2018 Short Season Team Roster Speculation

[Squire]

1. An interesting dynamic this year for the first time in that we have 2 GCL teams to fill out in addition to our regular Williamsport team.

2. Without a 2nd or 3rd round pick, I am expecting the draft to be more college heavy.

3. That being said, the 2017-2018 international class has been huge and so I am expecting more of them than usual at in the GCL.

[julio]

That being said, the 2017-2018 international class has been huge and so I am expecting more of them than usual at in the GCL.

Yes. The challenge here may be obtaining enough visas?

[andyb]

PhuturePhillies did a speculative post last week on this topic:

2018 Williamsport Roster (projected)

The two GCL teams makes me think there will be more players repeating GCL this year too so they can play every day. We should also have a college-heavy draft with fewer top picks and HS signings this season, which means lots of the draft will go to Williamsport (echoing Squire).

I wonder if we see more than 3 or 4 players from the 2017 J2 class though. Luis Garcia is probably a given. Victor Vargas is supposed to be pretty polished so I expect him. Not sure who else though I imagine the extra roster spots might give us incentive to bringing over any $400K+ signee (Carlos Betancourt, Cesar Rodriguez, Israel Puello).

No idea if the visa rules have been updated. If they haven't, we'll see more college players than usual at GCL.

[gmwannabe]

good point julio about the visas. being lazy and not looking up, how many organizations have 2 in the CGL. And have they had any problems with the number of visas. but he way, what is the maximum allowed?
Gm

[gmwannabe]

Squire, regarding the college heavy thinking, are you looking at a more senior laden draft? or taking a chance on some juniors? i have a feeling this draft won't be one of the ones we will like too much,
gm

[Squire]

So while nothing is definite and guys could just be injured, the following players are not on a DSL Roster and thus I'm expecting to seem them on one of the GCL Teams:

SS Luis Garcia
2B Nicolas Torres
RHP Victor Vargas
RHP Carlos Betancourt
C Abraham Gutierrez
OF Julio Francisco
C Juan Mendez
RHP Leonel Aponte
C Juan Aparicio

[andyb]

Here are our 9 highest bonus international players and potentially where they are going:

SS Luis Garcia $2.5 million - GCL?
C Abrahan Gutierrez - $550K - GCL/Williamsport?
RHP Victor Vargas - $525K - GCL?
C Cesar Rodriguez - $500K - DSL White (only 5'10", 160 BTW)
RHP Carlos Betancourt - $460 - GCL?
RHP Israel Puello - $460K - DSL White
OF Jefferson Encarnacion - $265K - DSL Red
C Oscar Gonzalez - $135K - DSL White
LHP Alberto Torres - $90K - DSL White

There probably are a few other $100K bonuses we do not know about. Looks like Garcia, Vargas, and Betancourt are the three big bonus players going directly to GCL. Imagine a couple of the older signees might do that as well. Plus the Aussies probably start there as well for language reasons. DSL White gets more of the high bonus prospects than DSL Red, though quality of the teams will probably depend more on older players most likely and I am guessing they are fairly balanced (though they could easily load up on one in the season if they wanted one to make the playoffs).

[allentown]

I think the second GCL team changes this and that all of these guys, with the exception of one catcher, should be in the GCL. The Phillies can then play AF's numbers game with low-bonus guys (including the over-17 year olds with whom we've had a fair amount of success) with our two DR summer-league teams). I want all 3 of these catchers to be the lead catcher on their team, hence one has to go to DRSL.

[andyb]

Gutierrez really does not count since he is a year older and has already played in the U.S. I assume he'll be one of the GCL regular catchers with Rafael Marchan and Lenin Rodriguez along with a lower round draft catcher comprising the Williamsport duo. The hope is that Gutierrez would push for Williamsport though the second GCL team makes that less necessary.

Of course a Bart pick Monday would re-order the GCL catching priorities a bit too.

[julio]

C Cesar Rodriguez - $500K - DSL White (only 5'10", 160 BTW)

He wouldn't be the first 5'10" catcher who made a name for himself with the Phillies.

[andyb]

I know. Was just remarking that our expensive catcher that we signed is pretty small. BA article had him at 5'9", 175. Bat first catcher at the moment supposedly. Signing Gutierrez probably pushed him down to DSL and he has lots of physical development in front of him anyway.

[Squire]

Getting way ahead of myself but I'd go

Lakewood 3B - Alec Bohm
Williamsport 3B - Jake Holmes
GCL1 3B - DJ Stewart
GCL2 3B - Kendall Simmons

[bigegypt0417]

His name is escaping me but where is that pitcher we had to draft after we thought we signed him during the international period?

[Squire]

Jhordany Mezquita! I don't know. He earned a promotion to Williamsport on merit based on last season's stats. But we also just drafted 3 college starters in the first 12 rounds (Eastman, Perkins, MacArthur) and we have 2 GCL teams so I'm not certain.

[andyb]

There will definitely be some players that get assigned to the second GCL team that in previous years would have gotten a Williamsport promotion. Mezquita was good enough last year that hopefully he IS in Williamsport. Of course I expect the GCL teams to be a bit older this time and college juniors who are still 21 might get pushed down there in some cases.

[Squire]

Hmmm....Williamsport season starts Friday so I'll do some more speculating:

1B Greg Pickett
2B Brayan Gonzalez
SS Jonathan Guzman
3B Alec Bohm
LF Ben Pelletier
CF Matt Vierling
RF Luke Miller
C Jesse Wilkening
DH: Seth Lancaster

[phillychuck]

That looks pretty good, Squire. Do you think Bohm, etc. are signed in time to start the season?

[andyb]

Francisco Morales starts opening day - but for which team?

[andyb]

Bohm is likely signed already given the tweet a couple of days ago. Pending physical of course but assume he has already been in Clearwater several days and will head up to Williamsport shortly. Unless they are thinking Lakewood though I would say it would not be the worst thing for him to do a couple of weeks in Williamsport first. SAL All Star break is also the 18th-20th.

[Squire]

My guess is that Bohm has been in Philly exclusively. Announcing tomorrow afternoon before game with a press conference and then BP with the team. Some time in the booth with our knucklehead announcers and then meets the rest of the Crosscutters in Williamsport on Wednesday