Box Score Recap 6-27-2012

Box Score Recap

I like Jiwan James hitting out of the leadoff spot right now.  1-4 with a BB and scored 2 runs.  His BBs are up and Ks are down in June.  Couple more months of that and he’ll be looking pretty good.  Or it’s a streak, destined to flame out against the breeze of so many swinging strikes.  Cross your fingers for the former.

LV  REA  CLR  LKW  WIL  GCL  DSL  VSL

157 thoughts on “Box Score Recap 6-27-2012”

  1. Moises Rivas is back in the GCL. He started the season in the VSL just getting work in. Doug Parada is mightly impressive, even for the VSL. The 19 YO lefty went 7 innings giving up 4 hits with 8Ks. In 44 innings he’s given up 25 hits, 5 ER and has 41Ks to 5 BBs with a 1.02 ERA. that’s better than Rivas was doing. Parada looks like a big kid. 6’1″ 233 lbs. He might be David Wells and that would make me extremely happy. I know it’s the VSL but those stats are pretty good.

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    1. And he picked the same guy off base 3 times. Reminds me of a game between the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Jerry Garvin was on the mound. He picked George Scott off base 3 times. The last time, George took 1 step off the base and Garvin got the ball over to 1st base before he could move one of the those gigantic legs back to the bag. I was sitting on the 1st base line with a perfect view of it. It still cracks me up when I think of it.

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  2. Dylan Cozens!!!!!!
    With all the young position players in the GCL and Williamsport, what do you think the TOP 10 position players in the system would look like??

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    1. Cozens puzzles me….a lot of the basball pundits before the draft were not over-the-top high on him..nevertheless, Phillies were and he seems, early on, to be showing something. He has the size and strength for sure.

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      1. If I understood the concerns correctly – people were afraid of Cozens because he got into a fight with a coach and/or a teammate during a game. That’s certainly a red flag, but not a reason to write a guy off, especially when the Phils have someone of Dickie Noles’ caliber in the counseling role.

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      2. The pundits weren’t all that high on Walding, either, if I remember correctly. Or Singleton, for that matter. Gotta give it up for the Phils West Coast scouts.

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      3. It’s way too early to get excited about Cozens or anyone in the GCL. Let’s wait until we hear what scouts say about these guys. There are just not enough at bats, nor is the level of competition high enough, that we can glean important information yet.

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        1. It’s never too early to get excited.

          It is way too early to pass any judgements though.

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        1. Could make it by the end of the year, but I’m in the camp that his good start is a product of small sample size and “lucky” BABIP. His BB rate dropped significantly this year, and his ISO is average. His K rate is solid. I think we are going to see him post a 700-725 OPS in AA.

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          1. I like that fact that both Larry Greene and Dylan Cozens are taking their fair share of walks its early but a good sign

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      2. Ouch. Over 1/3 of the list is playing below A Ball. Lucky to see them in 5 years. Brown has been on the top of the list for 3 or 4 years now and looks like he might not make it to the field as a Phllie. Franco has had a horrible year. Collier? he just came back to the field. Gillies, has been ok, but was gone for 2 years. I like Valle and Hernandez, but are they your preferred version of a 2 and 3 in the Org? Damning with faint praise to be on this list.

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        1. Its merely a list of position players. Franco is doing fine as a 19 year old playing full season ball — his BB rate, K rate, and ISO are all fine for his age and league. Gillies is still age-appropriate, despite missing so much time. He also gets added value based on his position and defense. I couldn’t decide on the last spot, and it might have been more on the hopes Collier continues to put it together from the past season — he is still quite young.

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          1. I know it is a list of position players. I also don’t disagree with your list. I just don’t like it from an Org. perspective. I don’t think it is a good set of players for an organization needing help sooner rather than later. There is not one sure thing in the bunch. The Williamsport guys are sooooo far away that it is impossible to anoint them as anything more than speculative. Yes Franco is young for A, but he has still been bad at A. If he repeats next year and does well, great, but that is an IF now. Collier, Gillies get a big Meh. What Org. out there does not have two guys like that or 5 guys like that or more? They are nothing special.

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      3. Good list. My only quibble is I think Cesar has passed Valle. He plays an important defensive position well, has good speed, and pretty good contact numbers. He has a high BABIP this year but he also has a very high LD% compared to past years. I think he can be a starting 2B in the majors in 2014.

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    3. Its so tough with just a few games played but fun nevertheless!!!
      Brown
      Valle
      Hernandez
      Asche
      Walding
      L.greene
      Collier
      Cozens
      Quinn
      Franco

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    4. I no longer count Brown, since not rookie eligible.
      As I think of them, in no particular order:
      Asche
      Larry Greene
      Walding
      Valle
      Gillies
      Cozens
      Quinn
      Hernandez
      James
      Pointer

      I badly wanted spots for Ruf and Collier. Castro just behind. Sorry to not be able to include Franco, but he’s having a bad year. Also would have liked to be able to include Altherr.

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      1. I’d argue that Franco is having a better year than James, especially when you consider their ages and leagues.

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        1. I think James being in AA and currently looking like he has better discipline helps him in this discussion. I would also leave gillies off the list since he just can not stay on the field. I know his latest injury was a freak collision but if you miss years of development you are not a prospect. His last full season was in the mariners org and it was a hitters league so we still have no idea if he is for real or not.

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          1. James BB% is the lowest of his career this year, and his K% (26%) is the highest of his career. HIs speed, which has been a great asset, has gotten him caught stealing more times than he’s been successful. On the positive side, his power (ISO) is the highest he’s ever had. While this last point is a positive, and he might develop into something, at this point in my opinion he’s organizational filler until I see a breakout season.

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    5. 1 C Hernandez
      2 D Brown
      3 Franco
      4 Valle
      5 Asche
      6 L Greene Jr
      7 Quinn
      8 Walding
      9 James
      10 T Greene
      HM: Gillies, Collier, Rupp, Cozens

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  3. The highest OBP for any teenager in the NYPenn league belongs to… Larry Greene Jr.
    The highest Batting avg for any teenager in the NYPenn belongs to… Mitchell Walding.

    2011 draft looking promising so far.

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      1. If they were doing poorly you would be saying they are 10 days in with EXT and they are horrible.Lets right them off.Cut these young guys some slack & give credit when credit is do.A lot of these guys are right out of High School and not playing the positions they are accustom to.And yes only 10 days in but doing great.Save the negative comments for when they are accually playing bad.To much negativity.

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  4. I attended both the Reading Phillies and the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs games on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. I will post a more detailed description of both games including all the weird things that happened at the Lehigh Valley game and of Julio Rodriquez’s velocity but the story of the day has to be Brian Rosenberg. Rosenberg was truly dealing last night.

    Many people on this site claim that the Lehigh Valley radar gun is 2-3 mph slow, if that is true he was truly throwing over 100 mph.

    Rosenberg came into a bases loaded and 2-out situation in the 6th inning with the game on the line and proceeded to get out of the jam by striking out an AAA All-star hitter. He totally dominated the next two innings and only allowed a run in the 9th because of a bad positioning decision led to a double.

    Over the two games I saw a lot of pitchers but Rosenberg was the only pitcher throwing nearly 100 mph. All the other pitchers FB’s were toping out in the high 80’s. Rochester’s starting pitcher who’s velocity was mostly 87-88 mph did reach 90 on three pitches and 91 on two. There last relief pitcher who also was throwing in the upper 80’s did hit 90 on two pitches otherwise except for Rosenberg all other pitchers velocity was in the upper 80’s. No only was Rosenberg throwing hard but he also was totally dominating the hitters. A number of the fans around me were chanting for Rosenberg to reach triple digits.

    The following is the pitch by pitch velocity analysis of Rosenberg.

    The key for the notation is:
    SS – Swinging strike, CS – Called strike, F – Foul, B – Ball, FO – Fly out, GO – Ground out, PU – Pop up, 2B – Double

    6th Inning
    1st batter — 94 F, 85 B, 86 F, 96 B, 86 SS — Strike out # 1

    7th Inning
    1st batter — 95 B, 95 F, 87 B, 96 FO — Fly out to center
    2nd batter — 96 B, 96 CS, 98 SS, 85 B, 95 F, 96 SS — Strike out # 2
    3rd batter — 97 CS, 86 FO — Fly out to center

    8th Inning
    1st batter — 94 CS, 86 CS, 93 B, 84 B, 85 SS — Strike out # 3
    2nd batter — 99 PU — Pop up to the 3rd
    3rd batter — 93 B, 96 B, 96 CS, 96 F, 84 CS — Strike out # 4

    9th Inning
    1st batter — 84 CS, 94 B, 95 F, 97 B, 96 B, 96 F, 96 GO — Ground out to 2nd
    2nd batter — 94 B, 87 F, 96 F, 96 B, 86 2B — Double to right center field
    3rd batter — 87 SS, 96 SS, 96 B, 88 B, 96 F, 96 B, 87 GO — Ground out to shortstop
    4th batter — 87 B, 97 2B — Double to center field
    5th batter — 97 SS, 95 SS, 98 B, 96 SS — Strike out # 5

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    1. Explain your point Nepa? he didn’t do anything with his opportunity in Philly and at the end of the day thats all that matters.

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      1. You can’t be serious. Someone goes to a game and provides us with all this insight AND data, and you’re criticizing him for not making a point?? Why don’t you add some real information to the blog before getting on someone’s case after an excellent post like this one.

        His point is that Rosenberg was dealing with legit stuff. That’s it. Be happy we have guys with live arms like this in our system.

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        1. Really dude you need to settle down. I wasn’t criticizing Nepa merely asking him to explain what he was trying to point out. Even still we criticize eachother all the time it is a big boy board.

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          2. Why does he need to make a point? I found it interesting. Sometimes a post is merely informational or sometimes is a waste of space. Such as mine

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  5. Asche was cooling off before his promotion. Not really too surprising to see him struggling now.

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    1. I’d be hesitant to call it “struggling.” I’d go more with “adjusting,” but that’s a matter of semantics. I remember that Michael Taylor took about thirty at-bats or so after each of his promotions before turning it on. Let’s give Asche another week or so to determine if he was just on an extended lucky streak in Clearwater

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      1. Asche deserved to called up to AA but I would have lied he stayed until mid-July before the move. It isn’t because I thought he’d “struggle” or anything like that. I felt he’d already been double jumped to CLW. He was unremarkable in 239 ABs at Wlliamsport last year. On the flip side, there was no one at Reading that would prevent them from moving him up. So if it takes him some time to acclimate, then there’s probably no harm done. He’s not a 19 year old kid like Galvis was when he was moved to AA. Although Galvis only moved up near the middle of August.

        The interesting thing might be next year’s starting spots. If Walding continues his hitting and Franco struggles the rest of the year, where do the 3rd baseman start next year? You don’t want Walding and Franco sharing time. Harold Martinez can move up or stay where he is (or play 1st) but again they all need reps. In a perfect world, Asche would go to AAA, Martinez to AA, Franco to A+, Walding hits A etc etc. But nothing ever comes out the way you planned or even hoped.

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        1. As long as Franco continues to put the ball in play, walk at a similar rate, and keep the same rate of power, he will continue to move up.

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      1. Another Cuban who just was granted free agency. 21 yrs old and plays CF. Plus power but hit tool questionable. Talented but not regarded in the same class as Soler.

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          1. darn, I think from now on, when there is a big international free agent we should not even talk about him since the Phillies don’t like to spend a lot internationally. Talking about him would only get our hopes up

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            1. They spend money internationally, but like to spread it around. Call it investing in mutual funds instead of rolling the dice on the next Apple Computer.

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  7. Justin Friend has to get a look soon don’t you think? 26 Years Old 1.07 WHIP 8K/9 in Reading. I’ve seen enough of Qualls. One of these guys has to possess the fire to seize their shot at the bigs and hold onto it.

    Sheesh

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    1. Qualls is an unmitigated disaster. I don’t see how one could throw that hard, have the much movement, have that many years of experience and still stink as much as he does. At the very least, he should become a last option until they can get someone better and drop him from the team.

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      1. Apparently Jeremy Horst is in the Phillies clubhouse. I have a feeling Qualls may be getting released. Typical of Ruben to wait to do it on a morning while everyone’s talking about the Supreme Court, distracting us from his disastrous offseason decisions.

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        1. To be fair, the signing of Qualls does not fall into the disastrous category. To the contrary, it probably was a good move as it was low-risk and low-cost and provided some insurance in case Contreras wasn’t ready and/or DeFratus/Aumont/Schwimer weren’t ready. Sometimes relievers have a good year out of nowhere. As it turns out, the only contributor out of all of them has been Schwimer (with some mixed results, but I am optimistic). The larger problem for Qualls is that he was pressed into an important and larger role at first due to injuries and ineffectiveness and he is no longer a pitcher that can be counted on with any regularity. So the insurance did not pan out either.

          If they cut Qualls, it will have no adverse effect or real cost to the team (they are not eating a ton of money), but there will be benefits (a 40-man roster spot opens up, perhaps Bonilla or Friend gets promoted to AAA and Knigge to AA as part of the chain reaction).

          Now, if you want to talk about other offseason personnel decisions that have had actual short-term and long-term effects (i.e. roster construction that did little to account for Howard and Utley’s physical conditions, signing two LH LFs despite having D. Brown, not signing Hamels, etc.) — we could go on for hours about that, but not here (out of respect for the General Discussion board).

          Nevertheless, loved the comment for tying in the Supreme Court decision and related media attention.

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          1. You are confusing my statement about Quall’s performance with the Qualls signing. I had no problem with the Qualls signing and still don’t – it was a good idea at the time and they paid at or less than market value. The signing is further validated by the fact that they were correct that Qualls’ arm is healthy and strong and, therefore, there’s no reason why he should not be good. It just didn’t work out and they need to move one.

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            1. To be clear, I understood your statement (and agree with you). I was responding to the first comment to your post that raised the issue of his signing.

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            2. That’s fine, but I didn’t comment on his signing. I said he is an unmitigated disaster, which he is.

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          2. The disaster was Manuel’s horrific overuse of Stutes and Bastardo last year (as well as Madson), which led directly to both pitchers basically breaking down and the Phillies being left with few options in the pen.

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            1. I don’t think that’s a fair criticism. Those guys were monitored carefully, rarely pitching even two days in a row. None pitched in more than 60 games and all were right around 60 innings. Madson was actually used more sparingly. Injuries just happen, it’s part of the game and pitchers get injured a lot.

              The last guy I remember being especially overused in our bullpen was J.C. Romero in 2007, but those were extraordinary circumstances (all the other pitchers sucked and the team needed to win every day to make the playoffs).

              By and large the Phillies are careful with their pitchers. The only criticisms I have is that, on occasion they let starters go over well over 120 pitches (but never to 130 if I recall correctly) or let guys pitch too many consecutive long games (8 innings, 9 innings – it got bad with Halladay and Lee on occasion).

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            2. But, monitoring the game today, I am still puzzled as to why they did not give Jason Grilli a chance. He did nothing but dominate at Lehigh and now is doing the same for the Pirates. He’d look awfully good in red pinstripes.

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            3. Between Aug, 1 and Sept 7 last year, the trio of Stutes, Bastardo and Madson made 40 appearances. This despite the Phillies having a healthy lead in the standings at the time.

              They were never the same after that stretch. Stutes is done for the year, Bastardo may as well be, and we know what happened to Madson, poor guy.

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            5. That’s for all three of them, right? So, you are saying that, over about 38 days that trio made, on average, 13.3 appearances in relief? So what? That’s an appearance once every three days . . . by a relief pitcher. That’s not overuse. That’s proper use. You have to do better than that to make a credible argument of overuse.

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  8. qualls should be released. but since horst is a lefty, maybe they’re going to send down another lefty, like savery.

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    1. They sent down Savery already, after the game last night, and recalled Brian Sanches, So Horst is around as part of some other roster move. Although maybe its not Qualls. He’d actually pitched relatively decently before last night.

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      1. Oops, shouldda refreshed. Anyway, could be Schwimmer but I doubt it. Could be Valdes for a breather. They have 40-man spots to work with if they 60-day DL Herndon and Stutes, so Sanches takes one and Horst could take the other.

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          1. Look like it’s Cisco to AAA to fill Horst’s spot and Duke to AA to fill that spot. Friend and Knigge still not being promoted. I’m I the only one that is a little puzzled by this?

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            1. Nate B…no, I’m just as puzzled as you. Other than to note that Cisco and Duke are middle relievers and Friend and Knigge are closers.

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  9. Larry Greene’s approach at the plate reminds me of Singelton’s debut a few years back. Still very early, but the early indications of his on base skills coupled with the raw power we know he already has are very encouraging. I find myself scrolling to the bottom of the box score posts quicker every day to check out the williamsport and GCL kids.

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  10. Here’s a sobering thought: with the exception of Papelbon and Bastardo, the bullpen is now entirely made up of guys who began the season with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. (I think. Can’t recall if Sanches maybe made the team out of spring training, but you get the idea.)

    And how disappointing does this make Phillipe Aumont’s season? The door was wide open for him…

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    1. I agree the door was open for Aumont but I don’t think the Phils ever thought he’d see action in Philly (except in Sept). Think about it, a lot of guys are probably kicking thmselves. Brown for one. There was never a better opportunity to get thrown in the big leagues but injuries have derailed him. How about DeFratus? He was really on the radar. He’s been knocked back. Gillies might have made a splash but he can’t stay on the field for 10 minutes. Overbeck could have forced them to call him up but he’s been mediocre. I’m also wondering what Galvis would be doing now that Utley’s up? Utley needs a lot of days off and would you have Freddy play every other day or send him down to play full time? If… If…If…

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      2. To my mind, the difference is that DeFratus has been injured, as has Brown to a lesser extent. Aumont had a DL stint, but his failure to advance is primarily a product of his loss of control and general ineffectiveness, not some health issue, so far as I know.

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  11. Qualls out Horst and Sanches up . Its a shame Rosenberg walked those 4 guys last week since his walks to innings pitched was good @ LV

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    1. I guess the Phillies were tired of Qualls as I was. The only saving grace was that Amaro only gave him a one year contract.

      Rosenberg needs to be lights out at Lehigh to get another shot in Philly. He gets a mulligan for his MLB debut, but that 4 walk fiasco I’m sure is still on everbody’s mind

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    2. I can almost guarantee Rosenberg will be back up in a couple of days. The Phillies had to have some fresh arms in the pen after last nights bullpen game, BJ obviously didn’t fit that qualification. Horst is likely just keep his seat warm.

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      1. Dodger’s new ownership is very keen to drown their problems in money. Let’s hope they repeat the same mistake as the previous ownership.

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    1. The promotions probably mean that others, including Friend and Knigge (and perhaps also Bonilla), will move up. I also think Rosenberg will be back at some point. He has a great arm – he just needs to settle down and get used to being in the big leagues. Aumont is having a tough year, but it’s going to take some time with him before he develops consistency. He still has all the ability in the world.

      As for Diekman – good God, what a find! He could be a dominant big league reliever for the next ten years. He might even ascend to the set up role before the year is through. One thing is for sure – the opportunities abound for the young relievers.

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  14. Mike Honcho correct me if i am wrong, but you said they spend in international market?? to my knowledge they are in botton third in spending in the draft and international market? am i wrong?. but the dodger really overspent on this kid, if the things i read are true, he isnt a soler type, 40 million is a lot for a kid who was hurt and didnt put up great numbers if i read the reports correclty

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    1. I’m not saying they’re the biggest spenders, but they definitely have had success with their system of spreading bonuses to multiple players. Consider this BA article that ranked the org fifth in terms of not dollars spent, but rate of success in international efforts:

      http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2012/2613297.html

      If they’re throwing all their money at 1-2 players, they’re not likely to have anything left for the other signings that could produce quality players.

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      1. Bottom-line….MLB starters/impact players…over the last 10/15 years, who are the Phillies’ LA signings who are in this category?

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        1. Ruiz and Bastardo to start with. Villar and Santana were both integral in adding Oswalt and Pence.

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          1. Give you Ruiz, Bastardo isn’t anthying special. Sanatan was PTBNL, not sure how integral that is. Villar is a long-shot at this point. If it is only Ruiz, then the Phillies rate of return aint; too great.

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        2. Here is a list of the biggest bonuses paid to LA players prior to this year. On this list, I count three impact players (and I’m stretching to include Montero):

          Michael Ynoa, 16, RHP, 2008, Athletics, D.R., $4,250,000
          Miguel Sano, 16, SS, 2009, Twins, D.R., $3,150,000
          Gary Sanchez, 16, C, 2009, Yankees, D.R., $3,000,000
          Rafael Rodriguez, 16, OF, 2008, Giants, D.R., $2,550,000
          Yorman Rodriguez, 16, OF, 2008, Reds, VZA, $2,500,000
          Wily Mo Peña, 17, OF, 1999, Yankees, D.R., $2,440,000
          Joel Guzman, 16, SS, 2001, Dodgers, D.R., $2,255,000
          Angel Villalona, 16, 3B, 2006, Giants, D.R., $2,100,00
          Juan Duran, 16, OF, 2008, Reds, D.R., $2,000,000
          Adys Portillo, 16, RHP, 2008, Padres, VZA, $2,000,000
          Guillermo Pimental, 16, CF, 2009, Mariners, D.R., $2,000,000
          Jose Vincio, 16, SS, 2009, Red Sox, D.R., $1,950,000
          Miguel Cabrera, 16, IF, 1999, Marlins, VZA, $1,800,000
          Jesus Montero, 16, C, 2006, Yankees, VZA, $1,650,000
          Jackson Melian, 16, OF, 1996, Yankees, VZA, $1,600,000
          Jurickson Profar, 16, SS, 2009, Rangers, Curaçao, $1,550,000
          Ricardo Aramboles, 16, RHP, 1998, Yankees, D.R., $1,520,000
          Luis Sardinas, 16, SS, 2009, Rangers, VZA, 1,500,000
          Michael Almanzar, 16, SS, 2007, Red Sox, D.R., $1,500,000
          Esmailyn Gonzalez, 16, SS, 2006, Nationals, D.R., $1,400,000
          Fernando Martinez, 16, OF, 2005, Mets, D.R., $1,400,000
          Willy Aybar, 16, IF, 2000, Dodgers, D.R., $1,400,000
          Carlos Triunfel, 16, SS, 2006, Mariners, D.R., $1,300,000
          Luis Domoromo, 16, OF, 2008, Padres, VZA, $1,250,000
          Juan Urbina, 16, LHP, 2009, Mets, VZA, $1,250,000
          Chesler Cuthbert, 16, 3B, 2009, Royals, Nicaragua, $1,200,000
          Roberto De la Cruz, 16, 3B, 2008, Cardinals, D.R., $1,100,000
          Julio Morban, 16, OF, 2008, Mariners, D.R., $1,100,000
          Kelvin De Leon, 16, OF, 2007, Yankees, D.R., $1,100,000
          Alvaro Aristy, 17, SS, 2008, Padres, D.R., $1,000,000
          Jharmidy De Jesus, 17, SS, 2007, Mariners, D.R., $1,000,000

          You can’t just write a check to these guys and come up with an impact player.

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          1. If you printed a list of the top high school draft bonuses since 2008 you would also get a small number of impact players. International bonuses are a little higher because they are free agents. But a list of players mostly under the age of 22 is by definition not going to have a whole lot of impact players on it.

            The Phillies on average have gotten significant value when their bonuses have been over $200K. Personally I am not a fan of the million dollar bonuses, but that is because I would prefer to spread the million over several players. I still think the money is well spent.

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            1. I’m pretty sure he was only listing $1M+ signing bonus’. I believe Castro was a good find at like $50,000.

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          4. Aramis Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Pedor Guerrero, Dave Ortiz, Sammy Sosa, Adrian Beltre, Manny Ram., Perdo Martinez….at the time of their signings their bonuses were not ‘chicken-feed’.

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          5. Exclude all those on your list , or should I say BA’s list, 18 and under…jury is still out.

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  15. maybe kendrick should join qualls. he’s been absolutely awful recently. you need a guy to give you six innings or more today, and he stinks it up in the first inning. another horrible move by amaro. should’ve used the money he overpaid kendrick to sign a couple of relievers.

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    1. You should know that Kendrick had a good year in 2011 being the swingman and he was still under arbitration. It wasn’t like he was a free agent. And he wouldn’t even be starting if Halladay didn’t go down.

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      1. i know. but he’s been a major disappointment in 2012, with the exception of a few stellar starts..

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        1. Major disappointment but we should keep him for next year. He seems to only be able to pitch well in odd numbered years.

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      2. That doesn’t really justify his contract, though. He’s been absolutely mediocre for his career, but is getting paid to be above-average. I don’t understand what the FO sees in him. His K rate is way too low. He’s supposedly a “groundball pitcher” but he gets ground balls at an average rate. He doesn’t have great stuff or command. I just don’t get it. Pay him 1-2M a year, and yeah he’s got some value. More than that and you’re just wasting money. I’m fairly sure we could get his production levels from someone off the waiver wire or in the system.

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        1. He has been a bit perplexing. Last year, he was quite good actually in his role as a long guy and injury fillin at the back of the rotation. Solid ERA, Solid WHIP.

          This year, he is striking out a LOT more, but is also walking more and giving up 2 more hits per nine. My pure guess is that whatever pitch he is using to generate the greater amount of swings and misses isn’t refined and consistent enough, and he is getting crushed when its a miss.

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        2. First of all, you can’t pay him only $1-2M a year since he’s under arbitration. He would have gotten at least $2.5M-$3M in arbitration for a swingman. And after the season he had in 2011, the phillies weren’t going to let him go.

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          1. You can decline arbitration and offer whatever contract you want to him as a free agent. Which is what they should have done. And one season should not be the criteria for a multi-year deal. When players have one bad year before free agency, they often sign a one-year deal to put themselves back into position for a bigger contract, but when they have one good year (as opposed to 4+ mediocre years at best), that one year is supposed to dictate their contract? If that’s how the FO thinks, they need to go back to business school. This whole thing gets me thinking about Werth. He played tremendously for us and yet we didn’t re-sign him (rightfully so) because he would be making more than he was worth. It’s better to let a player walk than to overpay him by so much, even if the player is very good.

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            1. You make it sound like Kyle Kendrick is the worst pitcher in baseball. He’s just having a bad year. And unless he really stinks, the Phillies just put him onto waivers and let somebody else take him, like Drew Carpenter and Mike Zagurski. If you like a player, you’re not going to decline arbitration and let somebody else come in with a bigger contract.

              The Phillies tried to sign Werth, they offered him a 3 or 4 year deal. The nats swooped in and gave him 7 years.

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            2. He’s not the worst. Just not good enough for the money he’s being paid. And you should probably reconsider the two pitchers you compared him to, because, quite frankly, look where they are now. It’s not always about keeping the players you like. It’s about keeping them at a reasonable price. 2-3 times what they’re worth is not reasonable.

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            4. lol Wins.

              He’s 2-8
              Cliff’s 0-4

              Those two games Kyle was lucky enough to win (besides that gem in STL) make him a better pitcher than Cliff Lee.

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            5. I agree that Kyle Kendrick has been a disappointment. But coming off the year he had, if you were to try to find a swingman with his stats for $3M, good luck with that. In fact, if he hit FA with those numbers, he’ll probably get a multiyear deal easily for over $6M per year.

              He got a fair contract, he just hasn’t live up to it. To say that you would waive him and try to sign him to a lesser deal is a joke. No decent GM would do that. If the player is not worth his arbitration number, you trade him or tell him to get lost. In general, arbitration still favors the team, not the player.

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            7. Correct stats? What is that? Baseball doesn’t work that way and you know it. In FA, people will most likely never live up to their contract. You’re just hoping that the good years outweigh the bad ones. That’s why even in this day, crazy contracts gets signed like Heath Bell. And just wait until you see the contract that Cole Hamels will get. Fact is, a guy with Kendrick’s stats will get at least $3M per year, likely 5 or 6M. If you don’t think that’s correct, deal with it because it’s not going to change. Kendrick got paid close to market value, and he’s having a bad year. If he was having the same production this year as he did last year, nobody would be complaining that he’s making too much money.

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            8. What you arent understanding is Kendricks previous years are an illusion. Correct stats as in unsustainable stats. That right now are again proving correct with Kendrick. Organizations are moving in the right direction now. Except the Phillies. Who continue to mock analytics and end up giving contracts to Chad Qualls and his horrible fly ball rate, or 2 year contracts to Ty Wigginton a guy who hasnt posted a WAR over 0 in 3 years. Hell even scouts should know Kyle Kendrick does not have major league ability and Wigginton is a liability with the glove. Giving 6 million to a swing man is bad business. That position in the bullpen should always be filled by a player not arbitration eligible yet. This is why there was no money to pay an 8th inning guy.

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    2. In some games, it seems like Kendrick just isn’t ready to pitch in the first inning. He gets it together later, but it is often too late.

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      1. Love to see all the walks the short season kids are taking. Hopefully the coaches don’t try to change their approach.

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          1. $@*^)’ing last names are driving me nuts. Green Greene Greene. (thanks for the reminder though)

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    3. Oh my God, 3 errors for Larry Greene, he’s Domonic Brown all over again!

      That’s a joke, obviously.

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    1. I am glad for Kratz. This guy more than meets anyone’s reasonable standards for a back-up catcher. Frankly, he should have been a major league catcher for at least a few years now. He’s truly an asset to the team.

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    1. Indeed. It’s fun to dream on disciplined power hitters. It’s like having Chase Utley but with more power (but probably vastly inferior defense). The handful of games are making the Phillies look very smart for taking these two. I hope they can keep it up all year.

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  19. Astadillo’s BB/K line over the last few years is remarkable. He’s small, not young for the level and playing a mixture of DH, 1b and C (which makes me think the catching is not so hot) but still pretty remarkable bat control.

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  20. Along with Ryan Duke, Michael Nesseth was promoted to Reading. Jeremy Barnes was demoted to Clearwater. Blake Mascarello was promoted to Lakewood from GCL

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      1. Thanks Jslasher, but Nesseth still appears on the Reading Roster, a day after. Are the Phillies biding time so they can move another player?

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  21. I miss the old Phuture Phillies when big league discussion was limited to the general discussion. It’s like Philly.com is leaking over here.

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    2. BlameDmarrroccomanon1nowheelstheycan’tseemtostayingeneraldiscussionthreadwiththeotherdummies.

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    3. If I’m not mistaken Kratz is a AAA guy who got his first start in a MLB game yesterday….I hardly think that constitutes an off topic prospect post.

      Let’s get real guys and quit with the whining. This high and mightly my bleep don’t stink attitudes have to go. For starters all opinions have always been welcome (with exception to racism and hate) by James. You either agree or your don’t. You can engage/challenge/question anything posted on this board.

      I never choose to attack or demean anyone’s thoughts here but I respectfully reserve the right to question them. And you’ll always see me put my name to my posts.

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      1. I didn’t have a problem with the Kratz dicussion, it’s all the Kendrick talk. That should be in the general discussion post, not the box scores

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  22. So, Brody Colvin since his trip to the bullpen:

    4 GS, 23 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 27/7 K/BB.

    4 starts isn’t much of a sample, but given that it comes after a pretty definitive development event, it sure is encouraging.

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  23. lmao. anonymous talking and wont give his name now that is funny. we have to seriouly do something with all these greenes and green, so confused, i think i am getting that disease anonymous has you know the one where you keep forgetting, your last post,and peoples names,and then finally forget your own name/

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  24. Wow, Phils minor league system was on fire last night. Stuffed the box scores up and down the levels. Today’s going to be a good day….

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  25. Good nights for Colvin, Cloyd, Castro, James and Tyler Greene. Hopefully Greene has turned the corner.

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  26. Just amaze at rosenberg, with that fastball, he cant get through innings without giving up runs.The guy throws hard, has to be location and maybe his secondary stuff, anyone seen him in person, i have only seen him on tv. looks like a live arm to me,but thats from a tv look,Relief pitchers really puzzle me, asked to throw there best stuff for one inning and most cant. like bastardo comes into games up by three or four runs and starts by walking guys. crazy, bastardo to me looks like he doesnt have the sharp slider anymore, wonder why? is it mechanics, or injury, the pitching coach should be able to correct his mechanics, you would think>

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    1. It makes what Stutes did last year pretty impressive. Stutes sat 92-93 most nights sometimes ran it up to 95. I think it mostly comes down confidence and not being overwhelmed by the moment.

      It can’t be easy but then its why at minimum they pay $500K a year to be in the bigs.

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    2. Bastardo’s stuff is down 2 or 3 mph from the 95 mph he could run it up to last year- so his slider isn’t as hard. It’s still not bad, just not as great as it was. They also say he’s always had some kind of nerve problem in his hand that makes his fingers numb sometimes.

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    3. I’ve seen Rosenberg in person but, truth be told, unless you are a trained scout, you learn a LOT more about a pitcher by watching him from a good centerfield camera angle on TV. Rosenberg struggles with his command at times. He is still a work in process but most of his problems probably relate to first time big league jitters. He throws extremely hard and has a significant upside. I don’t think he’s closer material, but he would be a great guy to have come in during the 7th and 8th innings and throw bullets.

      As for Bastardo, his waxing and waning velcoity numbers don’t surprise me. He has sustained small little injuries and setbacks since his earliest days in the minor leagues. I would not rely on him to return to the days where he is touching 95 or 96. However, if he can locate his fastball, perfect his breaking pitches and sit between 91-93, there’s no reason he cannot be a competent set up guy, he will just have a smaller margine of error.

      One other thing, and it seems to be an odd time to say it, but, the team’s recent bullpen struggles aside, the team really has done a very good job of developing reliever prospects and I think they have strained mightly to try to give these guys a chance. The problem has been that the team has been decimated by bullpen injuries and the one guy you thought would be at least ok – Qualls – was horrible. The result has been that young relievers have been thrust into roles for which they are not ready (like Rosenberg being forced to pitch in a late inning tie scenario in his big league debut which, incidentally, I attended in person). I think the team really does need one competent and experienced big league arm in the pen to help them out and settle the rest of the guys down (they should also try Cloyd at starter and move Kendrick back to the bullpen).

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    4. Relief pitchers, as a whole with some exceptions, from year to year are very unpredicable.
      Probably a good idea to have a lot of arms in the AAA level who can be brought up throughout the year. And we have it with, someone like Schwimer comes to mind. Not sure about Savery and Rosenberg.

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      1. Schwimer is going to be a major league player for some time. He is getting better almost week by week as he adjusts. He should help the team quite a bit later in the year and even through July.

        Savery looks very pedestrian to me because, while he has a good arm, his pitches are straight, his arm angle is fairly straight for a lefty and he does not hide the ball well – put simply, he seems pretty easy to hit, which means he will need to develop his breaking pitches and sharpen his command.

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  27. I am really impressed with Michael Cisco. He has dominated at every level he has pitched so far, and he pitched three shutout innings last night for LHV.

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  28. Missing box score recap of 6/28 ? also what do Friend and Kniggle need to do to get promoted ?

    Duke , Nesseth promoted ? Give me a break …….

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    1. Earlier this week Duke came in with bases loaded and noone out in a tie game. He struck out two batters and got the third without a run scoring. That may be why he was promoted. Nesseth has been throwing well at Lakewood. I’m still trying to figure out why he is in Reading and not in Clearwater.

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