I hit the Carpenter Complex to check out the first day of minor league games. It was the Clearwater (Group 3) team and the Lakewood (Group 4) teams against the Orioles. Nothing of terrific interest to report except that I did pick up the newly updated minor league rosters. This version has the guys broken out into five groups not four like the previous version that I had posted a while back.
Though these rosters are still subject to quite a bit of change before the season actually starts, they do seem to be much closer to what each roster may look like. The Group 1 seems most likely for the biggest changes as guys continue to get sent down from the big league camp, but as you move to groups, 2, 3, 4 & five I see less change happening at each lower level. Of course “less” is relative with perhaps even as much as 50% change still to come.
I’ll keep on the lookout for each new officially posted roster and keep them updated here as needed.
Phuture Phillies 
The Good News is the appearance of RHP Drew Naylor. The bad news includes the following: (1) still no sign of RHP Jarrod Freeman (I think this is a pretty bad sign); (2) also no Tyler Mach and a poster at pp.com reports that he is contemplating retirement which kind of sucks for a guy we spent a 4th round pick on less than 9 months ago; (3) looks like the injured guys include Mathieson, Concepcio, Cruz, Drabek, Jiwan James and Luke Wertz.
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I’m actually gonna try and find out what is going on with Freeman.
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Freeman retired.
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Major bummer. I think I had him on my breakout candidate list.
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Anybody with insight on why Mach or Freeman would retire so soon?
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Is Marson jumping to AAA or just filling in until Jaramillo comes down from big camp?
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Marson will move to AA to get everyday playing time.
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For those of you who are in Clearwater, is it just me or does D’arby Myers look like his body frame is not likely to get much bigger? Also, after a few days of intersquad games and todays first spring game, the most impressive hitter I’ve seen of the high and low A groups is Matt Spencer. he’s been hitting a lot of linedrives and the ball really jumps off his bat.
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Well, Jiwan was listed as coming in second in the minor league track meet in some press item the other day. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something wrong with his arm.
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As for D’Arby, no, he doesn’t look like he has a frame that will be any bigger then Mike Bourn- certainly not on par with Dominic Brown. Though I must say, for all the ‘Daryl Strawberry’ comparisons, someone also needs to mention that he doesn’t have the bat speed that Strawberry had at age 20 (good, but not at that level).
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I see that 17 year old european we signed is in Group 5, Jakub Sladek. I thought he still had another year of H.S. left before he could come over. Does anyone know about that?
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Matt Spencer is pounding the ball, but on the Group 4 Team during intersquads, Karl Bolt was 5 for 8 with 3 doubles. Then in yesterday’s first real game against the Orioles, Bolt was 2 for 3, with a double off the fence in left in the first, an absolute monster HR in the 7th, and all four of the team’s RBI’s. Quite a few fans around to watch the minor league teams yesterday. And a lot of the Phillies mgmnt.
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What happened to Matt Olson?
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Olson was released by the Phillies before the 2007 season. I do not believe he was picked up by another organization.
On an unrelated note Curt Miaso was recently signed by the Brewers organization to pitch.
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How is Tim Binkoski OF doing in Group 5?
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GKit,
Myers is still growing. He hasn’t filled out much. But, he did get a little taller. Also, Phillies set his off season conditioning for speed and tone, no weights. ( I think it’s a mistake.) As for Spencer… I agree! But, The one I’m really impressed with is Bolt. King Kong belted an HR and looked like it was effortless. He looks like he’s picked up where he left off in the GCL.
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Dominic Brown is not on par with D’Arby Myers, Myers is a very young 19, he just turned 19, he is still growing, his body will fill out, he has speed, Myers is the fastest in the phillies system, saw him run the 60 he ran faster than everyone there. saw him in the game he hit a ball to the warning track, he ran from 2nd to home on a base hit. a single hit by Cardenas and he stole a base. his bat speed is faster than Darrell Strawberry’s. Myers is already bigger than Michael Bournwith his 6’4 frame,To “the fish” you obviously like D Brown better so stop hat’Ning on Myers.
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hey now, lets keep it civil. I don’t think anyone was “hating” on Myers.
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Fish, D’arby with slow bat speed? Look again he’s got some of the fastest wrists in the organization.
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If he’s improved thats great, but D’arby didn’t show any outstanding tools with the bat that last year in Williamsport- not In what I was able to see personally, or what anyone can see in his statistics. He doesn’t have ‘big shoulders’ like Brown that project to putting on another 20 pounds of muscle. But actually my bat speed comment was directed towards Dominic Brown- and I didn’t say he had poor bat speed, just not Daryl Strawberry batspeed.
I was as excited as anyone when D’arby was drafted and he did well in the GCL, but from what I saw of him last year, I’ve tempered that enthusiasm.
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As for the question on Jakob Sladek- I found this:
“He will attend spring training camp with the other minor leaguers of the Phillies. After that he is returning to Europe, playing for the German Bundesliga team Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg. He will finish school in 2009 and will move into the United States definitively afterwards”
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I went up to Dunedin yesterday to watch the guys. Kind of a pounding, but Karl Bolt hit another double off the left field wall over the LF’ers head. On another AB, he hit one very deep for a SAC. We have some real players down on the Pharm. I like the looks of Mattair, Galvis, Dennis Winn, and Bolt in the infield.
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thanks fish
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Remember the Tyler Mach arguements last year? Its interesting to read over them.
I could be wrong, wouldn’t be the 1st time, but neither of these guys (Mach/Freeman) were in the anyone’s top 30s list. So they were neither that much of a prospect. Especially Mach who was a senior. I mean it sucks of they retired but I don’t think it hurts our farm what-so-ever.
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scout.com has a piece about their retirement, but i’m not a subscriber…
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I just got back from Clearwater and, besides imploring all of you to go at some point, have a few comments.
Fish: I agree 100% about your D’Arby Myers comments. He is very wiry (reminds me more of Alfonso Soriano than Michael Bourn) but does not appear to have the body-type to really fill out, weights or no weights. He looks a like a player but I don’t think his swing or strength will lend itself to solid power. Maybe a 5-10 guy with gap-to-gap power.
Matt Spencer has one of the prettiest strokes that I have ever seen- simply hitting the ball where it’s pitched with distinct power. Bolt looks good too but Spencer looks moroe athletic and less pull-conscious.
Dominic Brown is going to be a monster. He has pretty good bat speed but the ball just absolutely jumps off his bat like it’s corked.
Jacob Diekman’s ball is very heavy and moves a ton- he may be a dark horse to enter our top-30 after the year.
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Cant say I’m completely surprised on Mach, but I thought he’d last another year. Freeman I am surprised on.
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Following the daily minor league camp action on the Reading Phillies site Brad Harman is pounding the ball so far. From today’s report:
Drew Carpenter threw three shutout innings, giving up three hits and recording a strikeout. Brad Harman was the star on offense, going 2-for-2 with a homerun, four RBI and two runs scored.
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Is Tim Binkoski doing anyting thus far in Group 5 to turn heads? He is a Free Agent from 2007.
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What’s Williamsport’s rotation going to look like? I figure Worley and Stutes are a given. I think Heitor Correa likely gets a slot. I figure one or both of Sampson and Diekman might be demoted. I think De Fratus might get a Williamport rotation slot. Another possible is Rob Roth.
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Worley and Stutes do seem like locks, Correa definitely. I think they might leave Sampson in Lakewood and Diekman could be demoted.
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