Box Score Recap 7-25-2012

Box Score Recap

Lakewood go boom.  Duffy with 5 hits.  GCL go boom.  Other direction.  3 hits for the whole lot.  Congrats to Jon Pettibone for moving up to AAA.  Congrats to Dom Brown for playing baseball today.  Even if it was just DHing.  And even if he did get hosed on the bases.

LV  REA  CLR  LKW  WIL  GCL  DSL  VSL ppd

142 thoughts on “Box Score Recap 7-25-2012”

  1. Asche turning on the power and answering that question. If he gets his average up by end of season he is the story of minor league system this year. Collier to Reading within next month? Also, they must be working on specific pitch with Giles because he is just murdering hitters in lakewood and seems to have outgrown that level of competition.

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    1. Asche’s OPS in his last 10 games is 1.101. Great to see him putting up numbers like that.

      I think Collier will stay in Clearwater the rest of the year. He still doesn’t have a ton of ABs because of the suspension. I think Kelly Dugan is about ready for a callup though.

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        1. Brad: I’ve seen him warm up a few times this year up close in Lakewood (back when he was starting) and they were working very closely with him on pitching out of the stretch only (no full windup at all, even as a starter). I believe this was due to some real inconsistencies in aspects of his delivery and being able to repeat it. It’s obviously easier for most guys to repeat the stretch vs the windup, albeit less ability to generate power. In Giles’ case, he doesn’t need the extra power, he needs the consistency so this makes sense. His fastball is a nasty pitch that as a starter was sitting consistently between 92-94, and touched 96 and 97 on Lakewood’s gun (not sure if that gun is known to be fast or slow). His breaking pitch, which almost looks like something I’ve never seen before, is very nasty and it sounds like a few people on here have said it’s a forkball, which would make sense.

          The couple times I saw him pitch, he was trying to throw strikes with the forkball, or was inadvertently hanging those pitches, and he was getting hit hard with it. The best comparison I can make for how he “should” pitch is Brad Lidge. Get ahead with good fastball command, and throw the forkball down to get strikeouts. Or use the forkball to try and get ahead of a notorious fast ball hitter. I really feel very strongly about Giles’ upside and potential to be a top 5 closer in the big leagues someday. I think his stuff has the potential to be better than Brad Lidge in his prime. The wildcard is I don’t know anything about his coachability, makeup, determination, etc. and health is always a risk for a pitcher so far away from the big leagues.

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            1. No….’drop’ pitch in the 40’s. forball in the 50’s and split-finger in the 70s. Ball gripped and held deeply sandwiched between index and middle finger.

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          3. Don’t they call that the split-finger (Bruce Sutter) now vs the Elroy Face ‘forkball’

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            1. Based on the Wikipedia article, the forkball can be bad for the arm and is recommended not to be thrown by young pitchers (Giles is 21)! Although, it does say that arm trouble can be avoided by not snapping the wrist upon delivery. Also, the article gives some distinctions between the split-finger fastball and the forkball, although they are subtle.

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    1. Only if Asche gets called up in the next week, and that probably won’t/shouldn’t/never happen.

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    2. I thought the same thing – and it was a great move getting him an extra AB every night as well.

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      1. I always wondered why they don’t do lineups strictly by prospect status. Lineup construction doesn’t matter a whole lot anyway, and this gives your best prospects more plate appearances.

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          1. I believe lineup does matter because at the end of the day, the other pitcher is trying to get outs and pitch well, so the lineup construct should have some thought behind it and put some guys in spots that might reflect their style of play.

            Often times managers move a guy to the #2 hole so they’ll see more fastballs, due to a fast runner being on first base sometimes, and dangerous bats hitting behind them. The Reading manager may have felt like Cody was being pitched carefully to (just a guess) so putting him up higher in the lineup would get him better pitches. As for Cesar, I don’t think a prospect would take a move from the #2 hole to the #3 hole as anything but a compliment, because the old baseball saying is you put your best hitter third in your lineup.

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            1. Aren’t the minor league teams simply trying to develop players for the parent club? If Asche needs to hit 2nd to get more ABs then so be it.

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        2. I totally agree. Likewise, I’ve always thought Brown should be hitting first in LHV until he’s finally called up (and I’d argue he could be hitting first for the Phils).

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  5. Anyone notice Leandro Castro has 4 BBs in his last 10 games? He’s hitting .162 over that period but being more selective. He’s walking (no pun intended) the line between being aggressive and patient. His K rate has not increased over the same 10 games so he’s probably not standing like a statue waiting for the BB. SSS and all noted. Someone posted an article that mentioned him that said the scouting department was intrigued by him. They said he needed to be more selective and not swing at breaking pitches in the dirt or 4 feet outside. If he’s starting to work on this, he’ll the surprise we’ve been looking for.

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  6. Who the heck is Kyle Hoppy and why is he in Williamsport lineup? He’s in his 4th season of minor league ball and hasn’t hit his weight yet. His OPS is lower than Duffy’s batting average and possibly his ISO. Okay… I was kidding about that last part.

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    1. Minor League FA originally out of the Orioles organization. Nothing more than OF depth

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  7. JDT in GCL looks to be cutting down on his walks and he’s K’ing guys at a good rate. I think he’s around 10 K/9 but had about 4.5 BB/9. if he can cut down on the walks it look like he has the stuff to at least be interesting.

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  9. Great returns so far from the 2011 draft. Speaking of the 2011 draft, anybody hear anything about Shull?

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        1. Just came here to post that — DenverPhilsPhan, can you make this same post about Shull tomorrow?

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          1. I emailed Matt Gelb regarding Shull and Walter earlier in the week and he had said both were out for the year. Obviously he was wrong about Walter so not sure what it’s worth regarding Shull.

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  10. Kleven had a nice outing. Through 6 innings, he had a 3 hitter with 2 runs scored. He gave up 2 singles in the 7th with 1 out and gave way to Arias who gave up a single to score the 3rd ER. Colin has been inconsistent as heck. His last 6 games are Jekyl and Hyde. Before yesterday’s outing: 5 runs in 5 IP; 1 ER in 5 IP; 5 runs in 4 2/3; 1 ER in 7IP; 6 runs in 7 IP. Anyone want to guess what the next outing will be? Use your statistical modeling or mathematical patterning before you answer that question.

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    1. He might be the guy on that staff that I like the most. His peripherals are surprisingly good (compared to Stewart for instance). Maybe Lino Martinez gets points for his age, but I think Kleven might have as good stuff. While the Lakewood staff is suffering from lack of high picks in recent drafts, it at least has 4 or 5 interesting arms that might develop over time.

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  11. While some of the bigger names have disappointed, there have been a few nice rebounds, mainly Collier and Dugan, plus a nice surprise in Asche.

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    1. I understand that Dugan has missed significant time over 2 seasons due to injury but I’m not going to get too excited that he’s feasting on Low-A pitching during his 4th pro season as a 22-year old. He needs to get promoted to Clearwater [soon] and start getting challenged by more age appropriate competition.

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      1. He’s only 21, and the average age of the sally league is 21.7. And while age is useful because a lot of physical growth happens in these years, the mix of age and experience is what really is used for comparision — age is just easier to write as, in most cases, it parallel’s experience. On his path, he would be starting AA in 2014 as a 23 year old. I don’t think the world of him, but he’s pretty firmly in our top 30 I believe.

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        1. A somewhat misleading stat since he’s going to turn 22 in less than 2 months. As I said, he’s 4 years into pro ball and playing in the Low-A Sally League is not an adequate challenge. He should get moved to Clearwater sooner rather than later – do we really need to see Anthony Hewitt anymore? Ever? FWIW, if Dugan is starting in AA in 2014 as a 23/24 year old, he’s a wash.

          Let’s get Dugan moved up to Clearwater for the remainder of the year and get him reps in the OF.

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          1. I would argue that saying a kid is 22, when he clearly is not, is a misleading stat. He turns 22 *after* the season ends. Most college kids, who are at the same age and experience level, go to WPT or LWD. Prior to this season, he hadn’t had a ton of ABs (experience). At most, he is a *touch* older that you’d like, but nothing really out of line. And being 23 in AA isn’t close to a wash…Pence was 23 in AA, Howard was 24 in AA.

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            1. However he’s clearly not a college kid, he’s a 4th year pro repeating Low-A. He can make up some of those ABs in AFL but I still believe that he’d benefit more from FSL pitching than SAL.

              We clearly don’t need to see anymore of Hewitt and in fact would be saving him from hurting himself physically and mentally as he makes upwards of an error a night in the OF. Dugan could use ABs the remaining 6 weeks of the FSL season and then maybe head to AFL.

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            2. It really wouldn’t bother me if they moved him up, but I generally fall more in line with keeping most players at the same level, unless they are the top top prospects, or are the prospects that are clearly too advanced. I often feel that the risk of a guy struggling when moving up a level might be not worth it, when you can let the player finish out the season strong and continue to have confidence. Dugan is doing well, and I probably like him more than most, but his K rate continues to rise and is of some concern.

              And while he obviously didn’t go to college, if he chose Pepperdine instead of the Phils, he would have been draft-eligible in 2012 and likely sent to WPT/LWD.

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            3. I do agree with you there, but moving Asche up (although .350 is clearly different than .295) was designed to challenge him to make necessary adjustments. Dugan seems to be a good athlete who can play some OF positions in addition to 1B. There’s no reason they can’t get him reps at all of those spots over the final 6 weeks of the FSL season.

              He can continue his decent year in AFL and then possibly only spend a half season in High-A next year before a call to Reading. I understand this is “Best Case Scenario” thinking but it still seems possible.

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            4. If Dugan was doing this week with 2+ months left in the season I might feel different. With the limited amount of time left, he might not really have the chance to see positive results from the adjustments necessary.

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            5. I don’t get the impatience here. Dugan is age appropriate for the league, especially since he has so few at bats in his pro career relative to his age. Experience counts too. This is his first sustained period of success. He is playing multiple positions. There is really no hurry to promote him. He’ll be rule 5 eligible after next year I believe. We really only need to make a decision about him after next season.

              Every time a player has a 10-day hot streak there are calls to promote him. More often there are solid development issues to leave a player in place for a season, especially if it is the first one where he is getting sustained at bats.

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            6. I agree, he was hitting .240 a few weeks ago, just because he’s hitting well now dosen’t mean he can’t still learn there.

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            7. Dugan is unlikely to play in the AFL this season. Rosters are limited to 6 players from each team, 5 coming from AA and above. So, with only one slot open to players below AA, my guess would be that Collier gets it due to the 50-game suspension and making up for the lost time there.

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            8. Greg, is there any way that Collier is moved up prior to the end of the season and then designated to AFL as a AA player thereby allowing Dugan to also get much needed ABs?

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  13. In his first game back with LWD, Pointer gets on base 5 out of 6 plate appearances (H, 2BB, 2HBP).

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  14. Colvin can’t seem to find any level of consistancy. I have confidence in Joe Jordan’s evaluation of Asche I liked that he talked up his mental toughness. Looking forward to one of these guys becoming the next Chase, Jimmy or Vic!

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  15. Colvin is reworking his delivery so that he doesn’t throw across his body. Expect some rough patches due to that.

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        1. The article makes it sound like he made that adjustment awhile ago. I’m sure he’s still working out the kinks but hopefully he’s getting the hang of his new delivery by now. One bad start is no big deal. If he rebounds and puts it behind him quickly, that’ll be a good sign.

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  16. Collier could see the AFL this fall, and then maybe a trip up to Reading next spring if he continues progressing.

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      1. I was thinking he’s almost guaranteed a trip to AFL regardless…. he’s way behind the learning curve with all of his missed time and needs the reps.

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  17. Nobody is gonna say so i will, C Dufffy, 5-6 with 2B and HR….. Love seeing Asche , collier and Dugan working it…..

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    2. Having Duffy hitting behind him seems to have really helped Dugan so I am all about keeping Duffy where he is unless they promote both of them of course.

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      1. I think Dugan needs to get moved up sooner rather than later. He’s 22 in Low-A, and we certainly don’t need to see anymore of Anthony Hewitt in the OF @ Clearwater to know he’s awful.

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          1. He’s 22 in about 7 weeks. He needs to be in Clearwater and Hewitt needs to be DHing or looking for work.

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            1. Hewitt might have more raw power than anyone in the system other than Larry Greene. Tools matter. He needs to play. Dugan also needs to play. The Phillies seem to be getting both of them the right amount of playing time at the appropriate level. It is not like Hewitt is failing High A. His OPS is pushing 700 in a pitcher’s park/league. And Dugan just needs at bats. If he had a 1000 OPS I’d promote him. But he does not. He is playing well but not dominating. That suggests to me he is at the right level.

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            2. Did you honestly keep a straight face while typing that defense of Hewitt? Just wondering.

              I understand the POV where you’d want Dugan to stay where he is for the duration of the season and then move him along next year. I presented another point. Your argument completely comes off the rails when you draft Anthony Hewitt into it and state that he needs to play b/c he has the most raw power in the system and isn’t “failing at High A”. His OPS is under .700, he’s BA is about .230 and he strikes out at a ridiculous level. What exactly is failing in your mind??

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            3. Yes. Prospects with tools have a better chance of maintaining performance at higher levels. Unless we have better prospects that should get the at bats then what is your argument for not playing Hewitt. Dugan is a better prospects but he is getting at bats. Collier is the only one getting at bats in the Clearwater OF who is a better prospect than Hewitt. Hewitt has improved some this year. 685 OPS is not great. But it is essentially the same as last year moving up a level. Anytime you move up a level and maintain performance you are making progress. He is not super young, but his age for the level is fine considering he had little experience in HS so he really is a year or two older than his experience level.

              Your argument really falls off the rails. All I said is that he deserves playing time. He is a better prospect than Lavin and Alvarez. He is a better prospect than Brandon Tripp or D’Arby Myers. I am just wondering if you think the Phillies should deny a prospect with the tools to get much better the playing time that he needs to have a chance to get better? Just because he strikes out a lot? Or got a large bonus? If Dugan were promoted I’d play him, Collier, and Hewitt in the OF as the better prospects should always get the playing time.

              Everyone (myself included) is frustrated about his slow development. At this point he is not much of a prospect. But you would also be foolish to suggest he is not a better prospect than the alternatives around him.

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            4. Actually my argument is that Hewitt is not a prospect at all – and its pretty clear that he isn’t. Of course his performance is the same as last year, and the year before that for that matter – and its awful.

              If you’re arguing that Hewitt is fine where he is b/c he’s not taking ABs away from more deserving players, then that’s fine. If you’re actually trying to argue that Hewitt is in any way still a prospect and is simply experiencing “slow development” then you’re simply not even being intellectually honest. The fact that .232/ .275/ .399 is an improvement is beyond laughable. And feel free to throw in his 18 fielding errors in 71 games…

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            5. Hewitt is better than the alternatives around him. He is not taking playing time from anyone. You essentially agreed with my point there. Scouts would say he still has the tools to be a prospect. I guess you are smarter than all those scouts.

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            6. Saying Hewitt’s performance is the “same as last year and the year before that” is not accurate. His OPS is over .100 points higher than it was 2 years ago. He has improved, just not with the kind of jump we’d like to see.

              I say his prospect status is tenuous at best, but as long as he makes improvements year to year while moving up the ladder, he retains some shred of it.

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            7. Andy, that just reaffirms our systems lack of depth that Hewitt is considered a better prospect than the alternative around him, as you state. There’s really no point in wasting either of our time discussing a non-issue, which is the future of Anthony Hewitt in a Phillies uniform.

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            8. Not sure where the confusion comes from on this, but being 22 in 7 weeks still makes someone 21 the last time I checked.

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        2. Damn Rick, get off it already. He ain’t 22. It’s tempting to move him up now, but I don’t think there’s any harm in letting it play out to see if he has truly “mastered” Low-A pitching.

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          1. I’m in agreement there. There’s no harm in letting him finish the season @ Lakewood, I’m just stating IMO I’d like him to get a month of ABs in Clearwater. Is this that big of an issue?

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          2. Hahaha I read that in the old man from Pawn Star’s voice. “damn it Rick you paid too damn much.”

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  18. Dugan crushed his HR over the RF fence, the tv announcers on milb.tv said it went into the parking lot.

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    1. The fact that this is Dugan’s age 21 year, combined with his prior lack of at bats, combined with his power, plate discipline and the rather decent athleticism that he is said to possess, suggests that it is not too late for him to blossom as a legitimate prospect. Honestly, given where he is in his development, it matters little to me whether he finishes at Lakewood or Clearwater, but he really should spend time in fall ball. He is a very interesting guy – we may have something here.

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      1. Dugan has certainly played himself back onto the map this year. Personally, I’d let him finish out at Lakewood, or maybe give him a cup of coffee at Clearwater in a couple weeks (similar to what the Phils did with D’Arnaud when they bumped him from Williamsport to Lakewood). Then maybe start him at Clearwater next year, but fast-track him to Reading if he hit well. Without getting too much into the age thing, which has already been beaten into the ground today, he’s only a year behind in his “age-appropriateness” so an in-season move to Reading would get him back on track.

        I suppose a double-jump to Reading next year wouldn’t be out of the question, but I’m always a bit leery of double jumps (with the exception of players who are double-jumped after their initial draft year)

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        1. I’d do a cup of coffee in Clearwater to finish the year, start him there and move him up halfway through the season so he finishes out his Age 22 season in Reading. He’d still be age-appropriate and they’d know if he’s legit by then.

          That’s not all that rapid if he’s a real prospect.

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          1. I liked Dugan a little bit coming into this season but now I’m starting to see him as an Adrien Cardenas type. My biggest question for him is what position is he going to stick at. I guess we have to wait and see.

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            1. Apparently he will be pigeon-holed to a corner OF in this organization. Cannot see him beating out anyone in the near future at first base.

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          2. I agree. He’s had a good year overall in Lakewood but the last month especially he’s been on fire with an OPS over 1.000. I think there’s still time for him to gain something from playing in Clearwater this year.

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  19. Brian Schnieder is the ONE Phillie I don’t want to see rehabbing. Hopefully Kratz holds him off.

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      1. I figure once Schneider is ready, they will DFA him, maybe a team like Toronto could take him for nothing because Arencibia, and D’Arnaud are injured till September.

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        1. Yeah well. Not every player pans out. For a front office that most on this board thinks is extremely cheap when it comes to the draft budget, it’s yet another example of why spending money isn’t always the solution.

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          1. I’m certainly not criticizing since I loved the Walter/ Musser/ Pointer picks when the Phils made them. I’m just glad that he’s finally out there “injury free” (fingers crossed).

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  21. Cozens strikeout rate is officially alarming to me, or as least as alarming as one can be at a HS kid in the GCL.

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  22. Brad, you mentioned Pettibone was moved to AAA? I don’t see him on the roster yet and he pitched for Reading last night. He won’t start for 5 days. I see Misch was DL’ed so it would make sense that a starter would move up. Pettibone is the logical choice. Or were you wishful thinking this?

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    3. Yeah, lots of media reporting that story and Pettibone himself acknowledged it on Twitter.

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  23. Both were called strikes. I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses but maybe he’s being too selective. He’s drawn enough walks where this theory is somewhat plausible.

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    1. This was in repsonse to jmb4028’s comment:

      “Cozens strikeout rate is officially alarming to me, or as least as alarming as one can be at a HS kid in the GCL”

      Forgot to use the reply button.

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  24. After last week its seems everyone is afraid to post about Chris Duffy the organizations leading hitter @ .380 ? They rather talk about all the athletic OF ( prospects ) batting .210

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    2. He’s a 24-year-old 1B beating up on Sally pitching after being demoted from high A due to lack of performance. I like Duffy, but I don’t think its fear that’s keeping him from the conversation.

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    3. And he’s not being kept for the conversation! More words about him in comments here than most of our prospects. What some people seem to have a problem with is the fact that most of the knowledgeable people on the site don’t see him as more than a fun player to watch, as opposed to a real prospect.

      And again my pet peeve – rather than cite the many areas where Duffy is legitimately excellent statistically, once again, it’s the flashy batting average that gets cited. Sigh.

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    4. If you are worried that others aren’t talking about Duffy, why don’t you just post something about Duffy? Just because you can’t seem to understand the simple concept of ‘age to level’, doesn’t mean others are wrong for not discussing him.

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      1. My point is that just because he failed once at Clearwater people should not burry this guy . Your age to level concept is not edged in stone .Many big league players started their careers after the age of 30 . Based on his numbers he deserves a promotion in my opinion

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        1. Dom, I agree that he is in line for a promotion. However saying that age vs. level isn’t an important metric in evaluating talent would simply be off base. There’s no denying the fact that he’s 24 and in Low-A. Letting him double jump to AA might not be a bad idea and really letting the Phils Front Office know if there’s anything there.

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  26. Ranking Andrew Pullin should cause some interesting debates if he makes the eventual conversion to 2nd Base.

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    1. If he continues to hit at his current rate, he would be in my top 30, regardless of position.

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      1. Green with second double of the day. Continues to impress. 19 K’s a little concerning. But is showing he has the power early on in his career.

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  27. GCL- Carmona just hit a grand slam. Green 2-3 with double. Austidillo 3-3. Really taking it to the Braves right now.

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  28. Good things happening up and down the minors. Big takeaway’s for me were the nights by Asche, Pointer (being back at LWD) and Franco. Maybe RAJ doesn’t need to find a 3B prospect in a trade. Sign a guy for one year next year and hope that Asche can adjust to AAA with a late season 2013 call-up.

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    1. You don’t think that Asche is a little further away than late 2013? He doesn’t even have 700 minor league at bats. I mean I’m pretty optimistic with our guys but that’s insane.

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      1. Since he’s already in AA I’d say it’s possible. It just depends on how well he performs. If he makes it that soon, he’ll have made quite an impression in AA/AAA.

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        1. He’ll have torn up AA/AAA in 2013 for that to happen. I think even early 2014 is a little optimistic at this point.

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      2. So let me see if I have your logic Rick…Dugan, who is 21, is too old to be in A ball and needs to be moved up to AA immediately. Asche, who is 22, would be rushed to the big leagues if he gets a September call-up next season (when he’ll be 23). Do I have that right?

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        1. I’m saying Dugan is 4 years into pro ball and probably could use the challenge of High-A ball. You clearly didn’t read what I wrote as I simply suggested moving Dugan up for the remaining 6 weeks of the season, adding he could continue catching up on ABs by playing in the AFL.

          Asche is still adjusting to AA and will probably repeat in 2013. I don’t think its unreasonable to hope he starts 2013 in AAA and is ready by mid-season, if things break his way. Was that simple enough for you to comprehend?

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          1. It is simpler when you actually type our your opinion on Asche (actually saying that 2013 is possible) instead of just attacking anybody and everybody who doesn’t agree with your perspective. Just wondering the thought process is all.

            If anything, Asche’s case this year is all the more reason to NOT challenge Dugan. It took Asche nearly a month to adjust to adjust to AA pitching. If it were to take Dugan that long to adjust to A+ pitching, he’ll have 1-2 weeks of ‘success’ heading into the off-season. The AFL argument is erroneous as the roster construction of those teams makes it highly unlikely that Dugan will be selected.

            This doesn’t even take into account that even though Dugan is ‘4 years into pro ball’ he has a grand total of 817 professional plat appearances, approximately 150 more than Asche. The fact that he is healthy and playing every day, in my opinion, is the most important right now. The level is much less so.

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            1. Who was I attacking exactly? I said that Asche reaching the majors in 2013 was most unlikely – which it certainly is.
              I agree that the most important thing for Dugan is to be getting ABs every day free of injury. I only suggested that he spend the last month+ of the season in Clearwater. I didn’t state it as gospel and there are certainly arguments for why he should remain where he is and continue to perform.
              My POV on Asche is simply that its highly unlikely that he’s even close to the majors by the end of 2013 and in fact early 2014 is still a reasonable goal for him. (2013 in AA/ AAA, start 2014 in AAA.)

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        1. I think Asche is a distinct possibility for the AFL. The Phillies usually send guys out there that they have to make 40-man decisions on, so Asche doesn’t fit that description. I just don’t see who else in AA and above that they would feel worth sending. James, Collier, Asche, maybe Hernandez, almost certainly Ruf. From the pitchers side I could see Bonilla if he is healthy, possibly Knigge and maybe Friend. I don’t see them sending any starters. A lot can happen over the next two plus months though.

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          1. I wonder if they might send Castro this year to see what he’s got against a different group of pitchers. When he started to get hot was after he’d seen a lot of the same guys once already, (of course that’s not a rule, but generally speaking), so it might be nice to see how he handles other advanced guys for a couple weeks. Does he struggle and figure them out quickly, etc.

            From MLB.com:
            “The eligibility rules to play in the AFL are simple.

            The roster size is 30 players per team.

            Each Major League organization is required to provide six players subject to the following requirements:

            All Triple-A and Double-A players are eligible, provided the players are on at least a Double-A level roster no later than Aug. 1.
            One player below the Double-A level is allowed per Major League team.
            One foreign player is allowed, as long as the player does not reside in a country that participates in winter ball, as part of the Caribbean Confederation or the Australian winter league.
            No players with more than one year of credited Major League service as of August 31 are eligible, except a team may select one player picked in the most recently concluded Major League Rule 5 Draft.
            To be eligible, players on Minor League disabled lists must be activated at least 45 days before the conclusion of their respective seasons.”

            So, I am thinking of Rosenberg – if they are considering him as a starter for the future, and since he’ll not have thrown a ton of innings this year with half of it spent in the pen, he might make sense. Bonilla might not work if he hasn’t been active for 45 days at the end of the year, which he might not be.

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            2. Pretty sure that 45 day thing gets waived all the time. I think MLB will approve waivers as long as the player is healthy and it is not an egregious flaunting of the rules. A number of players who have lost time due to injury have appeared in the AFL even if they were on the DL at the end of the year.

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          2. Hernandez and Bonilla are Latin born? Isn’t there some rule about restricted participation for foreign born players in the AFL?

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          3. Your comment bounced around a bit, so maybe I’m reading this incorrectly (in which case I apologize), but there is honestly no decision to be made regarding whether or not to place Bonilla and Hernandez on the 40-man.

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            3. Yeah, sorry, the comment did bounce around a bit. Agreed that they don’t need to make 40-man decisions on those guys, I was just attempting to state that typically is what the Phillies use the AFL for. I couldn’t really think of guys that they had to make decisions on, so I was just looking at guys that may make sense to send. Hernandez probably doesn’t make sense (he’s been relatively healthy so far, and also why I say that he’s a maybe) but Bonilla has missed some time and they may want him to make that up.

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          4. Just gut call based they would send:
            Asche (he would benefit more there than he would in FIL)
            Collier (I agree with the earlier assessment of more at bats)
            Friend (token relief prospect)
            James or Gillies (I can’t see them sending both and the one they send says a lot about who they like better)
            Ruf (plays 1B because too many OF)
            Castro (if he is eligible)

            I think Rosenberg and the other relief prospects (currently on the 40 man) come up when the AAA season is over to give them looks in the big league pen.

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            1. Ruf’s bat may overide the glut of OFers…LF specifically, at least that is what I think Joe Jordan and the FO would want to see.

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            2. A good point but more than that, just read the managers for the teams and the Reading manager is the AFL team manager.

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            3. DeFratus, Aumont, Cloyd, Ramirez, Rosenberg would be the call ups. And if Schneider was out of town by then I would love to see Gosewisch called up, kid calls a great game behind the plate. He is a Pitchers Catcher, much like Chooch w/o the bat.

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            4. Looking at this again, they may not send Ruf, Gillies, or Rosenberg this year because they were on the team last year (in addition to Cloyd, Diekman, Overbeck, and Shreve). That’s why if I had to guess they would send James over Gillies.

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