Wednesday, January 17, 2018
PHILLIES ANNOUNCE INTERNAL SPRING TRAINING NON-ROSTER INVITEES
The Phillies have invited the following eight players to attend major league spring training as non-roster invitees:
Edgar Cabral, C – A 2017 South Atlantic League midseason All-Star, Cabral, 22, split last season between single-A Lakewood and single-A Clearwater and combined to hit .260 with a .332 OBP in 91 games. Selected in the 11th round of the 2015 draft out of Mt. San Antonio College, Cabral played for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .298 with a .353 OBP.
Enyel De Los Santos, RHP – Acquired from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Freddy Galvis on December 15, 2017, De Los Santos made 26 appearances (24 starts) in 2017 for double-A San Antonio and went 10-6 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .237 average. In a start on April 14 this past season versus Northwest Arkansas, De Los Santos required only 64 pitches to toss 6.0 perfect innings with seven strikeouts. He is currently ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the Phillies minor league system according to MLB.com.
Tom Eshelman, RHP – A 2017 Paul Owens Award winner, given annually to the best pitcher in the Phillies minor league system, Eshelman made 23 starts last season for double-A Reading and triple-A Lehigh Valley. He logged 150.0 innings between the two levels and posted a 2.40 ERA with 102 strikeouts to just 18 walks. Originally selected in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Houston Astros, Eshelman was acquired in the Ken Giles trade on December 12, 2015.
JD Hammer, RHP – Acquired from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Pat Neshek on July 26, 2017, Hammer appeared in a total of 48 games last season and posted a 1.87 ERA and 5.31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 57.2 innings. Following the season, Hammer, 23, pitched for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League and was named an AFL Rising Star after posting a 0.66 ERA in 10 relief appearances.
Cole Irvin, LHP – A fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft out of the University of Oregon, Irvin split last season between Clearwater and Reading, appearing in 25 games (24 starts) and posting a 3.39 ERA. Selected as a 2017 Florida State League midseason All-Star, Irvin, 23, posted a 1.83 ERA in 11 starts with Clearwater.
Scott Kingery, INF – A 2017 Paul Owens Award winner and the third-best prospect in the Phillies minor league system according to MLB.com, Kingery will attend major league spring training for the second consecutive year. Last season, the 23-year-old hit .304 with a .359 OBP and .530 SLG in 132 combined games between Reading and Lehigh Valley. He also represented the Phillies in the 2017 Futures Game at Marlins Park in Miami. Last spring, Kingery posted a 1.019 OPS in 10 games for the Phillies before being reassigned to minor league camp on March 12.
Brandon Leibrandt, LHP – A 6-foot-4 left-hander, Leibrandt made 25 combined starts in 2017 for Reading and Lehigh Valley and went 11-5 with a 3.62 ERA. The son of former major league pitcher Charlie Leibrandt, he has posted a 3.09 ERA in 66 minor league games (63 starts). The 25-year-old was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft out of Florida State University.
Andrew Pullin, OF – Selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, Pullin was tied for second among all minor league players last season in doubles (43) and was tied for fifth in extra-base hits (66). He appeared in a total of 134 games between Reading and Lehigh Valley in 2017 and combined to hit .272 with a .327 OBP and .488 SLG. 2018 marks his second consecutive major league spring training invite.
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Press Releases provided courtesy of the Phillies, Media Relations. Thanks, guys!
