Phillies Rumors

Latest On Royals’ Search For Rotation Help

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2016 at 10:05am CDT

The Royals are known to be on the lookout for starting pitching, having been connected to the likes of Ervin Santana, Rich Hill and Matt Moore in recent weeks. Their needs have been accelerated by the struggles of Chris Young and injury setbacks for Mike Minor and, more recently, Kris Medlen. As Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star writes, Medlen suffered a Grade 1 strain in his throwing shoulder while pitching on a rehab assignment from rotator cuff inflammation at Triple-A Omaha and will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks due to the injury.

With uncertainty permeating their rotation, Kansas City is casting a wide net in looking at trade candidates, writes MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Among the pitchers they’re considering are right-handers Jeremy Hellickson and Andrew Cashner as well as lefties Hill and Jorge De La Rosa, according to Morosi. Each of those names would constitute a strict rental, as each is a free agent at season’s end, though previous ties to Santana and Moore suggest that the Royals are possibly open to the steeper price (be it financial or in terms of prospect cost) of adding a player controlled beyond the 2016 campaign. Indeed, McDowell’s colleague Rustin Dodd linked Kansas City to multiple Rays starting pitchers just last night. GM Dayton Moore called the rotation an “area of vulnerability” and confirmed that he’s been “evaluating the landscape” of potentially available options, writes the Star’s Vahe Gregorian.

Royals starters currently rank 29th in the Majors in collective innings pitched at 455 2/3, and they’re a mere one-third of an inning ahead of the rebuilding Reds in that woeful distinction. More troublesome than that sum is the fact Royals starters simply haven’t pitched well even when they’re on the mound. The Royals’ excellent bullpen could perhaps cover persistently short starts if the team were regularly receiving quality five-inning outings from its starting staff, but Royals starting pitchers have posted a collective 5.02 ERA that ranks 25th in the Majors this season. The bullpen has helped to stop the bleeding, but the recent loss of Wade Davis has thinned out the relief corps, and even if he’s not on the shelf for long, they’re on pace for a lofty total of 556 2/3 innings from the bullpen this season.

With that in mind, Hellickson strikes me as the most logical target among the names listed by Morosi. He’s made 18 starts this season and, after a patch of struggles in late April/early May, has averaged 6 1/3 innings per start over his past 11 turns (nine of which have been quality starts). He’s been the most durable of the bunch and probably offers the best blend of affordability in terms of salary ($7MM in 2016) and prospect cost. Hill is earning $1MM less but has pitched considerably better when on the mound, so he should be expected to command a larger return than Hellickson in a trade. Cashner, meanwhile, is earning $7.15MM but has been limited to 59 innings by a hamstring strain and a neck strain. And De La Rosa, a former Royal (2006-07), is earning $12MM this season and lost his rotation spot in May before righting the ship and regaining his starting job recently.

For the time being, the Royals are relying on a rotation consisting of Yordano Ventura, Ian Kennedy, Danny Duffy and Edinson Volquez, with either Dillon Gee or Brian Flynn slated to step into Young’s spot on Sunday following Young’s move to the bullpen. While Duffy has been scintillating since returning to the rotation — a trend that continued last night — and Kennedy has given the club 100 solid innings (3.97 ERA), Ventura has struggled since April. Volquez, meanwhile, has been highly inconsistent, yielding four or more runs in half of his 18 starts this season.

Trade Notes: Ervin, Hellickson, Red Sox, Angels, Royals, Rays

By Steve Adams | July 7, 2016 at 9:04pm CDT

Ervin Santana is the “most likely” member of the Twins to be traded this summer, per ESPN’s Jayson Stark. However, executives that have spoken to the Twins about trades tell Stark that Minnesota is willing to talk about virtually anyone on their roster. Per one exec to whom Stark spoke, the Twins are telling potential trade partners, “If you’ve got any ideas, throw them out there.” Santana is far from the only trade candidate on the Twins’ roster; Fernando Abad, Eduardo Nunez, Ricky Nolasco and Trevor Plouffe are all free agents at the end of the 2017 season, and Kurt Suzuki is set to hit the open market following the current season. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd has listed several Twins among the game’s top trade candidates over the past few weeks. As for Santana, who tossed a shutout yesterday in Oakland, he’s earning $13.5MM this year and in each of the next two seasons, so he’d be considerably more than a rental piece for an interested club. However, that remaining salary might mean that some interested parties would want the Twins to include some cash in a deal to make the trade more financially palatable.

A few more notes on the trade market…

The Red Sox have been scouting Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson lately tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB.com. Per Morosi, Hellickson is one of many options that Boston is considering as it seeks to upgrade the back of its rotation. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said tonight on the conference call to discuss the Aaron Hill trade with the media that the fourth and fifth spots of his rotation are indeed areas of focus, as ESPN Boston’s Scott Lauber writes. Hellickson could indeed fill one of those spots, as he’s delivered a solid 3.92 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 42.4 percent ground-ball rate in 105 2/3 innings. The Phillies can probably get more for Hellickson than they surrendered to acquire him at this point, and as a free agent at season’s end it seems likely that he’ll be wearing a new uniform by the time the non-waiver deadline passes.
Infielder Yunel Escobar and left-hander Hector Santiago are getting hot at an opportune time if the Angels wish to shop them, writes MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. However, he also notes that it’s difficult to envision the Halos parting with either player. The Angels have a desperate need for rotation pieces in 2017 after losing Andrew Heaney to Tommy John surgery while Garrett Richards faces the possibility of the same fate. Santiago is controlled through the end of the 2017 season and doesn’t figure to be overly expensive, as he’s earning $5MM this year. Moving Escobar would mean that the Halos need to find a new third baseman for the third time in four years, Gonzalez points out, though he lists the Royals, Mets and Giants as possible suitors for the versatile infielder. Escobar, of course, comes with a questionable clubhouse reputation, but Gonzalez spoke to Santiago about Escobar’s presence in the clubhouse and received a positive review. Santiago admitted that he disliked Escobar when playing against him but enjoys his passion and enthusiasm now that they’re teammates.
The Royals are continuing to monitor the market for starting pitchers, reports Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. The Royals are moving Chris Young to the bullpen and have seen both Kris Medlen and Mike Minor suffer setbacks in their rehab, leaving a very thin supply of starters from which to choose. Either Dillon Gee or Brian Flynn could get a start this weekend, but Dodd cites a source in stating that the Royals have expressed some interest in the Rays’ available starting pitchers. Tampa Bay starters Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore have each seen their names pop up in trade rumors as of late.

NL Notes: Miller, Cubs, Hellickson, Crawford, Ethier

By Jeff Todd | July 7, 2016 at 1:40pm CDT

Andrew Miller sits atop the Cubs’ wish list this summer, according to Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com. The Yankees southpaw is humming along with a 1.47 ERA and ridiculous 13.2 K/BB ratio, so the price won’t be low — if he can be had at all. While teammate Dellin Betances would also hold interest, Heyman says that Chicago doesn’t believe there’s any chance he’d be available. The Cubbies do not have interest in a reunion with Braves righty Arodys Vizcaino, who has already twice changed hands between the organizations.

In terms of Cubs trade chips, there’s been plenty of speculation about Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez. But Heyman says that neither is likely to go anywhere. Indeed, we heard recently that president of baseball operations Theo Epstein isn’t inclined at all to part with the injured Schwarber, and it’s tough to imagine the organization removing a useful Baez from its current mix. One interesting player who could be moved, per Heyman, is third base prospect Jeimer Candelario.
Phillies righty Jeremy Hellickson looks like the club’s most obvious trade piece: he’ll be a free agent at year’s end and has been both solid and durable, which is why he sits among the top 20 trade candidates in baseball on MLBTR’s most recent list. But Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com wonders whether there’s a scenario where Philadelphia holds onto the veteran starter. A qualifying offer could make sense, he posits, since that could net the Phils a draft pick that could be more valuable (particularly given the likelihood of a big draft pool) than any prospect return. And if Hellickson were to take it, that wouldn’t be a terrible result for an organization that could use the stability in the rotation both now and in 2017. GM Matt Klentak hinted recently that his team may not “be super active” at the deadline.
The Phillies could also push toward contention as soon as next year, though that still seems optimistic. A major factor in that timeline is young shortstop J.P. Crawford, who is currently playing at Triple-A. He was recently named the top prospect in all of baseball in a mid-season ranking update from Baseball Prospectus.
The Dodgers are said to be looking at outfielders, but may have an internal option on hand before long. Manager Dave Roberts says that Andre Ethier could make his way back to the bigs by early August, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran has missed the entire season with a broken leg, but had been a highly productive player in 2015.

Four Former Red Sox Prospects Agree To New Deals

By Steve Adams | July 6, 2016 at 11:25pm CDT

TODAY: The Marlins have agreed to terms with Albert Guaimaro for an unreported sum, Badler reports. He is considered the best of this bunch of players, per Badler, who says that the youngster sprays a lot of line drives with an aggressive approach. Miami will move him behind the plate from the outfield.

Meanwhile, Badler reported earlier today that shortstop Eduardo Torrealba is going to the Yankees for $300K. That leaves only righty Cesar Gonzalez unsigned among the five prospects who were turned into free agents.

YESTERDAY, 1:48pm: Sanchez also reports that shortstop Antonio Pinero has agreed to a new deal with the Brewers that will pay him $375K (links to Twitter). Of that sum, just $75K will count against Milwaukee’s bonus pool. Badler wrote earlier this spring that Pinero made a name for himself due to his defensive skills, and while he’s a below-average runner he has a quick first step, good hands and a strong throwing arm.

10:21am: The Phillies have reached an agreement with Venezuelan outfielder Simon Muzziotti that will pay the 17-year-old prospect $750K, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Baseball America’s Ben Badler reported last night (Twitter link) that the Phils were the favorites to sign Muzziotti, who just one week ago was under the Red Sox’ control. However, Major League Baseball declared him a free agent as part of Boston’s punishment for the team’s violation of the international bonus pool system via package signings.

When it was ruled that Muzziotti and four other Red Sox prospects would once again be available to MLB clubs, it was ruled that the first $300K of a signing bonus for any of the five prospects would not count toward a club’s bonus pool. As such, $450K of Muzziotti’s bonus with the Phils will count against the club’s bonus pool. Muzziotti also was allowed to keep the original $300K he received from Boston, so he’ll end up with a total of $1.05MM between his two signing bonuses.

Muzziotti wasn’t expected to be part of this year’s July 2 pool and as such wasn’t a part of any international rankings, but Baseball America’s Ben Badler rated him 24th in last year’s class, praising his speed and range/instincts in center field. MLB.com compiled a free video/scouting report last season, and over the weekend, Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that Muzziotti wouldn’t have been ranked among his Top 25 but would’ve merited mention in the unranked portion of his international prospect rankings, meaning he’d have ranked in the Top 50 or so. In 65 plate appearances for Boston’s affiliate in the Dominican Summer League, Muzziotti batted .317/.354/.383.

Knocking Down The Door: Hedges, Jimenez, Thompson, Vogelbach, Wilkerson

By Jason Martinez | July 5, 2016 at 8:47am CDT

This week’s installment of “Knocking Down The Door” includes the first player to repeat on the list, a slugging first baseman who is unlikely to break into the Majors with his current organization and a pitcher who could find himself in the starting rotation of a playoff contender two years after being purchased from an Independent League team.

Austin Hedges, C, San Diego Padres (Triple-A El Paso)

How do you make the “Knocking Down The Door” list after going 11-for-20 with five homers to earn last week’s honors? You go 14-for-29 with five more homers. Yes, Austin Hedges really did this. He ended up with 12 homers over a 14-start period.

Keep in mind that this is a guy known for his defense. Phrases like “he’d be valuable if he hit .220 with 10 homers because his defense is that good” are common when referring to the 23-year-old Hedges.

Still, this latest barrage of homers probably doesn’t affect his ETA much, if at all. As soon as general manager A.J. Preller gets a trade offer to his liking for Derek Norris, who has an OPS right around .800 over the past two months with nine doubles and ten home runs over, the “Austin Hedges” era will commence. Norris had a minor injury scare behind the plate last night when his elbow was hit by Brandon Drury’s swing, but Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweeted that x-rays were negative and Norris is day-to-day.

Padres Depth Chart

Joe Jimenez, RP, Detroit Tigers (Double-A Erie)

The Tigers finally have a reliable closer to shut down opponents in the 9th inning. Francisco Rodriguez is still getting the job done at 34 years of age with 23 saves in 25 chances. Finding a strong group of setup men to bridge the gap to him is a work in progress, however.

So can a 21-year-old who has pitched a total of 13 innings above A-ball be the solution?

Joe Jimenez is the rare prospect to be recognized as a “Future Closer” early in his career while still in the low minors. The Tigers have been patient with him, but as he gets closer to the majors, he’s becoming difficult to ignore.

The hard-throwing right-hander has completely dominated in 31 innings between Double-A and High-A, allowing just one earned run, 12 hits and nine walks while striking out 54 batters.

Jimenez might have the perfect mentor in Rodriguez, who debuted as a 20-year-old with the Angels late in the 2002 season and was an integral part of their World Series run as the setup man to Troy Percival. If the Tigers are to make a run at a playoff spot, they’ll likely need their own version of young “K-Rod”. Jimenez will need a cool nickname, though.

Tigers Depth Chart

Jake Thompson, SP, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)

Shortly after Zach Eflin got the call to the Majors last month, I named his former Triple-A rotation-mate Ben Lively as a pitcher who was “Knocking Down The Door” and also mentioned Jake Thompson as a deserving candidate. Since, Lively has not been as effective. The 22-year-old Thompson, however, continues to roll.

In his last six starts, Thompson has averaged over seven innings per start while posting an 0.85 ERA with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts. He should get a chance at some point in 2016 as the Phillies try to limit innings for their young starters. A big league promotion could also happen as soon as general manager Matt Klentak finds a taker for Jeremy Hellickson, who has boosted his trade value with what has probably been his best season since he was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2011.

Phillies Depth Chart

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)

We’ve known for years that the Cubs were flush with position player prospects. Many of them have reached the Majors, even if not as regulars at one position due to their defensive versatility. Javier Baez has played all over the infield. Willson Contreras is seeing time in left field in addition to his work behind the plate. Addison Russell had to play second base when he first arrived. Kris Bryant’s versatility has also allowed manager Joe Maddon to find at-bats for his young hitters.

This won’t be the case with Dan Vogelbach, though. He is limited to first base and blocked by Anthony Rizzo, who is also limited to first base.

When the 23-year-old Vogelbach, who has a .303/.416/.542 slash line in 80 games, finally beats down the door to the big leagues, he’ll likely be wearing a different uniform. With his stock on the rise, there should be plenty of teams asking about the left-handed hitting slugger in July.

Cubs Depth Chart

Aaron Wilkerson, SP, Boston Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket)

Coming into the 2016 season, I wouldn’t have placed Aaron Wilkerson any higher than 11th or 12th on the team’s starting pitching depth chart. And yet, we’re not even to the All-Star break and Sean O’Sullivan is part of their current four-man rotation and Wilkerson is probably next in line for a call-up.

It’s not uncommon for a team to be dipping so deep into its pitching depth given the rash of pitcher injuries throughout the league, but that’s not the case with the Red Sox. Aside from Brian Johnson, who had been sidelined until recently while undergoing treatment for anxiety, the Sox just have a lot of guys who have pitched themselves out of an opportunity. Clay Buchholz has been moved to the bullpen twice. Joe Kelly, who is on the Triple-A disabled list, is expected to return as a reliever in the second half. Eduardo Rodriguez was ineffective in the Majors. Henry Owens has been inconsistent in Triple-A. And so on.

This Wilkerson guy, though, has been a rock. In 92.1 innings between Triple-A and Double-A, the 27-year-old has allowed just 69 hits with 25 walks and 102 strikeouts. He’s allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of his 16 starts. In 10 of those 12, he’s allowed one run or less.

There is a possibility that the Red Sox could start the secondnd half with O’Sullivan, knuckleballer Steven Wright and Wilkerson, who went undrafted out of college in 2011 and was purchased from an Independent League in 2014, in their starting rotation behind David Price and Rick Porcello. Baseball is so predictable.

Red Sox Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

NL East Notes: Teheran, Albies, Wright, Alderson, Phillies

By Jeff Todd | July 1, 2016 at 11:34pm CDT

The Braves are giving teams the impression that it’ll take a huge haul to land Julio Teheran, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). In fact, Atlanta is signaling that it wants a return that’s “better than the Shelby Miller deal,” per a rival executive. Despite their many young arms, and ongoing rumblings regarding Teheran, the Braves are actually looking at starting pitching, GM John Coppolella tells David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). Atlanta has had talks about controllable arms, per the report. Presumably, the organization is looking for value opportunities that fit its contention timeline.

Here’s more from the NL East:

The Braves have moved hyped prospect Ozhaino Albies down to Double-A, O’Brien tweets. It’s not a demotion, though Albies was struggling a bit at Triple-A. He’ll play second base there, pairing up with shortstop Dansby Swanson as the team’s hopeful future double-play combo gets comfortable together.
Injured Mets third baseman David Wright spoke to the media today and left the impression that he’s unlikely to return this year, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among those to report. (Twitter links.) When asked whether he thought he’d be back for 2016, Wright responded: “I don’t know. I really don’t know.” But the veteran did emphasize that he has every expectation of returning to the field at some point in the future.
Meanwhile, Mets GM Sandy Alderson suggested recently that he doesn’t believe a major new addition is necessary to boost the team. As Marc Carig of Newsday tweets, Alderson says: “We have the capacity in the 25-man roster at this point to improve over what we’ve done over the last couple of months.”
The Phillies don’t expect any major player movement this summer, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. Notably, Philadelphia isn’t even sure it’ll deal righty Jeremy Hellickson, who is only under contract for this season and is pitching well enough that he’ll draw interest (though probably not a terribly exciting return). The club is under even less pressure with its relief corps, which hasn’t been quite as electric in recent weeks but still has several interesting options.

NL East Notes: Teheran, Mets, Dietrich, Phillies

By Steve Adams | June 30, 2016 at 10:55am CDT

The Julio Teheran trade rumors have been swirling for more than a month, but Braves GM John Coppolella recently made strong suggestions that his ace would be staying put, and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports now writes that he spoke to a Braves official who emphatically told him, “We are not trading Teheran.” A second Braves official offered similar sentiments, saying that the Braves are “99.9 percent” certain they’ll hang onto Teheran. While a staggering offer can always change an organization’s thinking, it’s sounding more and more like a Teheran trade is more wishful thinking for interested parties than anything else.

International Notes: July 2 Preview, Maitan, Braves, Padres

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | June 29, 2016 at 9:07pm CDT

Baseball America’s Ben Badler has compiled scouting reports on the Top 50 prospects on the upcoming July 2 international market, in addition to providing projected landing spots for each player on the list. The exhaustive report on the international scene requires a BA subscription, but it’s highly recommended for those who wish to dive headfirst into learning about the upcoming glut of talent that will be injected into most clubs’ minor league pipelines. Those looking to learn more about the process can also check out this primer from Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, who also provides a ranking of the class (with further explanation here).

Here are just a few highlights from Badler’s excellent work on the topic, which deserves a full read:

Badler takes a particularly close look at top prospect Kevin Maitan, who he says may be a better prospect than Miguel Sano was as a teenager. The link comes with a lengthy and detailed scouting report, including discussion of the question whether Maitain will be able to stay at shortstop for the long run. Scouts are divided on the likelihood, but all seem to agree it’s at least a plausible outcome.
Maitan has long been said to be heading for the Braves, and we’ve yet to hear anything to change that expectation. Atlanta has lined up a big batch of spending, but Badler provides a bit of context for just how large: he says it “should look comparable to what the Yankees did in 2014-15.” (You can refresh yourself on New York’s shock and awe campaign here.)
The Padres appear headed in that direction, too, as Badler says that a $30MM to $35MM spend might be their floor. In addition to big activity on the Cuban market, San Diego is in line to add eight of the top fifty available players. As for the Nationals, who are also believed to be pacing the market in spending, it might not be quite that dramatic. But Washington could still come away with three of the fifteen best prospecs on the market.
The Astros, too, seem ready to drop some big cash — including a $3.5MM bonus for Cuban shortstop Anibal Sierra. Houston is eyeing five of the top fifty names on Badler’s list, he notes. One player that could be ticketed for the ’Stros is fifth overall prospect Freudis Nova.
Nova had been connected to the Marlins before failing a PED test. Now, Badler explains, Miami has a big chunk of pool availability and little in the way of commitments. The club could deal that away or see if it can find a nice price on the Cuban market.
It also remains to be seen what the Reds will do, but Badler explains that things could go in either of two directions. Cinci could trade for some added bonus pool space to add Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and a few smaller signings without hitting the penalty. Or, the team could enter the broader Cuban market and blow past its limits.
The White Sox are expected to land slugging prospect Josue Guerrero — who, yes, is a part of the famous family. Despite being quiet in recent years, the Athletics are in position to add some talent, including George Bell, whose father (same name) was a quality big leaguer.
The Brewers aren’t believed to have any seven-figure bonuses lined up, but could still add a high number of interesting players with the fifth-highest spending availability in the game. Likewise, the Phillies are expected to spread their cash.
Of course, not every team will have the opportunity to spend lavishly this period; the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, D-backs, Angels, Rays, Red Sox, Giants, Royals and Blue Jays are each prohibited from spending more than $300K on international amateurs after incurring maximum penalties, though that doesn’t mean those organizations don’t have a chance to find some talent.

Mark Appel Out For Season Following Elbow Surgery

By Steve Adams | June 29, 2016 at 1:42pm CDT

Phillies right-hander Mark Appel underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow and will miss the remainder of the 2016 season, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Appel had already been on the minor league disabled list due to a strain in his right shoulder, but Gelb writes that he incurred the elbow injury that necessitated today’s operation when he began throwing to work his way back from that shoulder issue. The injury comes with a recovery timeline of four to six months.

The Phillies picked up Appel as part of a five-player package from the Astros that sent Ken Giles and Jonathan Arauz to Houston. Appel joined the Phillies alongside Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz in that seven-player swap. The former No. 1 overall pick began the season quite well, pitching to a 1.64 ERA through the month of April and posting a solid 19-to-7 K/BB ratio through those 22 innings. However, Appel’s production took declined rapidly beginning in May, and he hasn’t pitched since he surrendered four runs in just two-thirds of an inning on the 22nd of that month. Overall, he’ll finish the season with a 4.46 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 through the 38 1/3 innings he was able to throw before falling to injury.

Appel hasn’t lived up to the expectations that come with a No. 1 overall pick, but he’s still just 24 years of age (25 next month) and has a fair amount of experience at the Triple-A level under his belt. While Philadelphia will probably monitor his innings in 2017 due to this season’s injury-driven light workload, it’s plausible that he could factor into the Phillies’ plans as soon as next season. Appel, along with Velasquez, Eshelman, Jerad Eickhoff, Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Ben Lively, and Nick Pivetta represent a large staple of rotation options that the Phillies have acquired in trades over the past two years (in addition, of course, to right-hander Aaron Nola, who was selected seventh overall in the 2014 draft) as the team stocks up for a hopefully sustainable run of success. Appel currently ranks fourth among Phillies prospects, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo. He entered the season rated third among Phillies prospects on the rankings of ESPN’s Keith Law and seventh among Philadelphia farmhands in the eyes of Baseball America.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Giolito, Turner, Norris

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | June 28, 2016 at 9:35pm CDT

Phillies prospect Matt Imhof suffered a serious eye injury while working with a stretching band, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports. The 22-year-old righty, who was a second-round pick in 2014, is said to have been struck in the eye due to a malfunction in the piece of equipment he was using. He has already undergone one procedure and is expected to require more, per the report. MLBTR wishes Matt the best of luck for a speedy recovery.

Here’s more from the NL East:

A rain delay has slowed the Nationals’ first look at top prospect Lucas Giolito tonight, as their contest against the division-rival Mets is currently on hold after four innings. Earlier today, GM Mike Rizzo told reporters, including MLB.com’s Jamal Collier (via Twitter), that the much-hyped hurler will have a chance to earn a permanent spot at the big league level. Rizzo, though, was not willing to commit to anything beyond that. Arguably the best prospect in baseball, Giolito has worked four scoreless innings and allowed just one hit and a pair of walks. He’ll cede the remainder of the game to Yusmeiro Petit, but the Nationals have to be rather pleased with Giolito’s truncated debut.
Another top Nationals prospect, Trea Turner, is getting a look in center field in an effort to accelerate his path to the Majors, as MLB.com’s Alex Putterman writes. Turner got his first pro start in center field last night and started there once again tonight. “We feel that offensively he’s Major League ready,” said Rizzo of Turner. However, Danny Espinosa’s June surge and Daniel Murphy’s excellent season leave the Nats without a spot for Turner at the big league level. “We figured to get him in the big leagues sooner rather than later, we need to make him more versatile,” Rizzo added.
Bud Norris’ most recent start has continued to bolster trade interest in the Braves’ right-hander, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Norris fired seven shutout innings and held the Mets to four hits and no walks with eight strikeouts over the weekend, and he’s now sporting a pristine 2.08 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 53.7 percent ground-ball rate dating back to the beginning of May, when he initially lost his rotation spot. Norris has been stellar since being plugged back into the starting five, and the Marlins are reportedly among the teams with interest in the 31-year-old.
Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan examines Norris’ remarkable turnaround since rejoining the Braves’ rotation and attributes the success to the fact that Norris has abandoned his previously ineffective changeup in favor of a cutter that has generated tremendous results. Left-handers were never especially troubled by Norris’ change, but they’ve been absolutely stymied by his new cut fastball, which has also caused a significant spike in his ground-ball percentage. There’s probably some degree of regression in store — Norris has a .269 BABIP and hasn’t allowed a single homer since returning to the rotation — but the new pitch has had a profound impact on Norris and could be the start of a sustainable run of success.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Phillies Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect