The Phillies have announced the signings of eight players to minor league deals with spring training invites. The list includes multiple players who could presumably play a role on the big league team if it deals from its current roster.
The list of announced players is as follows:
- Infielder Andres Blanco
- Outfielder Brian Bogusevic
- Infielder/outfielder Russ Canzler
- Infielder/outfielder Chase d’Arnaud
- Outfielder Jeff Francoeur
- Catcher John Hester
- Outfielder Darin Mastroianni
- Outfielder Xavier Paul
Every player on that list has MLB experience, and many have fairly extensive time in the bigs. Francoeur, of course, is a former top prospect and long-time starter who spent time both playing in the outfield and pitching last year in the Padres organization. He is one of several signees who could provide options if the Phillies were to move any of their current outfielders. The infield-capable members of this list may create some flexibility as well.
At various times, all of Marlon Byrd, Ben Revere, and Domonic Brown have found their names as rumored trade candidates. Though shortstop Jimmy Rollins and, to a lesser extent, second baseman Chase Utley have both been named as potential trade chips as well, those players enjoy full no-trade protection and appear less likely to be dealt.
Frenchy never recovered from the Sports illustrated cover curse
Wasn’t that- his swing got screwed up after playing golf in ST with Smoltzie and Tiger Woods. Never really recovered.
Ahh, yes, the “Can anybody be this good?” cover.
I come from the future to say, yes, a player can be that good. However, that player is not Jeff Francoeur.
Who was it? Lol
Everyone, your 2015 Phillies starting lineup!
You know, Mastroianni has played 2B. Put him, Blanco, and XP up the middle with Canzler and Chase at the corners and Francoeur and Bogusevic in right and left, and you’ve got… well, you’ve got the worst team in baseball.
I think our Cubs in August 2012 would have had a hard time beating them…
Frenchy Rocks!
Best Move the Phillies have made this off-season!
I am serious! =P
Glad to hear he’s better than the six other guys that received a minor league contract, considering that’s really all that the Phillies have done so far this off season.
Think I like the Sizemore signing better.
Just about every one of these guys could crack the 2015 Phils opening day roster, and that is not a criticism. Especially for a team which needs to unload some hefty contracts, it’s never a bad idea to sign a bunch of these types and see who pans out.
How has RAJ not dumped his stars yet? They could’ve expedited the rebuilding process by a few years already, but instead they’re letting the value of their current players depreciate.
well right now in hold till Lester, Shields, Max are signed right?
They only really missed on trading Cliff Lee (when the Dodgers claimed him) and at that time there was still optimism that 2012 was a fluke. Rollins blocked a Dee Gordon/Jimmy Rollins trade a few years ago, Hamels would’ve brought back a package headlined by Mike Olt (maybe they could’ve gotten CJ Edwards too but Olt was the centerpiece), Howard was always untradeable and the prospects in the Victorino and Pence deals flamed out.
Honestly, they wouldn’t be better off. Maybe they could’ve gotten something for Chase but he’s going to retire a Phillie.
I’d say we don’t know about the Pence deal yet, honestly. If, somehow, Tommy Joseph manages to not get concussed or tear his arm open for a few years running, he’s got a shot. He’s still crazy young (only 22? I could have sworn he was older), and his bat has been on the upswing lately.
That said, the odds are definitely against him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up a total bust.
Dumped as in simply traded them away for salary relief? Because there’s literally no point in that.
Nobody said salary relief.
That’s sort of what “dumped” implies.
Last year I loved the Tony Gwynn and Grady Sizemore signings from the moment they got announced, I’m going to make a call that Frenchy and Paul make some type of contribution this year.
May I ask why you loved any of those signings at any point in time?
Sizemore looked like a solid 4th outfielder on a team that was running out a 5th outfielder every day in LF. Gwynn had a shot to be as good as JMJ… Then he wasn’t, but we traded JMJ, so we needed someone to take his spot anyway.
Little moves are important.
Looks like the Phillies are rebuilding on their roster and the only way to do it is remove Rollins Utley and Howard
Come again? Rollins is still one of the better SS in baseball, and his contract ends after this coming year. Utley is still one of the better 2B in baseball, and while his contract could be long, it essentially gets nullified if he gets injured for an extended period.
Howard’s really not worth moving at this point, because he brings back so little – even in pure salary relief. Given that the team isn’t on the cusp of contending, there’s no reason to take such a massive financial hit just to be able to say “Ryan Howard isn’t on this team anymore.”
Your saying keep all three I don’t think so Phillies don’t have enough money for all three vets
Um… First of all, the Phillies can’t move any of them. Rollins and Utley have 10 & 5 rights, meaning they can veto literally any trade. The only way to get rid of them is via outright release (which saves them a whole $500K/year for the rest of their contracts), or them consenting to a trade, and both have said they want to retire as Phillies. That said, they’re not going to put anybody there this year who’s any better, so it’s not like they’re realistically blocking some stud prospect or a young FA they managed to acquire.
Howard doesn’t have 10 & 5, but his contract is so much heavier than his value right now that it doesn’t matter. You’d have to eat too much to trade him to make it worth trading him.
Amaro signs Francoeur. Such a Rube move.
Yep. And?
Why keep all three when u can trade them
I’m pretty sure I just outlined why you can’t trade them. 10 & 5 rights for two of them, and no conceivable value on the third.
Even if you could trade them, there’s no incentive. Rollins might get you back a B prospect due to the lack of time remaining on his deal. Utley maybe a B+/A-, though he probably needs to show he can stay on the field for another year (at slightly-better-than-2014 levels) for that to be worthwhile. Howard gets you organizational filler and maybe $2MM/year off the $60MM you owe him.
Couple that with the fact that the only guys who’re getting “blocked” by any of them are Darin Ruf (questionably better than Howard) and maybe Cody Asche (who’s currently slated to be 3B, and would anyway be fighting with Ruf for time at 1B if he made the move), and the only justification would be: “I want to make a move to be seen as making a move.” Which is terrible justification for anything.
Ok then let me ask you this will the Phillies trade brown Byrd or revere
I’d think they’re shooting to trade Byrd, and would be willing to trade Brown or Revere, but it’s probably not something they’re actively pursuing. Both are still cheap, and Brown is at an all-time low in value.
I’d also think they’re looking to move Antonio B., since they just signed a high-upside MiLB lefty who’s never been above AA ball to a Major League contract. I’m sure they’d love to move Paps, and might even get some bites depending on how much money they’re willing to absorb (based on what Miller and Robinson are looking for). I hear Giles is potentially a trade option as well, but they’d have to be blown away – with good reason, considering his age and cost.
If you trade all three outfielders Byrd revere and brown would you let franceour and bogvesic and mastranani play in the outfield in 2015
That would be… Really, really ugly outfield. Also, I think you’re forgetting that they signed Sizemore to an extension, and he’s probably ahead of all 3 of them.
Those guys were all signed on MiLB deals with ST invites. 2, or even all 3, will be asked to go to Lehigh Valley by the start of April or start looking for work with a different team.
Sizemore would be in center field franceour in right and bogvesevic in left field
Yeah, and that would be an ugly outfield. Sizemore probably is half a step too slow to play CF anymore. Francoeur is probably ok in RF, but his bat has been bad every year except one (2011) since 2007.
Bogusevic would field better in LF than Brown, but you really have to have some crazy faith to think his bat will allow him to start there. His MLB career has been the poster child for not judging players by small sample sizes, and his MiLB stats have been inflated by playing in the PCL.
Overall, I’d say you’d be improving one position defensively (LF), hurting the other two (Byrd is an above-average defender), and hurting all three offensively (maybe only two, if Brown regresses further).
Give me your phillie outfield for 2015 dude
Right now? The outfield will be the same as 2014. Assuming trades or signings, I could see a new RF. A new LF is less likely, but still possible. A new CF is even less likely, but also still possible.
If not for the fact that Revere and Brown are both young, I’d say the OF was underwhelming enough to merit trying to bring in an entirely new one (or at least 2/3), but Brown is likely not quite as bad as his 2014 indicated, and Revere probably is slightly better as well (putting him in the solidly “acceptable” range).
Would any of these outfielders get traded this off-season
Byrd’s obviously a desirable chip, and the Phillies would love to move him in exchange for something of value… But he’s not a salary dump candidate.
Brown could probably only get a change-of-scenery project in exchange right now, which would be ok, but he’s probably bottomed out, value-wise, and can realistically only improve (though how much is questionable).
I’m biased towards liking Revere, but I also think he’s a perfectly acceptable piece in this outfield. In an awesome outfield he’d hopefully be more like Jarrod Dyson, but a mediocre/fringe-contender would have no trouble fielding him, and even a solid contender could if they were stronger in other areas (SP, IF, etc.).
Brown would be traded now let me ask u this will mastranani franceour and bogvesecvic be on the roster for 2015 for the Phillies
Only one to start the season. In case of injuries or mid-season trades, a second might make it for a few weeks, but not much more than that.
That said, I could see easily one or both of the ones who didn’t catch on going back to FA.
Franceour stays on the roster bogey as well
Doubt it. Even if one of Byrd or Brown gets traded, that leaves you with (Brown/MiLB) in LF, Revere in CF and (Byrd/Sizemore) in RF. You don’t need a 5th outfielder on this team very often anyway, and Ruf probably gets the final spot only because he can also serve as the 1B backup.
If both Byrd and Brown get traded, I would assume they’re signing Tomas, and he’d be plugged in at left, with Sizemore in RF.
Franceour needs to play again and bogey needs to have a good year like he had with the stros
Thing is, neither is really going to happen unless they absolutely explode in ST, and then one of the starters gets injured or tanks ridiculously hard.