how those players are performing.

Derrick Loop, who pitched in 16 combined games (5-1 record, 0.32 ERA) between high-A level Clearwater and triple-A Valley in the Phillies organization this year, has thrown 7 relief outings for the Cibao Aguilas. He has posted a 4.50 ERA and held opponents to a .250 batting average in DWBL action.

Minor League stalwart and occasional Phillie Andy Tracy is also on the Aguilas roster. Tracy, a 2010 International League all-star with the triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs has posted a disappointing .069 batting average in 8 DWBL games thus far.

Timo Perez, a former New York Met that played with the double-A Reading Phillies in 2010, is batting .348 in 16 games with the Licey Tigres. Perez batted .255 in 43 games after joining the R-Phils in July.

Ozzie Chavez, a 27-year-old Dominican native who played at Reading and Lehigh Valley the past two seasons, is an infielder for the Este Toros. Chavez is 2-for-10 (.200 avg) with 3 runs scored and5 walks in 7 DWBL games. At times, when playing in North America, Chavez fills the role of translator during mound visits and other instances, which increases his value to a team.

Phils lefty pitching prospect Yohan Flande has made 3 starts for the Toros and has posted a 3.75 ERA while going 1-1. Flande, 24, has struck out 9 and walked 5 in 12 innings. The Dominican native had a 10-8 record and a 4.38 ERA in 27 starts with Reading in 2010.

39-year-old former Phillie Pedro Martinez is training for a return. The owner of 219 Major League wins and three Cy Young Awards wanted to evaluate his own physical status before officially joining his team, the Licey Tigres.

The most impressive DWBL output from a former Phillie thus far in 2010 has come from left-handed pitcher Fabio Castro.  With the Cibao Gigantes, the 25-year-old Castro has been dominant, striking out 23 batters in 12 innings over his last 2 outings.  In 4 DWBL games, Castro is 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA and has held opponents to a .185 batting average.  Castro is best known for being traded for Matt Stairs in 2008.

Infielder Jonathan Villar, who was part of the bounty that landed the Phillies Roy Oswalt in a trade with Houston, is seeing minimal playing time with the Aguilas.  The switch hitting speedster is 0-for-5 with 5 strike outs, but has scored 3 runs as he’s been utilized as a pinch runner at times.  Villar was a 2010 mid-season South Atlantic League all-star as a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws.

Former Phils pitching prospect Zack Segovia has allowed 2 hits in 8 innings of relief for the Oriente Estrellas. Segovia, now in the Yankees organization, has a 1.13 ERA in the DWBL.  The 27-year-old right-hander was the Phillies’ 2nd round pick in the 2002 amateur draft, but was released by the Phillies after an unimpressive start to the 2008 season at Reading and Clearwater.

Willy Taveras, who spent time with the IronPigs in 2010, is batting .182 with 5 steals, 6 runs scored and 4 RBI in 9 games with the Aguilas. Taveras’ .455 OPS in DWBL action is quite poor.

And lastly, set to report to the Escogido Leones on Monday is Phillies rookie outfielder Dominic Brown.  The 23-year-old is expected to play until Christmas, and will then take some time off before reporting to the Phillies’ spring training home in Clearwater, Florida.
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league contributor.  You can read more from Jay on his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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Sandberg Could Return to Phillies Organization

Posted by Jay Floyd, Tue, November 09, 2010 12:16 PM

Reports today suggest that Hall of Fame player Ryne Sandberg could become the next manager of the Phillies Triple A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

After being passed over for the Chicago Cubs managerial position, Sandberg is parting ways with the organization. Sandberg, who managed the last four seasons in the Cubs’ minor league system, finished runner-up to Mike Quade, who was hired on Oct. 19. Quade took over, in an interim role, for Lou Piniella, who retired during the 2010 season.

Sandberg won the manager of the year award while leading the Triple A Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League to record of 82-62, which was tied for best in the league.

According to reports, Sandberg has been in contact with multiple organizations regarding coaching positions at the Major League level and managerial positions in the minors.

The Lehigh managerial slot is not he only vacant position that the Phillies have right now, as the recent departure of Davey Lopes has left a vacancy in the Major League Phillies’ first base coach’s box. Sandberg has stated that he thinks he may know within a couple of weeks where he’ll be working in 2011.

Sandberg was a 20th round draft selection by the Phillies in 1978. He broke into the Majors with Philadelphia in 1981 before being traded to the Cubs in a deal that sent Larry Bowa to Chicago for Ivan De Jesus. In his time with Chicago, Sandberg became a franchise icon while proving himself to be one of the most reliable players in baseball. He won the the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1984 and was a 10-time all-star during his Hall of Fame playing career.

Initial speculation, among those close to the Phillies system, had one of two rising stars among the organization’s minor league managers being in line for the vacant spot with the IronPigs. Those big coaching prospects are two former catchers, who spent time with the big league Phillies, Dusty Wathan and Mark Parent. Wathan, who started as manager with short season Williamsport in 2008, has moved up one level in each of his two previous off-seasons managing in the Phillies’ system. Wathan was named South Atlantic League manager of the year in 2009, when he led the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws to the SAL championship. Parent was given the same honor, in his first season in the Phillies organization, after leading the BlueClaws to their second straight SAL title.

Former Phillies third base coach Bill Dancy is in the running to be the next Iowa manager. Dancy was the manager of the Cubs Double A affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies, during the 2010 season.

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Jay Floyd is Phillies Nation’s minor league contributor.  You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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AFL Rising Stars Game Tonight

Posted by Jay Floyd, Sat, November 06, 2010 03:48 PM

What is being called The Futures Game of the Fall will be played in Surprise, Arizona on Saturday night. The annual Arizona Fall League showcase known as The Rising Stars Game will be televised nationally on MLB Network at 9pm EST, when the best prospects from all organizations meet in a contest that pits the East and West divisions against each other.

As I’ve stated before, the Arizona Fall League is a stepping stone for many players on their ways upward in the professional baseball ranks. The players on the rosters for this big game, slated to be played at Surprise Stadium, are among the highest regarded prospects in the league. Many of the players will be receiving their very first chance to play on such a big stage, with the eyes of the baseball world upon them.

“The entire year has been an incredible experience and this is only making it better,” said righty hurler Justin De Fratus. “I’m excited for it and can’t wait to meet the other players.” The 23-year-old is one of two Phillies prospects on the East Division roster.

De Fratus (pictured)  has pitched 6 scoreless innings thus far with the AFL’s Mesa Solar Sox. In 49 combined games at High A level Clearwater and Double A Reading this year, De Fratus posted a 3-0 record, a 1.94 ERA, struck out 71 batters in 65 innings and recorded 21 saves.

The other Philadelphia property on the East roster is right-handed pitcher, 23-year-old Josh Zeid, who helped the Phillies Class A affiliate Lakewood BlueClaws lock down their second consecutive South Atlantic League championship during the 2010 season. Zeid has posted a 3-0 record with a 3.86 ERA in 4 AFL starts with the Solar Sox. Zeid was the Phillies’ minor league pitcher of the month in April 2010, when, as the closer for Lakewood, he went 2-0 with 2 saves and allowed no earned runs in 9 outings.

In an exhibition game where some players might feel pleased to simply be recognized and/or get the opportunity to display their talents, De Fratus wants his team to come out on top. “I hope we can all do our best and win this game.”

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation.com’s new minor league contributor.  You can follow him on Twitter, for updates, stats and info, by clicking HERE.

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Diekman Struggles in AFL Debut

Posted by Jay Floyd, Thu, November 04, 2010 04:50 PM

On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season.

Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010.

However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing.

Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from mid-September through mid-October, but with some Mesa pitchers already approaching their allotted appearances and possibly because John Mayberry Jr. is sidelined by a calf injury and organizations are required to have 7 players each on an Arizona Fall League roster, Diekman, who generally registers in the low-90’s with his fastball, was called upon to contribute to the Mesa staff. Unfortunately for Diekman, he was not credited with any innings. Generally, AFL starting pitchers throw 24-30 innings, while AFL relievers are given roughly 10-12 outings.

With so many righty hurlers, like Justin De Fratus, Austin Hyatt, Jarred Cosart, Brody Colvin, Trevor May and plenty more, on the rise within the the Phillies’ system, Diekman is one of very few left-handers that has potential to reach the higher levels of the organization. One poor outing against a tough Peoria Javelinas lineup that includes former Major Leaguer Adam Loewen, 2009 number 2 overall draft pick Dustin Ackley, Mariners OF Nate Tenbrick, who batted .318 in 116 games at two levels in 2010, and Houston prospect Koby Clemens, son of Roger Clemens, who was a mid-season all-star in the Texas League (Double A), won’t impact Diekman’s value very much, especially considering the lengthy span between games for the Nebraska native.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation.com’s new minor league contributor.  You can read more from Jay at his site, PhoulBallz.com.

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