The disaster that is 2014 continues for Jesse Biddle with multiple media outlets reporting that Biddle has left his Winter Ball team in Puerto Rico and returned to Philadelphia after experiencing soreness in his left elbow. Biddle was 0-1 with a 15.19 ERA in his 2 appearances.  He will undergo an MRI and be examined by Phillies physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti.

Per Baseball America:

AAA:BJ Rosenberg, Greg Smith, Brad Lincoln, Koyie Hill, Lars Davis, Sebastian Valle, Jim Murphy, Tyler Henson, Nate Spears, Leandro Castro

AA:Chris Bootcheck, Matt Hoffman, RayWily Gomez, Zach Collier, Albert Cartwright

High A: Brandon Short

The name that scares me on here is Sebastian Valle.  He has underachieved with the Phillies organization but continues to have a solid skill set and still is only 24 years old.  With so little true talent at catcher around major league baseball, Valle will be given a legitimate shot with another organization.

We hit the back end of the Arizona Fall League schedule with Roman Quinn continuing to excite almost anyone who has watched him in Arizona.  In 66 AB’s, Quinn is hitting .258/.372/.364 with 1HR 7RBI and a very impressive 13 SB’s in 15 attempts, along with playing a very solid CF.   C Logan Moore is hitting .154, playing every third day or so.

On the mound, P Nefi Ogando remains the most impressive and has likely solidified a spot on the Phils 40 man roster coming into next season.  In 9 appearances, Ogando is 1-0 with a 2.53ERA and 3 saves.  Opponents are hitting just .205 against him and his WHIP sits at 1.13.  P Ryan O’Sullivan continues getting hit around with an ERA of 11.57 in 7 appearances including his last appearance during which he allowed two earned runs.The opposition is hitting at an astronomical .385 rate against him. RP Colton Murray has been up and down in his 8 relief appearances, and sits at 0-2 with a 4.66ERA in his 9.2 innings of work.  Murray has walked just 1 and struck out an impressive 10 hitters, however opponents are hitting .300 in what has been a very long season with a lot of innings for Murray.

P Ethan Stewart has had an abbreviated AFL season, suffering from minor arm issues.  He has struggled in his 4 AFL outings, sitting with an ERA of 6.75 and an abysmal WHIP of 2.06, mostly because of his 8 walks in 5.1IP.  The bright side is the 9 strikeouts, which against this level of competition is eye opening. Finally, Adam Morgan has thrown in 4 games (9.1IP) and is 1-0 with a 5.79ERA thus far. Reports have his velocity increasing into the high 80’s–low 90’s which is a good sign but less production that that hoped for thus far. Morgan has walked just 1 and struck out 8, but the 16 hits allowed has shown hit to be very hittable coming off his significant injury.

The off season minor league free agent signings have begun with the Phillies adding two outfielders with major league experience to the mix, 30 year old Brian Bogusevic and 29 year old Darin Mastroianni.

Bogusevic was originally a 1st round pick (24th overall) by the Astros in the 2005 draft.  He spent the 2014 season playing in the Marlins organization for AAA New Orleans, hitting .260/.349/.411 in 265 AB’s; with 6HR 33 RBI and 5SB.  Bogusevic last played in the majors for the Cubs in 2013, hitting .273 with 6 homers in 143 AB’s. Primarily a RF, Bogusevic can play all three OF positions.

Mastroianni was the Blue Jays 16th round pick in the 2007 draft and split time last season between the Blue Jays and Twins AAA affiliates.  In 364 AAA AB’s, Mastroianni hit .277/.354.,379 with 5HR 23RBI and 20SB.  Mastroianni has spent parts of the last 4 seasons in the major league, hitting just .212 in 273 major league AB’s.

Certainly nothing here to be overwhelmed by, but competent AAA players if nothing else.

This weeks open discussion thread….A couple of quick newsworthy items today:

–RP  BJ Rosenberg was outrighted off the 40 man roster by the Phils and can now test the free agent market.

–RP Nefi Ogando and CF Roman Quinn were both named to the Arizona Fall League All Star team

–I have spent considerable time this week searching inside myself trying to figure out how Jayson Nix has landed on a team playing in the World Series.  The rest of my time since yesterday has been spent wondering how the hell a receiver can get behind two defenders on a 3rd and long with less than two minutes left in a football game.  Sorry, small diversion.