If you have recently looked at the organization’s rosters that I compile (link below), you may have noticed a new classification in the Legend – Future Services. It is designated with a blue background. Future services is a term that I only learned this season. I became vaguely aware of the practice back when Ben Pelletier and Reggie Wilson were drafted in 2015. For those of you to whom this is a new concept, this is from the Major League Rules, MLR 2(j), from March 2008.
(j) PLAYERS SIGNED FOR FUTURE SERVICES. No Major or Minor League Club may sign an eligible player if the player has no previous Major or Minor League experience and if the contract is for services to commence after the current calendar year, except as provided for in subparagraphs (1) or (2) of this Rule 2(j).
(1) A Major League Club may sign, after July 1, a player who has no previous Major or Minor League experience to a contract for the succeeding year, provided, however, that the number of players so signed shall not exceed 12 for each Class A, Short-Season A or Rookie League Club that the Major League Club owns or with which it has a PDC during the current season. Each such additional player signed to a Minor League Uniform Player Contract shall be placed on either a Class A, Short-Season A or Rookie Reserve List, but the player shall not count against Reserve List or Active List limits until the opening day of the succeeding championship season of the Club to which the player is assigned. The Club shall be obligated to take such player to its spring training camp (Major League, Minor League or a combination of both) for a minimum 15-day trial period. (Jim: the remaining text in this section applies to players signed to a MAJOR league contract for future services. I have not included that text.)
(2) (Jim: Section 2 refers to players who are in the Armed Services. I have not included the text for that section.)
You will see that a lot of this year’s international players have been signed to future services contracts. This effectively changes their contract year and delays their Rule 5 eligibility by a year. I have come across information that includes the effective initial contract year of the players in the organization. I will be adding a column to the Rule 5 eligibility list (link below) that denotes a prospect’s initial contract year and check that the Rule 5 eligibility year I have in the spread sheet is accurate. A quick perusal has shown that, so far they are.
And, now, Wednesday’s games.
The Clearwater Threshers (51-49) beat St. Lucie, 6-3. They are 19-13 in the second half, and are contending for the second half division title. McKenzie Mills (1-4, 3.71) pitched six, solid innings. He held the Mets to one run on 6 hits and a walk. He struck out three. Grant Dyer (7.56) pitched an inning and gave up 2 runs. Jonathan Hennigan (0.00) pitched another scoreless inning. Addison Russ (3.07) notched his 4th save.
The Threshers opened the scoring in the third inning on Mickey Moniak’s sacrifice fly. They built a 3-run lead with 2 runs in the sixth on a fielding error and Raul Rivas’ RBI double, and a run in the seventh on another Moniak sac fly. They added 2 insurance runs in the ninth on Jose Pujols’ 2-run HR (16).
Pujols (.295) went 4-5 with 2 runs scored, 2 doubles, a HR, and 2 RBI. Kevin Markham (.292) went 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 doubles. Mickey Moniak (.245) went 1-3 with a run scored and 2 RBI on 2 SF. Moniak also picked up an outfield assist at first base.
GCP Phillies East (16-13) postponed, rain.
GCL Phillies West (15-13) lost to the Braves, 9-4. The Braves scored 8 runs in the top of the first inning, and the Phillies got three back in the bottom of the inning. The teams exchanged one run the rest of the way. Antonio Canizales (1-4, 7.43) and Ethan Evanko (2.92) combined to give up eight runs in the first. Evanko gave up another run during his three inning stint. Adam Cox (1.50), Alex Garcia (7.94), and Blake Bennett (0.84) shut the Braves out the rest of the way, but walk 6 and strike out 6 in five combined innings.
Luis Garcia (.400) went 3-4 with 2 runs scored. Abrahan Gutierrez (.330) went 2-4 with a double and an RBI. D.J. Stewart (.353) went 2-4 with a run scored and 2 RBI.
Lehigh Valley (61-40) lost to Gwinnett, 5-0. Tom Eshelman (1-0, 5.97) gave up 2 runs in six innings. He allowed 6 hits and walked three, and struck out five. Tom Windle (4.04) gave up a run in two innings. Mark Leiter (4.91) gave up 2 runs in two innings.
The IronPigs were 2-hit by Touki Toussant who walked 4 and struck out 8 in eight innings.
Reading (48-54) lost to New Hampshire, 5-2. Ranfi Casimiro (4.15) gave up 2 unearned runs in six innings on 5 hits. He walked none and struck out three. The 2 runs scored on Cavan Biggio’s 21st HR. Luke Leftwich (0-4, 4.65) struck out 3 in 1.2 innings, but walked a runner and left in the eighth inning with 2 outs. Aaron Brown (8.10) faced 4 batters but couldn’t get an out and allowed the inherited runner to score on a passed ball. Alexis Rivero (4.04) came in with the bases loaded, and of course walked the first batter he faced. Note: Brown also walked the first batter he faced. Walking the first batter you face is not a good formula for making the parent club as a reliever.
The Phils had tied the game with solo HRs by Damek Tomscha (14) and Jan Hernandez (12).
Lakewood (62-39) beat Greensboro, 7-5. Spencer Howard (4.50) gave up 3 runs in 5.1 innings on 3 hits and 3 walks. He struck out ten and threw 95 pitches. He left with a 3-1 lead, one out, and runners on first and second. Luis Cedeno (1-2, 3.42) mixed it up a little and gave up a 2-run double before walking a batter. He went on to give up 2 more runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. Connor Brogdon (3.16) struck out 3 in two innings while picking up his 3rd save.
The BlueClaws built a 3-1 lead on an RBI ground out following Nick Maton’s lead off triple in the second and Jhailyn Ortiz’ 2-run HR (11) following Simon Muzziotti’s lead off double in the fourth. They rallied from a 5-3 deficit with 4 runs in the seventh on Quincy Nieporte’s sac fly, Gregor Rivero’s 2-run double, and Josh Stephen’s RBI single.
Muzziotti (.280) went 2-4 with a double. Maton (.268) went 2-3 with a triple and a walk. Matt Vierling (.261) went 2-4 with an RBI. Ortiz and Rivero had 2 RBI each.
Williamsport (15-22) beat Vermont, 9-2 in a rain-shortened, five-inning game. Ethan Lindow (1-1, 2.43) pitched a 5.2 inning complete game. He gave up 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out four.
The Cutters scored 7 runs in the fourth inning on Keudy Bocio’s sac fly, RBI singles by Jesus Henriquez and Rafael Marchan, a bases loaded walk to Madison Stokes, and a bases-clearing double by Edwin Rodriguez. They added 2 runs in the fifth on a wild pitch and a passed ball.
Ben Pelletier (.289) went 2-4 with a double. Henriquez (.244) went 2-2 with a walk. Edwin Rodriguez (.375 had 3 RBI.
DSL Phillies Red (18-27) lost to Cardinals Blue, 12-3.
DSL Phillies White (26-17) beat Cardinals Red, 9-4.
Here’s the affiliate scoreboard from MiLB.
The rosters and lists are up to date as of July 25th.
7/25/18–Philadelphia recalled RHP Jake Thompson from Lehigh Valley
7/25/18–Lehigh Valley placed RHP Steve Geltz on the 7-day DL
7/24/18–Philadelphia recalled RHP Drew Anderson from Lehigh Valley
7/24/18–Lehigh Valley placed 1B Matt McBride on the 7-day DL retro to 7/22/18, right patellar tendonitis
7/24/18–Lehigh Valley placed LF Danny Ortiz on the 7-day DL retro to 7/21/18, right thigh contusion
7/24/18–RHP Ranfi Casimiro assigned to Reading from Lehigh Valley
7/24/18–CF Roman Quinn assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
7/24/18–Cristian Lima assigned to DSL Phillies Red from DSL Phillies White.
7/23/18–Philadelphia optioned RHP Mark Leiter Jr. to Lehigh Valley
7/23/18–Philadelphia optioned RF Aaron Altherr to Lehigh Valley
7/23/18–Reading placed RHP Harold Arauz on the 7-day DL
7/23/18–C Gabriel Lino assigned to Clearwater from Reading
7/23/18–CF Roman Quinn assigned to Reading from Clearwater
7/22/18–Philadelphia activated RHP Luis Garcia from the 10-day DL
7/22/18–Philadelphia recalled RHP Yacksel Rios from Lehigh Valley
7/22/18–RHP Ranfi Casimiro assigned to Lehigh Valley from Reading
7/22/18–RHP Felix Paulino assigned to Reading from Clearwater
7/22/18–RHP Robinson Martinez assigned to Williamsport from Lakewood
7/22/18–RHP Efrain Morales assigned to DSL Phillies White from DSL Phillies Red.
Phuture Phillies 
Few thoughts at mid-season.
1. Jose Pujols starting to get it. Power, BB increasing. K are down (33% current, 42% last year). BABIP .411 so regression is coming but he is prospect again.
2. Adam Haseley is shredding at Reading. SSS but numbers are gaudy. 436 avg, 15% BB, 5% K. BABIP .424 regression coming but him tapping into power with established hit tool will make him fast riser in system.
3. Jhailyn Ortiz power already established at 19 years old. Can live with 29% K.
Even a 33% regression for Haseley would mean that he’s still hitting in the .310 range. I’ll take it.
The three guys at GCL West, Stewart, Gutierrez, and Garcia, are very exciting. All three are young and are hitting.
My guess – Thompson was called up to Phils for yesterday’s game, will be replaced by Ranger for tonight’s game, and then, will be replaced by Quinn for Friday’s game.
That’s nice detective work by you, Murray. Exactly the type of roster management I’ve been impressed by so far by Kaptak.
I didn’t realize Garcia was a $2.5m sign. So far, so good. GCL numbers hard to extrapolate, but doing this at 17 looks awesome.
In some ways Spencer Howard’s season has been disappointing but in others it’s been encouraging. Reports on his stuff are excellent and the K rate is superb. There is a lot of upside there – now he just needs to improve his command.
Spencer just needs to harness his consistency.
Seventeen starts….7 outstanding, four clunkers and and maybe six average to a little below.
That four week period between mid-May and mid-June he really could not find his rhythm and timing. Maybe he had ‘dead arm’ as they use to say.
But four of his last five starts have been outstanding..
Spencer lost some focus but be assured it had nothing to do with his arm…
That is great to hear.
And he seems to have righted the ship based on his July outings
August will be a real test for the entire pitching staff with the team headed down south to Charleston, Hickory and then Greensboro for 15 games.
Inconsistency typically means poor command. Can’t repeat the delivery every time.
That said, I love his K rate, which is, IMO the most important stat for a minor league pitcher. The stat that jumps out at me as very bad is his ground ball rate. It is sub 40%. That is what is leading to a BABIP of .335. He isn’t giving up a ton of homers. But balls are finding holes as they are hit in the air.
Net, net, give me a pitcher with an 11.3 K/9 any day of the week.
Interesting stats for Spencer last year compared to this year show me he isn’t far off from figuring it all out
2017 he had h/9 7; WHIP 1.412 stemming from 5.7 bb/9 over a 12.7 K/Rate
2018 8.1 h/9 WHIP 1.293 3.5 bb/9 over 11.6K/9
I have every expectation that he can be in our rotation within 2 seasons. Latter part of 2020 would be a reasonable expectation.
A lot of good things going on in the system and a lot of young players having pretty good seasons with the bat all that said I can’t help but feel disappointed that no info is coming out on Bohm’s injury and what his prognosis is for the rest of the season.
Does anyone know if the hitting in the GCL is up across the board this year or is it just the Phillies? Im excited about Garcia regardless but jut curious
I was at the game yesterday, Howard was 93-98 the entire 5 innings
Moniak tonight: 4-2-3-1, double, BB.
Good kid, would like to see him continue to progress as he’s been recently doing and ultimately succeed. I’ve been disenchanted with the selection of him as a 1-1 along with many others here but I still root him on.