This content is free to view, so I’ll link it here. BA profiles Aaron Altherr, Harold Garcia, Troy Hanzawa and Anthony Hewitt on their “32nd player team” which is a list of guys who just missed the cut for the annual Top 30’s, and then missed the cut for #31, which they also include if you buy their book directly from BA. Altherr is the most interesting guy on the list, and a guy I’m interested to see in 2010, though I suspect he’s going to go through plenty of growing pains.
37 thoughts on “Four Phillies scouting reports from BA”
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Phuture Phillies 
Interesting stuff, thanks for copying it here. I’m not sure what Hanzawa is but the other three guys sure interest me. Garcia at AA with Galvis will be fun to watch and I’m one of the few still holding hope that Hewitt will figure it out as an outfielder this year. Altherr and Santana together at W’port will be huge corner outfielders (both 6’5″) with Dugan and Hudson. We sure do have OF prospects galore.
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I don’t know whether its great or awful that after one short season and one full season, a guy we dropped 1.4 Million on can’t crack our Top 30 prospects.
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The biggest issue I have with the Hewitt draft pick to date is that he has to be protected on the 40 man after 4 seasons, not 5 like most high schoolers, because he was already 19 when drafted. Obviously he’s going to need at least 4 more seasons in the minors, at the minimum, before he’s ready to be an everyday big leaguer, if he reaches that point. That means he’s going to be taking up space on the 40 man for someone who could be useful now. If the Phillies have the space, it won’t be the biggest issue, but it will be burning up his option years.
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I think it’s somewhat telling that Hewitt didn’t even make it onto the top 30. At this point, I’m hardly sweating the 40 man roster issue.
Troy Hanzawa’s writeup was interesting. Is anyone really going to get excited if we develop the next Augie Ojeda?
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I would be.
Elite teams with elite players need role players too. If Hanzawa can at least hit an empty .275, he’d be nice for the league minimum (or close to it) for 3 seasons, especially if hes an ace defensively. That would prevent the big league club from spending $750K-1M on the Juan Castro’s of the world.
The bench of the big league club has been an issue, like the bench on most teams with an excellent starting core. Its tough to get great players to come in and sit on the bench 158 times a year and watch guys like Utley, Rollins and Howard play every day.
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Umm, PP, I agree wholeheartedly. How would a Hanzawa hitting .275 with very good fielding look today look making the MLB minimum and having him around for 2-3 yrs, like a Nick Punto might have been? That’s exciting to me. Role players, such as Hanzawa or a Quentin Berry, and potential platoon players, such as Jaramillo or Mayberry, have real value.
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Ojeda’s career OPS+ is 67. When I think of a player of that type, I think of a AAA player who can be your team’s utility infielder in a pinch. Players of Ojeda’s caliber can be plucked off the minor league free agent list most seasons. That’s freely available talent. They’re overpaying for Juan Castro, but they could easily make Cody Ransom the utility infielder and pay him the minimum.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s an MLB roster spot with more qualified talent than the utility infielder. What’s the point of getting excited over a player who can fill that role with little upside? If you can’t find a player to fill that role for the league minimum, you’re not looking hard enough.
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As if I were not already anticipating the BA guide release. What 30 players do the Phillies have that BA would rate higher than Garcia? I had him 24.
Also,
I guess the Phillies will not draft any college outfielders this year. Absolutely No space.
Williamsport:
RF Santana, LF Altherr, CF Hudson and CF Dugan
Lakewood:
RF Castro, LF Collier, CF Ji James, and LF Hewitt
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Middle infielders are rare. Especially true middle infielders who can field and hit for average. Hanzawa isn’t an elite prospect, a great prospect, or maybe even a good prospect. But up the middle talent is in short supply. So I’m happy that he at least has one plus tool (his glove), which means he might actually get a cup of coffee, or even more, prove useful at the major league level.
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Garcia is just a little old to be a great prospect and he does not have a single skill that stands out. I think he has a shot at a utility role, but he is really not that far ahead of Hanzawa. Combine Garcia’s offense and Hanzawa’s D and then you would have a prospect somewhere in the 20-25 range. Kind of like Jonathan Villar though Villar is an extra year or two away.
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I agree with Andyb on Garcia but I think he was a huge help to Gose this year. Everyone was talking about Gose stealing bases and his upside potential but Garcia taking that leadoff spot relieved Gose of the pressure of leadoff. Garcia would be a big help to Galvis if they play together at Reading this year. He’s older, more mature. If he gets a cup of coffee in the Majors, I’d be happy for him.
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Sounds great with the dirth of catchers in the show that can throw my granny out, I see a lot of potential in Gose and anyone who can aid his cause. Guys LIKE Baker and McCann would be easy targets and should not be allowed to hurt you with their bats. That is why I rate Gose over Gillies in the long run which is all there is not that Vic signed.
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I hope they do move Garcia to AA. He could make something of himself as his most likely outcome at this point is filler.
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not=now sorry
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Alan: Then why do we often go out and spend 2-5 times the minimum for a backup infielder (Nunez, the guy we have now, and many others over the years).
Maybe you only get excited over impact players, but I have interest in the entire roster and get excited by bit players who can make a contribution. I follow them and do not expect them to turn into regulars, but look forward to 1 or 2 making the team and providing something off the bench or for short-term injury replacement.
As PP implies, Hanzawa may or may not be a Nick Punto. But he has a few of those qualities and might come close. That’s not worth a post or two to you?
A metaphor: Do you pay attention to the good supporting actors in movies, or just listen when the stars are talking? Seems that something is missed if that is the case.
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Agree with Alan. There is no need to be excited by a player whos ceiling is as a utility infielder. It does not take massive rescources to aquire utility infielders. There is always one available when needed. Juan Castro makes 750k, is a switch hitter and can bunt (a skill the Phillies need). If the Phillies paid that every year to their Utility infielder, it does not hurt the team.
If the Phillies choose to pay 750k for a veteran utility infielder, instead of paying 350k to a rookie call-up, it does not hurt anything.
IMO, save excitement for players who have potential to be difference makers.
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Can someone help fill me in? I’m somewhat new to the world of following prospects. When does BA publish their top 30 prospects list? And is their a way to access it online without purchasing the book?
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Diamondderby, I’m a huge booster and fan of supporting players in the minor leagues. Name me an International League veteran and I can probably tell you a little about him. But when it comes to rating players as prospects, I’m going to be honest in my assessments. We’re talking Augie Ojeda as Hanzawa’s UPSIDE, not just his likely ability. It’s not that I don’t root for Hanzawa. It’s just that there are many players in the organization right now with a chance to be more.
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Alan. I got the wrong impression. I also do not get excited about these guys as top prospects. But I maintain an interest in guys with role player potential and I get a kick when an overachiever makes the team and makes any kind of reasonable contribution, especially on the cheap.
And that is not even mentioning the motivation factor for similar borderline players. I got the impression you thought they weren’t worth a peripheral comment or a post when something prompts a thought about a guy like Hanzawa–as if only superstars are worth our breath. I don’t feel that way and sorry if I got the wrong impression.
The context for this is that Hanzawa and others were mentioned as guys beyond our top 30, correct? I don’t think anyone is trying to say they are in the same class as our high-ceiling guys. And people who could care less about the little guys don’t need to participate in discussing the wannabes if they are not interested. They can stick to the “exciting” players.
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On drafting, I think the Phils will do what other clubs do – if there’s a player whose perceived value is higher than their draft position, they’ll draft him, even if it’s an outfielder. But I agree that they won’t be drafting outfielders just to fill roster spots. Chances this year should be taken on middle infielders and catchers. Aside from that, the talent is distributed fairly well.
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It’s cool DiamondDerby. I get a kick out of turning on an MLB game and seeing a guy like Bobby Scales make good. Hanzawa just struck me because he seemed like such an ordinary player to devote a writeup to. And I’ll confess that when I first saw the Ojeda note, I hadn’t seen that he played mostly in the majors the last two seasons.
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I got Juan Castro as a Right-Handed Hitter. According to reports he makes $750,000 per season. The minimum might be as much as $500,000 per year, and I strongly doubt it is much less than $400,000 per year, so the Castro makes 4 or 5 times the minimum thing may be overstated. The purpose of getting this utility infielder was to get one who could give excellent defense at SS, and play 2nd and 3rd as well, with the potential to hit enough to get regular periods of rest to team essentials Utley, Rollins, Polanco. I say they have that possibility with a better than average chance of it working out. The average AAA or AA back-up whose name was drawn out of a hat would give an outcome that is doubtful in that regard.
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I believe the league minimum is 412.000 now, but Castro is nothing to get excited about he isnt a good hitter, and is ok defensive player.
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Nunez made a lot more than $750,000. No one said Castro made that much. ?????
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And guys like Tomas Perez made proportionally a lot more than the minimum in the past. If you do not value cheaper backups from your own system and do not get some pleasure in seeing some of the hard-working minor leaguers have a little success and play a role, that’s fine. Stick to the exciting guys.
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Brian Bocock could turn out to be a good middle infield utility guy. The guy is a shortstop and would expect to see him play some second this spring. They must think highly of him to put him on the 40 man roster. With Tim Kennelly as a corner infield, outfield and catcher utility guy they have two prospects that coudl fill future utlity rolls cheaply down the line at the ML level.
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I’m pretty uncomfortable saying that Troy Hanzawa’s upside is a light hitting utility infielder. It’s probably his “most likely positive outcome,” but there’s a decent chance that someone who’s a good enough athlete to play an excellent shortstop can figure out how to hit. Seeing Hanzawa play it’s pretty evident that if he gets stronger he’ll hit better, and he’ll almost certainly get stronger. It’s pretty unlikely, but it’s possible, so I wouldn’t want to limit his upside. Wonder how many prospects exceed their minor league ceilings? Howard and Utley certainly did. As did Victorino.
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I was wondering where I could drop this tidbit without being off topic in one of these streams but… Was driving around Philly the other day and heard Amaro Jr. on the local ESPN station being interviewed. They were talking, of course, about the Lee deal and Amaro was defending saying they had to fill up the prospect pool, as in the higher levels they were weak, with only the likes of “Brown and Galvis”.
I thought the Galvis mention was exremely interesting. As PP and others are talking about Hanzawa as a light hitting, good defense, option sounds like Ruben and the gang may see our friend Freddie potentially filling that role some day, and maybe sooner than later as he referred to him as “higher level”.
Just thought it was interesting.
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If Jimmy Rollins wants 15 million after 2011, then introducing Freddie Galvis your Philadelphia Phillies starting shortstop.
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I heard that too SteveB. I thought it was interesting he considered Galvis ‘upper level’. He only had a handful of at-bats at AA. That barely counts. I guess it just shows the internal opinion of Galvis must be pretty high.
Also, Beerleaguer confirms Benny Looper has a man-crush on JC Ramirez.
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Sounds like Ruben had something left over from washing his hogs. What is the big deal on filling the upper levels of the minor league system when you don’t even give anyone even a “cup of coffee” for fear they might succeed.
I like Galvis but his status as a upper level guy is based on he fact that there is no one else. Spin,spin,spin.
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I caught that interview as well and to steal a line from judge judy “c’mon mr. amaro don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining” MLB Network did their Top 50 prospects: Aumont was like 47 on the list, M Taylor was next at 35th, Drabek was 17th and D Brown was 14.
I think I would buy what Rube is selling if two of the three prospects were ranked in the top 50 or 1 of them was ranked in the top 25.
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Not top 50, but Gillies and Ramirez are both very legit prospects.
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I received the Baseball America book this morning. The Halladay trade occurred after the deadline so Drabek and co. are still listed with the Phillies organization. I won’t give the entire list unless James gives permission, but there are a couple of points that interest me.
-JC Ramirez is rated 18th in the Mariners’ organization. Compare that with KLaw’s assessment of Ramirez being the 101st best prospect in the minors. Talk about a divergence of opinions.
-Kyrell Hudson in at #14 is a real surprise. Baseball America loves the toolsy prospects.
-Jon Singleton falls all the way to #20. I have him at #18 personally.
-Joe Savery at #21. I assailed his placement at #20 in the readers’ list as a mistake. I still stand by leaving him off my own top 30.
-Jon Pettibone did not make their cut.
-Alumni Sightings. Adrian Cardenas at #9 for the Athletics. Jason Knapp at #4, Carlos Carrasco at #8, Lou Marson at #11 and Jason Donald at #15 for the Indians. Greg Golson did not make the cut for the Rangers.
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Almost forgot. Cesar Hernandez at #31, a real dark horse prospect.
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DMAR — MLB Fanhouse rankings (which are done by a big league scout) have Aumont at 29 & Gillies at 50. That make you feel any better?
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Love your new banner 🙂
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