It is that time of year when everyone becomes a general manager (or president of baseball operations) and begins recommending or endorsing roster moves to prepare for the next season.  This annual exercise includes guessing how many and which free agents will be pursued and how much money is available to sign them.  This will be pinned on the site for a couple weeks. Continue reading 2022 Offseason Roster and Payroll Information →

This season, I noticed a different approach in the Phillies’ offseason acquisition of new personnel and the disposition and assignment of said personnel.

In past seasons, we would see the Phillies sign a bunch of minor league free agents during the early offseason and then release a lot of them by the end of spring training. Continue reading A Different Approach? →

Here is a list of all the transactions that occurred in June plus 3 international free agent signings that were finally reported from April and May. Continue reading June 2022 Transactions →

Happy Fourth of July.

A few weeks ago, I included the following in the final Open Discussion – Continue reading Update (7/4/2022) →

This is the best and most exciting news I’ve read in a while.  Darick Hall is one of “my guys”.  While I root for all the players who come through Clearwater to make it to the big leagues, it is especially gratifying when one of the guys you get a little close to makes it.

Darick (pronounced “Derrick”)was the Phillies’ 14th round pick in the 2016 draft out of Dallas Baptist where he hit 20 HR with 69 RBI in 62 games with a .300/416/635/1.051 slash.  In 279 plate appearances, he struck out 50 times and walked 30 times.  (Note that Darick played 1B in just 45 games and pitched in 16 games that season.  As a pitcher, he was 9-3 with a 3.43 ERA and 94 K (8.7 K/9) and 21 walks (1.9 BB/9) in 97.0 innings)

Darick put up solid offensive numbers in his first few seasons at Low-A, full-season Class-A, and High-A.  His numbers slipped at Double-A and at Triple-A after the COVID layoff where he was away from baseball for an entire season.  Always a streaky hitter, Darick’s offense rebounded and he has 20 HRs and 67 RBI in 72 games at Lehigh Valley this season and appeared to be ready to go on another heater when he was called up.

Darick is a friendly, personable young man who married during this past offseason.  I have had the privilege of dining with him on a couple of occasions.  Below, we are pictured outside the Island Way – Ben Pelletier, Cord Sandberg, Steve Potter, Darick, and me.

Darick is an excellent defensive first baseman.  I have seen him turn the 3-6-3 double play on multiple occasions.  This became the standard by which we (at the Complex) measured first basemen since it is a play we saw turned infrequently in Philadelphia from like 2005 to the present.

The Phillies were lax with Darick’s development (IMO).  They should have had him playing some at the other three corners since 2017.  He finally played OF in the most recent winter league, but this deficiency in the Phillies’ development plan for Darick will limit their use of him for as long as he is with the team.

In order to make room on the 40-man roster, James McArthur was placed on the 60-day IL (elbow).  To make room on the active roster, Johan Camargo was placed on the 10-day IL (knee).

Anyway, Darick is batting cleanup tonight.  I wish him the very best and hope he comes to bat in the first inning.

(This is an editorial piece without comments.  I’m not prepared to read anything negative tonight.  An article on future writing here will be posted in the near future.)

With a negotiated agreement reached between Zach Eflin and the Phillies, the Phillies’ portion of the arbitration process is complete.  This update replaces the article that has been pinned on the Phuture Phillies’ site for a couple months.  I’ll leave this pinned for a week. Continue reading Updated Roster Information Now That Arbitration Has Been Avoided →

The attached files include the current stats of all the players we have in affiliated ball. Continue reading Minor League Stats thru May 1st →

Looking for a last-minute present for that friend or family member who loves the Phillies and following their prospects?  Or, perhaps, a present for yourself?

Continue reading Sixth Annual Phillies Minor League Digest →

The 2021 minor league portion of the 2021 Rule 5 draft concluded with no Phillies being selected by the other teams.

The Phillies included 37 protected players on their Lehigh Valley roster.  They were entitled to one selection and chose a RHP from the San Francisco organization.

Continue reading Results of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft →

The major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft has been postponed indefinitely, but the minor league portion is still being held this week.  While we know whom the Phillies protected by adding them to the 40-man roster by the November 19th deadline, we do not know who was added to the Lehigh Valley roster for protection from the minor league portion of the draft. Continue reading “Protected” Players for the 2021 Rule 5 Draft →