40 thoughts on “Hot or Not”

1. Is it time to put Colvin in the bullpen and see if he can at least have solid innings there? Would love for him to continue to start, but with his bb rate … bullpen is looking like the only future option.

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   1. IMO, I’d try him as a closer.

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   2. Colvin seems to have the same problem as Trevor May. Neither can repeat their motion consistently. He needs more time to work on it. Look how long it took Ryan Vogelsong to do this, but he managed to get a World Series ring when he did. Maybe we don’t have time for this (We did not with May), but he is probably worth the patience to keep him as a starter. They seem to be trying really hard to do this. In the end, it is up to him to do this. We know that it is hard to do. Halladay needed the assistance of a psychologist. Carlton needed to get away from the press and concentrate solely on his craft. I hope Colvin can do it.

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2. I don’t know if this has been posted here, but Baseball Ross had a first-hand report of Severino Gonzalez’s start from a few weeks back. He said the fastball sat around 90, but the out pitch is a wicked 12-6 curve in the low 70s. This was the first I’ve read about him having this pitch. It’s very encouraging IMO that he can control it so consistently, given his BB-rates over two plus seasons.

   Phillies Pitching Prospect Severino Gonzalez Is A Right-handed Version Of Jesse Biddle

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   1. Interesting report. I’ll wait to declare him a prospect until we get more reports on him. Interesting to see if they try to push him through fast as a reliever or if they will attempt to stretch him out. Would take him as a SP over some of the crap we have in reading and LHV, even though he isn’t at that level yet.

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      1. I’d much rather have him stretch out as a starter even if it means bringing him along more slowly. Especially if he has or can develop a changeup. He’d be much more valuable as a starter than a reliever. I don’t know why the Phillies haven’t started him more yet. I thought maybe they were trying to limit his innings but I just looked it up and he pitched 92 innings last year in VSL.

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   2. Good news on the curveball. But he isn’t putting yup those numbers solely with that pitch. he must have excellant location (and/or movement) with his fastball.

      Looks like a guy that probably needs to develop another pitch.

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      1. you dont see many guys with pinpoint curveball control. If he can develop a good changeup, even a 90mph heater will suffice.

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         1. He looks like he is still physically developing. If he can get that fastball up few ticks to 92 with that control and 12-6 breaking ball, I think he is prospect.

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   3. Nice to have velocity readings, but I have to point out this particular blog is high on just about every player who dons a Threshers uniform (case in point: there’s an article suggesting Hoby Milner is the Phils’ top LHP prospect).

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      1. I’m aware … I remember a post last season that suggested Carlos Tocci is a better prospect than Bryce Harper. What I’m most interested in is the arsenal of pitches he throws, which has been mostly a mystery to this point.

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3. Kinda off topic but the phillies minor leagues have an all-star catcher with a .170 batting average, and an all star pitcher with a 5+ ERA. How easy is it exactly to make a minor league all star team lol

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4. I like Seth Rogin. His size is definitely a plus and his maturity. Maybe Tommy Joseph was the key guy in the Hunter Pence trade with the giants, but we got added value I believe in a live arm. I like him to be moved up to LHV in July/August to see how he handles AAA hitters.

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   1. He was really funny in Pineapple Express too.

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      1. Right Riggs…got you…I need to go easy on the Pineapple Express stuff…losing it man…but love you man…you got my back.

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5. Colvin is/was such a waste of potential on so many levels. He had a world of upside when drafted and never seemed to commit himself to becoming a top player. He showed up out of shape in ST twice…has had all sorts of issues from there on out.

   At the time of his draft, he was considered the big piece we acquired despite lacking a top pick and going the easy sign route with Dugan in the 2nd round.

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   1. Colvin is yet another example of why no one should ever put aspiring nicknames on a group of minor league pitchers years away from the major leagues.

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      1. Who cares what fans called them? It had zero effect on their development, so what’s the harm?

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         1. It was the media. Maybe even the Lakewood marketing guys. The minor leagues gotta sell tickets, too. That’s where some of the hysteria over organizational guys like Rizzotti and Murphy comes from, when they light it up as a very over-aged 1B. Even Ruf is starting to look like a flash in the pan.

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            1. Ruf is starting to heat up, don’t be shocked if a hot 2 weeks brings him up to take DY’s roster spot with Dom moving to RF.

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               1. That would be great as Delmon Young has been a big disappointment so far.

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               2. What were you expecting from him? He was terrible for nearly his entire career and everyone on earth not named Ruben Amaro Jr knew that.

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               3. Uh, yeah. One of the Phillies’ biggest problems is that they don’t even know how to evaluate the hitters/position players that are right in front of them. Mayberry is a much better player than Delmon Young (which isn’t saying much, but it is nonetheless very true) and Frandsen is almost certainly a better player than Michael Young. Forget about Asche for the time being – Frandsen should be getting most of the playing time at third as he did last year and the Phillies can trade M. Young (who still has some value) to another organization. Really sophisticated organizations understand and utilize their below-the-radar talent. Foolish and bad organizations discard or ignore these players – enter the Phillies.

                  By the way, I agree that Ruf is about to heat up and, in fact, has really heated up the last ten games or so. Ruf has the ability of a true power hitter to take his statistics from being mediocre to being pretty darn good in a very short period of time – just watch, he’s about to do that. I hope and pray that Ruf goes on a run, the team doesn’t go into full sell mode, but rather, goes into selective sell mode with the goal of giving some younger players a chance, and moving unnecessary salary and unproductive players (such as Delmon Young – good God, he SUCKS!) out of the way – a little like the mini sell-off in 2005, which initially looked bad on paper but resulted in the team immediately becoming better, leaner, cheaper, and more exciting to watch. I’d love to see Ruf in left (sharing time with Mayberry to a certain extent, with Mayberry also playing some in center and right), Brown in right, Frandsen at third (with Asche to get a cup of coffee in September).

                  You know, if Halladay can really come back and look even somewhat like the pitcher he was (entirely speculative, I know), this team has some very good starting pitching. It’s not at all out of the question that the team, with a little luck, could contend for the second wild card, but they have to wake up and be able to distinguish between a productive a non-productive hitter. It’s beyond bizarre that information that is readily known to a sophisticated fan, let alone a trained baseball professional, is like a great mystery to the minds that run the Phillies and, especially our man Ruben. Utterly bizarre.

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               4. Yesterday was the first time I heard Ruben put DY on the clock saying he’ll need to produce or the Phillies will cut bait.

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               5. Really, that’s great! I wasn’t aware of it. I can tell you this, however, he’s typically very cagey, so if he actually said that, it probably is pretty close to happening. Ruben can be quixotic (how’s that for a blog word?), so hopefully he pulls the trigger soon on this continuing disaster of an experiment.

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               6. That would be awesome…just to get rid of DYak, not because I really think Ruf is a great option.

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      2. Do you all remember Julian Sampson? I was just as excited for him as I was Colvin.

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   2. Could it be the minor league coaching ??

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      1. hard to say …..every year they change coaches, at every level, in the minor leagues, where is the continuity!

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6. I know this is of topic but i was just wondering if you guy know where Franklyn Vargas will start this year and whats his upside.

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   1. GCL it looks like, who knows about upside he’s so young. Looks like control needed some work last year, but he was only 17.

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      1. thanks

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7. I hope RAJ keeps trotting Delmon Young out there. The longer he does, the faster he’ll get fired.

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   1. He should been fired the day Howard signed his contract. Or Polanco signed his. Or Ibanez. Or Papelbon. Etc.

      He really sucks at his job

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8. If I had an over60 softball league I WOULD put Delmon in right field but remove him late for a defensive replacement.

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9. How could Ruf in left and Brown in right be a worse combination than we have now? I was under the impression that Brown was slotted for right but moved to left to accommodate D Young – what a great move that’s turned out to be. Agree with @catch that Ruf, Revere, Brown with Mayberry filling in is as good as it can get this year.

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   1. Did anyone listen to phillies game last night? Chris wheeler. I believe said that Ruben Amaro Told a reporter, that they dont have any options right now to replace Delmon Young. so I guess they dont think Ruf can hit. or play the outfield, even though on wip, the gm of lhv was on, and said Ruf has really play a great outfield as of late. So I too am very confused about young in the lineup. They also mention that young will usually start hitting after 125 ab. which i believe is bull @@@@.

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      1. I think for some reason Amaro/Manuael has no faith in Brown playing RF. I know he’s had his issues but he can’t possibly be worse than Young.

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10. Forgot to mention Numata in the not hot hitter category. He’s close to being back down to his unimpressive career average.

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11. I’d have my eye on Mike Nesseth above everyone else.

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