The VSL season kicks off today against the VSL Cubs. This year the league has 5 teams as opposed to the 4 it had last year with the Phillies, Cubs, Mariners, Rays, and Tigers fielding teams. Because of the low number of teams the competition level puts this league firmly behind the DSL in terms of talent.
Here is the roster posted, it could be subject to change:
Pitchers: Gustavo Armas, Jesus Arroyo, Miguelangel Bastidas, Gabriel Bermudez, Luis Carrasco, Victor Delgado, Jose Diaz, Oberdan Diaz, Yeisson Fernandez, Alejandro Garcia, Reiwal Gonzalez, Carlos Indriago, Tanis Lara, Alfredo Perez, Edubray Ramos, Carlos Salazar, Victor Sobil, Ranger Suarez, Sergio Velis
Catchers: Adrian Acosta, Rafael Gamboa
Infielders: Damaso Gonzalez, Willerker Isava, Cristian Palacios, Alexander Perdomo, David Pereira, Lucas Rojo, Daniel Romero
Outfielders: Jesus Alastre, Carlos Duran, Enger Jimenez, Luis Mendoza, Joseph Miranda, Geovanny Subero, Yorbys Tabares
Quick Thoughts:
- Diminutive LHP Sergio Velis returns for a 3rd season, I thought after a great 17 year old season in 2012 he would get a stateside look, but a bad 2013 seems to have sent him back
- 18 year old SS Willerker Isava was a $100,000 signing a year and a half ago, but injuries limited him to just 16 games in 2013
- The four youngest players are outfielders Luis Mendoza (8/7/1997) and Yorbys Tabares (1/24/1997), third baseman David Pereira (1/10/1997), and SS Daniel Romero (5/5/1997), it is always good to watch the youngest players
- Two of the 2013 VSL Phillies top hitters return this year with 19 year old OF Carlos Duran (.305/.403/.438) and 20 year old 2B Lucas Rojo (.260/.340/.453)
- 19 year old Alejandro Garcia is in his 4th season in the VSL, but this will be his second as a full time pitcher, out of the bullpen last year he has a 1.71 ERA with 2 BBs and 12 Ks over 21 IP
Phuture Phillies 
I just read Galvis is out for approximately two months with multiple fractures of his collarbone that resulted from a collision with Franco.
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Wasn’t there a catcher to watch on the VSL team last year? Can somebody remind me of whom I am thinking, and whether he’s here or in Florida?
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Gregorio Rivero who was the other 100k signing, he has been is XST
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That’s it! Thx
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The listing to the right of the posts ex. site features, recent articles, Phillies Blogs block some of the posting. Is there anyway
they can be shrunk to not interfere with the comments
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What did Willerker Isava sign for?
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Sorry….just read it the bottom of the article.
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any rumblings out there about names the phillies are linked to before the july 2nd signing date?
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Phillies tied to Venezuelan SS Arquimedes Gamboa, a switch hitter that some scouts think could a plus defender at the position. He is a switch hitter who has more gap than HR projection. The prediction is that he will be under $1,000,000 but not by much.
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And the Phillies plan on giving him almost a million dollars ? how old is this kid
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He is 16 years old, by the way if you think that projection is low, then you might want to step back and realize that a plus defensive SS with good gap power is somewhere close to a first division regular if they have a good approach.
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Do Phillies prefer Venezuelan kids more so then DR kids?
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I don’t know, I do know they have a bigger presence in Venezuela than many other organizations
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I wonder if it could be due to the ‘buscones’ in DR and maybe not so much in Venenzuela?
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That would be our projection of JP Crawford I suspect. Still would rather we focus on pitching this year, but we should be able to get a slightly larger haul this year with a slightly bigger signing pool.
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wheres gregg at? usually he has some good insight on these guys.
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