All posts by Matt Winkelman

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About Matt Winkelman

Matt is originally from Mt. Holly, NJ, but after a 4 year side track to Cleveland for college he now resides in Madison, WI. His work has previously appeared on Phuture Phillies and The Good Phight. You can read his work at Phillies Minor Thoughts

Rule 5 Draft – Phillies Select: Ender Inciarte (22) – CF

Rule 5 Draft

On the last day of the Winter Meetings is the Rule 5 draft.  The Rule 5 draft is an exciting time because it is essentially free major league talent.  However, since the rules have been changed to add an extra year of protection the talent available has dropped steeply.  The Rule 5 draft still offers two main types of players, the first are low upside players who can fill the last spot on a roster for very cheap, the second type are higher upside players who likely have not been above A-ball that will need to be hidden on a roster for at least a year. The Phillies have had mixed success over the year with their most recent selections who have stuck of Shane Victorino, David Herndon, and Michael Martinez.

Phillies Select Ender Inciarte (22) CF from Arizona Diamondbacks:

Inciarte, a 2008 Latin American signee, finished up 2012 on the Diamondbacks Hi-A affiliate.  He has shown good plate discipline without high strikeout rates (some can be attributable to repeating a level and then the Cal League).  At the plate he has a small bit of power, enough to have it above a 20 tool but not a ton.  He is quick on the bases with a good base running instinct.  In the field his speed plays up allowing him to be a very good defensive CF.  He will be overmatched at the plate so his chance of sticking depends on his ability to be a defensive replacement in all three OF positions.  His ceiling is likely as a 4th OF if everything breaks right.

No Phillies were selected in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft

Continue reading Rule 5 Draft – Phillies Select: Ender Inciarte (22) – CF →

What to Expect in 2013: Middle Infield

Around the System, Galvis, Freddy, Quinn, Roman

Up the middle positions (catcher, short, second, and center field) are some of the hardest positions to fill because the defensive requirements force many players off to the corners.  Shortstop and second base have been filled at the major league level for the past decade by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, but they have moved past their prime and the organization needs to look to future at the positions.

Again for those that haven’t read it or would like to refresh themselves on the end of season discussion, here is gregg’s end of season report card

Second Base:

Second base is a tweener position, often second baseman are short stops that don’t have the range or arm or third baseman who have the defense to play second and do not have the offensive profile for third.  Teams recently have been moving players in from the outfield to second base early in their careers with some success.  Second baseman have to hit, because there are no back up second baseman on the major league level.  In order to be a back up a player has to be able to handle short stop to have a utility profile. Continue reading What to Expect in 2013: Middle Infield →

What to Expect in 2013: Corner Infield

Around the System, Asche, Cody, Franco, Maikel, Walding, Mitch

The next installment in the off season look at prospects are corner infielders.  Traditionally the corner positions are where teams stick pure hitters and is generally the source of power in a line up.  Overall offense has been down across the league, and it has become more important that a player has to be a capable defender as well as have a bat that profiles for the position, especially at third base.

Before jumping into the discussion of how these prospects line up next to one another I encourage everyone to read gregg’s end of season wrap up on the corner infield position.

First Base:

To be a first base prospect you have to rake at every level along the way, all the way up to the majors.  True first base prospects are rare and their bats are special, many impact first baseman are playing the outfield or third base in the minor leagues and will be forced to first when their defense does not cut it for their current position.  Many college first baseman drafted will sit in the middle of A-ball lineups for years and provide stability and coaching to prospects, while never getting their own chance in AA.  In the Phillies system there are possibly 3 actual first base prospects and one of them (Darin Ruf) is currently playing the outfield and will be addressed when that position comes up for discussion, otherwise the real hopes for a slugging first baseman for the Philles are playing corner outfield spots in the low minors. Continue reading What to Expect in 2013: Corner Infield →

What to expect in 2013: Catchers

Around the System, Joseph, Tommy, Valle, Sebastian

Traditionally Top 30 season begins with the Reader Top 30 right after New Years, to prime us for discussing the system as a whole, we are going to take a walk through the positional groups in the system.  The goal is to look at where they rank with regards to each other, how they profile going forward, and how they fit into the system as a whole.  I will try to post one of these every couple of days starting with Catchers, and then proceeding through the other positional groups (Corner Infield, Middle Infield, Corner Outfield, Center Field, RH Starting Pitchers, LH Starting Pitchers, and Relievers).  I am not James, nor am I a scout so I will be focusing on initiating the discussion rather than creating the narrative.

Additionally this will focus on “prospects” avoiding players who are organizational filler or minor league free agents.  If I have missed someone you think deserves to be on this list let me know and they will be added.

To start, if you have not read it all already, here is gregg’s positional recap of catchers.
Continue reading What to expect in 2013: Catchers →

Free Agent Compensation and the Draft under the New CBA

2013 Draft

The basics of free agent compensation have been rehashed across the internet, however there are some more subtle things with the new CBA, that dramatically effect the draft, and especially draft strategy.

The Basics:

Qualifying Offers: A team can extend a qualifying offer to any of their free agents who have been with the team for the entire season equal to the average of the Top 125 salaries (in 2012 this was $13.3 million), the player had until Friday to accept that offer (just a one year contract) or reject it and become a free agent.

Free Agent Compensation: Any team that signs a player extended a qualifying offer forfeits their first round pick (if it is outside the Top 10) or their second round pick (if their first pick is within the Top 10).  Their old team receives a pick at the end of the first round. Continue reading Free Agent Compensation and the Draft under the New CBA →

Rule 5 Draft Preview – 40 Man Roster Decisions

Rule 5 Draft

Each December at the Winter Meetings is the Rule 5 draft, the draft was created in order to provide a path to the major leagues for players in deep systems that would otherwise be blocked.  To be eligible for the Rule 5 draft a player must:

  • Not be on a 40 man roster
  • Have been in the minor leagues for at least 4 years if he was signed at or after age 19
  • Have been in the minor leagues for at least 5 years if he was signed at or before age 18

The main point of interest here is which prospects will receive a 40 man roster spot in order to be protected in the draft.  Two of the most controversial players Tyler Cloyd and Darin Ruf received spots on the 40 man roster has part of their September call-ups and are thus exempt from the draft.  The Phillies have until November 20 to submit a 40 man roster to the commissioner’s office of those that are to be protected. Continue reading Rule 5 Draft Preview – 40 Man Roster Decisions →

General Discussion – Week of October 29 – End of Season Moves Edition

Other Stuff

Here is your weekly general discussion for all those things not covered by other content here.  With the World Series nearing an end the Hot Stove is starting to heat up, so let the rumors fly.  Plenty of Phillies are in Winter League (I believe the Darin Ruf 2012 HR count is at 48 as of Sunday night); in the Arizona Fall League, Tommy Joseph and Cody Asche were named to the Rising Stars Game which is a cross between the Futures Game and a minor league All-Star game.

For those in the Northeast stay safe from the storm and post away while the lights stay on.

Phillies Moves:

Exercised 2013 Option on Carlos Ruiz ($5 million)

Declined 2013 Option on Ty Wigginton ($500k buyout)

Declined 2013 Option on Jose Contreras ($500k buyout)

Declined 2013 Option on Placido Polanco ($1mil buyout)

General Discussion – Week of October 22

Other Stuff

Here is your weekly discussion thread.  Fall league has begun in Arizona, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and in Mexico.  Rumors for the offseason have begun as well and talk about who is protected from the Rule 5 draft has begun.

BA’s 2012 Draft Report Card (with added scouting reports)

2012 Draft, Gueller, Mitch, Watson, Shane

Today Baseball America released their Draft Report card for the 2012 draft (article can be read here http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/news/2012/2614213.html).  BA has put out some awards with a short blip, I have added some more information to each profile:

BA’s Quick Take:

Despite forfeiting their first-round pick by signing Jonathan Papelbon, the Phillies added a pair of promising high school pitchers with supplemental picks they got for losing Raul Ibanez and Ryan Madson.

Best Pure Hitter:

Andrew Pullin (OF/2B) – Pullin was the Phillies 5th round pick, an outfielder in high school the Phillies are moving him to second base.  Pullin’s hitting style is unorthodox but he keeps his hands in the zone and has the ability to spray line drives all over the field.

Cameron Perkins (1B/3B/OF) – Perkins drafted out of Purdue in the 6th round.  Perkins has a good feel for hitting and a fast bat, he proved throughout his college career that he can make good contact.

Continue reading BA’s 2012 Draft Report Card (with added scouting reports) →

BP Prospect Profile on Maikel Franco

Other Stuff

For those of you who have access to BP’s pay content go to the site and read the full article at http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=18646#commentMessage as well as ask questions in the comments.

For those that don’t it is a large scouting report written by Hudson Belinsky who does a ton of scouting in the Northeast.  The premise of the article being that he often uses Lakewood as a venue to see the prospects in the SAL and can get caught up really watching a Phillies’ prospect, in 2011 it was Domingo Santana and in 2012 it was Maikel Franco.

Continue reading BP Prospect Profile on Maikel Franco →