Spring Training Chatter, Week of 26 March

Spring Training 2012

The regular season is almost here. A few roster spots are up for grabs. Talk about the things that interest you here. And be good to each other, we’re all on the same team.

60 thoughts on “Spring Training Chatter, Week of 26 March”

  1. Anyone have a prediction for lakewoods roster? Also where do u think lanning will play? And biddle…thanx

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    2. Yes , as a matter of fact, I have a semi-prediction, which was made Pretty much at the end of last season. I haven’t kept up as much as usual in the offseason so there may be a missed release or 2, but I think it may be close to how it goes down come the start of the season.

      C-# Chase Numata, # Robert Stumpo
      INF- *Brock Stassi 1B, *Cody Asche 2B, Taylor Black SS, Maikel Franco 3B, *Christopher Duffy 1B-3B, Harold Martinez 1B-3B, Stephen Malcolm INF
      OF- *Kelly Dugan LF, Kyrell Hudson CF, Aaron Altherr , RF, Gauntlet Eldemire OF, *Peter Lavin OF
      P- *Adam Morgan S1, Percival Garner S2, * Lino Martinez S3, Colin Kleven S4, *Ethan Stewart S5
      * Ryan Sasaki, Jack Van Leur,, *James Birmingham, *Austin Brough, Gilbert Arias, Colton Murray, Juary Gomez,
      Kenny Giles, CL

      May be a couple of extra guys.

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  2. Bastardo looked great Sunday. He hit the glove about 90% not counting waste pitches. Ruiz is on fire offensively and defensively. This is the player I knew he could be once he straighten out the major flaw in his swing (too bad he didn’t do it sooner)

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    1. Bastardo is only throwing in the high 80’s/ low 90’s. They have been saying he’s been struggling with some shoulder problems so I doubt with a week left he’ll be 100% for the start of the season. It makes making a case for Savery or Diekman all the more easier.

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  3. The Phillies apparently picked up Chin-Lung Hu to play SS at AAA. Three years ago he was seen as a top prospect. Good defense paired with moderate power and speed.

    It has been all injuries since then, but I guess he is an option if Freddy stumbles at the plate in April.

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    1. I was wondering about Chin-lung Hu, too. I lived in Los Angeles when he was a prospect there, and he was considered MLB-talent, if at the low-end. Surprised if he’s more than AAAA, but who knows–the parent club needs help.

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  4. From the Inqy minor league article from today: Quinn and Larry Greene Jr are going to stay at extended ST while Tyler Green is going to Low A ball after “rave reviews”

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      1. Gkit, I appreciate the videos you posted on youtube.
        From the video you provided, it looked like Roman Quinn has a better swing than Tyler Greene, from the right side. But it makes sense that Quinn would be sent to Extended, due to learning how to switch hit and learning SS.

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        2. VOR…try avoiding writing anything remotely constructively critical of Tyler Greene…it opens a pandora’s box of rebuttals from his fan club.

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    2. If people would carefully read the article , it says the players are still in “workout groups”. Gelb is couching everything in “likelies to” and such. The assignments will be known when teams are ready to play the first game of the season as it has always been. The only news I see is the release of Geancarlo Mendez, INF-OF, and Paul Cusick, RHP. Chin Lun Hu is a defense first type and has been for awhile, don’t see as a factor.

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      1. Regarding Chin Lun Hu, someone asked if Valdez was so replaceable who were we going to get… problem solved. Now someone is going to say, “But Hu isn’t proven at the MLB level.” That’s true. But I feel confident in saying he won’t be worse than Martinez and he won’t hit into as many double plays as Exxon. I’m all for it.

        Also, I’m aware he’s not on the MLB roster, just pointing some things out.

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        1. I like this signing. He is still 28 years old and he has been fighting injuries the last couple of years. As a prospect he sure looked like he would be a 750 OPS offensive guy paired with pretty good defense. I think expectations in LA hurt him and then he had some injuries.

          Low risk move IMO that could turn into at least a replacement level middle infielder if things break right for him.

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    3. Kudos to TG for impressing and possibly debuting at LKW. Also impressive is Pointer potentially jumping WPT. My guess is that he ends up at WPT, but it would be a good sign if he begins the year at LKW.

      I wonder if Gillies and James are in a competition for starting CF at AA? Or would the team actually have them both on the same roster to start the season? If so Reading would have the best defensive OF in the Eastern League.

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  6. There’s talk the Angels could release Bobby Abreu. Assuming he came with a price tag of the MLB minimum salary and nobody being traded to obtain him, how much of an upgrade do people think he would be in LF over the Pierre / Posednik / Nix trio? I’m assuming Mayberry will play primarily 1B with a little LF mixed in until Howard returns.

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    1. I think Abreu would be an absolute upgrade, but I can’t see the Phillies cutting Nix before a two year contract even begins.

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    3. I think he is pretty much done defensively but has something to offer for a year or two on offense. He needs to stay in the AL with a DH. With Thome being one defensively challenged guy on our bench we really cannot afford to carry a 2nd.

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    4. Andy, how do you think that Abreu would fit in with the current Phillies? I could see problems if he would not hustle and the fact that the Phillies took off once they traded him.

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      1. He will not be back…Pat Gillick jettisoned him ‘out of here’…and Ruben respects Gillick too much to bring him back.

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      2. Abreu would not fit in because of lack of defense and high salary. His effort is just fine and by all reports he is a positive influence on his teammates.

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  10. Who knows as far as I’m concern the Phillies origination plays a lot of mind games with these young athletes. I agree with the lady who put the article out today. She paid money to go watch the big league team play and they were so lazy she left in the 3rd inning and went over to watch the AA game and enjoyed it a hell of a lot more. She did comet on how well Freddy looked.

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  12. On SS Hu: about 28, carries a lifetime MLB OBA of .340, was born in Taiwan, 5’10” 190 lbs!!!———-isn’t that the build of a pudgy shortstop?

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  13. You have to love kids. In the case Joba’s boy about 6years old.
    “‘My dad got hosed by a trampoline.:”

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  14. Neither Bastardo nor Stutes has looked good this Spring. More importantly, they have been struggling since the latter part of last season. I would not be averse to starting both of them in AAA, to try to get them back to where they were earlier last season. There are lots of other candidates for the bullpen that could be placed on the 25 man roster (Schwimer, Herndon, Valdes). If they carry 12 pitchers, it is unlikely that the last spot in the pen pitches much in the early going anyway.

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  15. Glad we have several pen guys ready to compete now and/or very soon to be essentials there.

    That is what “thinking ahead” is supposed to mean.

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  16. Here’s some milb notes: Chin Lung Hu released due to failing physical. Guess the ideas of some on here crashed. Other notable releases: Eric Pettis (did he make the top 30, got consideration),
    Juary Gomez, Matt Way , Geancarlo Mendez, Luis Unda, Fabian Cota, Ion Durham. Matt Rizzotti traded to Twins for cash, as above.

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    1. Hu had potential if healthy. That is why the Phillies signed him for AAA. When he was not healthy they turned around and got Thurston. They know they need a plan C if Galvis can’t hit right away.

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        1. Fontenot would be perfect in the Valdez / Martinez role as the emergency / utility infielder. Just don’t want him starting a whole lot of games.

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  18. Heads up, Julio Rodriguez to pitch tonight vs Yankees, game on MLB Network. Looks like he’ll be the last used in a bullpen game so he probably won’t be facing Cano, Tex, ARod, and Jeter but still should be interesting to see him throw.

    Also, Pierre leading off. Sounds like Charlie is leaning more and more to an increased role for Pierre at or near the top of the order with Mayberry playing more 1B to start.

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  20. This is an ugly game…Bonilla running into some tough times..Yankees running on the young pitchers tonight (2 SB on JRod and 2 on Bonilla so far)

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  22. The line doesn’t look pretty but I was very impressed with Bonilla. Live arm and tremendous change. He got behind hitters which was just about everybody tonight but I was impressed. Not as much with Rodriguez.

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    1. JRod….looks like a clone in mannerisms and mechanics of a young Freddy Garcia, without of course, the mid-90s FB.

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  25. Julio Rodriguez hit 92 MPH tonight according to the gun (posted) at that stadium. His other FBs varied from 88-90. The question of his FB speed has been answered: he can hit 92 (or more?) but likes to vary his FB speed as part of his approach.

    He also threw one great change-up that the (Yankee’s) announcers praised. He also displayed a curve but didn’t have it under control, but you can see it is there.

    He seems like a guy who “knows how to pitch.” A couple of balls hit against him slid through the inf but despite that in 2 inns of work-including a walk or two-the hitters didn’t get many good swing and usually hit the ball on the ground.

    Despite two inns of men on base against him, he did bear down and nobody scored on his watch. J-Rod should eventually come on as a #3 or #4 in a rotation. ETA: 2013.

    Lisberto also pitched with much less success. Wild. Got hit hard by lefties.

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    1. My guess for JRod….bottom rotation guy, ie a 4 or 5. Better come up with a significant out-pitch, velo on FB will not be enough seated at 88-91, and touching 92 on occasion.

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