January-March 2018 Minor League Transactions

[julio]

Here we go...

1/3:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Pedro Beato to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
RHP Pedro Beato assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent CF Pedro Florimon to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
CF Pedro Florimon assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent C Eric Fryer to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
C Eric Fryer assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Steve Geltz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
RHP Steve Geltz assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent C Matt McBride to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
C Matt McBride assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent 3B Heiker Meneses to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
3B Heiker Meneses assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent 3B Will Middlebrooks to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
3B Will Middlebrooks assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent OF Danny Ortiz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
OF Danny Ortiz assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies invited non-roster C Logan Moore to spring training.
Philadelphia Phillies invited non-roster 3B Mitch Walding to spring training.

1/8:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent IF Austin O'Brien to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Kyle Glogoski to a minor league contract.

1/10:
IF Austin O'Brien assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws.

1/18:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent OF Johan Rojas to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent OF Rafael Franco to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Engel Estevez to a minor league contract.

1/19:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Rafi Gonell to a minor league contract.

1/20:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Hernando Mejia to a minor league contract.

1/22:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Jordi Martinez to a minor league contract.

1/23:
Reading Fightin Phils released 2B Derek Campbell.
Clearwater Threshers released RF Carlos Duran.

1/28:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
RHP Francisco Rodriguez assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

1/31:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent SS Ellian Rondon to a minor league contract.

2/1:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent SS Adam Rosales to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
SS Adam Rosales assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent 1B Joey Meneses to a minor league contract.

2/2:
Philadelphia Phillies signed OF Adron Chambers to a minor league contract.

2/7:
C Kipp Moore retired.

2/8:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent 2B Ryan Flaherty to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
2B Ryan Flaherty assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

2/9:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent CF Collin Cowgill to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Josh Tols to a minor league contract.

2/10:
Lehigh Valley IronPigs placed RHP Steve Geltz on the restricted list.
LHP Josh Tols assigned to Reading Fightin Phils.

2/12:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent OF Adron Chambers to a minor league contract.

2/13:
C Nick Rickles assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

2/14:
C Eric Fryer retired.

2/15:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Drew Hutchison to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
RHP Drew Hutchison assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
CF Collin Cowgill assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

2/17:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Fernando Abad to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
LHP Fernando Abad assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

2/19:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Maikel Garrido to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent C Edward Barboza to a minor league contract.

3/5:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Drew Anderson to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/7:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Manuel Urias to a minor league contract.

3/9:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Jose Taveras to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RF Dylan Cozens to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Franklyn Kilome to Reading Fightin Phils.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned 2B Eliezer Alvarez to Reading Fightin Phils.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned LHP Ranger Suarez to Clearwater Threshers.

3/10:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Ricardo Pinto to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/13:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Tim Berry to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Seranthony Dominguez to Reading Fightin Phils.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent C Arturo De Freitas to a minor league contract.

3/14:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent OF Jose Cedeno to a minor league contract.

3/15:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Edinso Aleman to a minor league contract.

3/16:
Philadelphia Phillies selected the contract of Pedro Florimon from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies designated 2B Eliezer Alvarez for assignment.

3/17:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Yacksel Rios to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/25:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned 2B Jesmuel Valentin to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies selected the contract of RHP Drew Hutchison from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies selected the contract of 2B Scott Kingery from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/26:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned LHP Zac Curtis to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Zach Eflin to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned CF Roman Quinn to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/27:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent SS Alexi Amarista to a minor league contract.
SS Alexi Amarista assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/29:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Jake Arrieta to Clearwater Threshers.
LHP Ranger Suarez assigned to Reading Fightin Phils from Clearwater Threshers.

3/30:
To Philadelphia:
Philadelphia Phillies recalled Yacksel Rios from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

To Lehigh Valley:
SS Dean Anna assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Austin Davis assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
Brandon Leibrandt assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
Cole Irvin assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
RHP Enyel De Los Santos assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Tom Eshelman assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
Tom Windle assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.
Ranfi Casimiro assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.

To Lakewood:
Jhailyn Ortiz assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Simon Muzziotti assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from GCL Phillies East.
Jake Scheiner assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Nick Maton assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Will Stewart assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Luis Ramirez assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Damon Jones assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Julian Garcia assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Kyle Dohy assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Randy Alcantara assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Rodolfo Duran assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Malvin Matos assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Cole Stobbe assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Connor Brogdon assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Spencer Howard assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
David Parkinson assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Ramon Rosso assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Zach Warren assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.
Dalton Guthrie assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from GCL Phillies East.
Quincy Nieporte assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from GCL Phillies East.
Josh Stephen assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws from Williamsport Crosscutters.

3/31:
Tyler Viza assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Reading Fightin Phils.

[julio]

Couple of transactions appeared in the past couple of days:

1/8:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent IF Austin O'Brien to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Kyle Glogoski to a minor league contract.

1/10:
IF Austin O'Brien assigned to Lakewood BlueClaws.

The Glogoski signing (New Zealander) we knew about (see the July 2017 International Signings thread).

The O'Brien one was new to me: 23-year-old first baseman out of Oklahoma, apparently an undrafted free agent. O'Brien was the Sooners' regular first baseman; suffered a serious injury in a collision in March 2017 (torn ulnar collateral ligament in his non-throwing arm). Came back a month later, but much less effective with the bat. He played independent ball last summer with the Lake Erie Crushers (where he put up an OPS of .803 in 125 plate appearances).

O'Brien's Page at SoonerSports

Crushers 2017 Stats

[julio]

Two additional releases posted today - dated 1/23:

Reading Fightin Phils released 2B Derek Campbell.
Clearwater Threshers released RF Carlos Duran.

I also added the international signings from 1/18 thru 1/22 to the list above.

[andyb]

Not sure if he got a Spring Training invite, but we signed another 30-year-old OF to the LHV roster a couple of days ago in Adron Chambers. Cut of coffee a few years ago. Indy ball recently.

Adron Chambers Minor, Fall, Winter & Independent Leagues Statistics & History |...

[julio]

Not sure if he got a Spring Training invite, but we signed another 30-year-old OF to the LHV roster a couple of days ago in Adron Chambers. Cup of coffee a few years ago. Indy ball recently.

Chambers is reported by Baseball America as having signed on February 2nd; he doesn't yet show up in the transactions pages on mlb.com or milb.com, nor on any Phils organizational roster; they still show him as a minor-league free agent.

This is a commentary on the maintenance of the mlb.com/milb.com web sites. Matt Eddy's transactions information at BA comes from MLB; that he's reporting a February 2nd signing (on his blog post dated today, February 12th)...and the mlb.com/milb.com sites still don't have the information...tells you pretty much all you need to know about the priority given to those transactions pages by MLBAM.

I'll update the listing at the top of this thread when (if?) milb.com actually puts the information up. It could well not happen until AAA Opening Day.

[Philsmania]

Perhaps I missed something in one of the above posts, but what is the roster status of Mark Appel? Likely placed on the restricted list or "voluntarily retired list"? If I am correct, the Phillies hold his rights through 2018 after which he becomes a sixth year free agent.

[julio]

Perhaps I missed something in one of the above posts, but what is the roster status of Mark Appel? Likely placed on the restricted list or "voluntarily retired list"? If I am correct, the Phillies hold his rights through 2018 after which he becomes a sixth year free agent.

milb.com still shows Appel as on the Lehigh Valley roster, and lists hims as "Active."

Yes, this is wrong. But they've never updated it (I'm shocked! Shocked, I say!).

He will presumably be moved to the Voluntarily Retired list at some point. The Phils retain his rights, should he choose to come out of retirement.

It's not possible to say definitively when he would qualify as a minor-league free agent. The standard player contract binds a player until he has performed in "seven championship seasons" (please don't ask why it's referred to as "6-year minor league free agency"); Appel has played in five professional seasons in organized baseball - so the Phils presumably retain rights until Appel has appeared in two more seasons at some level.

On the other hand, if Appel wants to come back in a year or two (or go play in the Far East or something), he could just ask the Phils to release him - and given his age and situation, they just might agree.

[julio]

The transactions for today list the following:

3B Luke Williams roster status changed by Philadelphia Phillies.

This is in addition a long list of kids who were "called up" for the split squad games today.

Anybody have any insight as to what "roster status change" may have occurred with regard to Luke Williams?

[julio]

Philadelphia Phillies (Phillies)

[allentown]

29-year old major leaguer who never Ihit in ML. I guess an injury reserve who can be held at AAA, with the ability to play multiple positions and whom one might hope can put up a .600 OPS in MLB.

[andyb]

According to Jim at PhuturePhillies the minor league releases have started. 6 so far with only one verified and that is Luis Encarnacion. Not a big surprise. And by no means does this mean we should shy away from more expensive signings as guys like Jhailyn Ortiz and Francisco Morales are proving.

Spring Training at the Complex, Mar. 26, 2018

[andyb]

Both Encarnacion and Shane Watson releases mentioned here:

Full Count: Positional flexibility will define Phillies,...

[julio]

Matt Eddy reports four releases, in the period of March 16-22:

RHP Ryan Etsell
HP Fernando Abad
1B Luis Encarnacion
2B Ryan Flaherty

Presumably, the Watson release occurred after that.

Given that the minor league transaction pages at MLBAM are so badly maintained, we probably won't see of list of additional releases until Matt's next posting at BA - He typically gets these up early in the week (the March 16-22 one was posted yesterday afternoon).

MLBAM will probably add a lot of releases to their database when they update rosters - for full-season clubs, that should be next week? They've been less reliable this spring than in the past (staffing issues?), though, so who knows? For example, they're currently showing Encarnacion as "Active" on the Crosscutters' roster.

[phillychuck]

I posted about the Encarnacion release in the Minor League ST thread. Not a good signing for a $1M bonus (hope he invested wisely). I'm surprised about Watson, his game reports this spring had been good. Another high expectation asset that did not pan out. We were really bad in the minors for quite a while in terms of identifying the high drafty choices and high bonus internationals that could actually play.

[allentown]

We were really bad in the minors for quite a while in terms of identifying the high drafty choices and high bonus internationals that could actually play.

Watson is forgivable; injury played a big role in derailing his career. Encarnacion was a scouting error, although you are going to have misses regardless of how good your scouts are. Not quite an LGJ-size scouting flub, but close. If you are taking chances on 16- and 18-year olds, there will be errors, maybe not even mistakes, but choices that just don't work out.

[julio]

Spotrac is reporting that the Phillies have acquired 2B Dean Anna from the White Sox, for cash considerations.

Anna's 31, and hasn't been in the majors since 2015. I have to figure this is minor-league roster filler.

Dean Anna Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[baseballoldie]

Per Baseball America - Released: RHP Francisco Rodriguez | RHP Jake Kelzer | RHP Parker Frazier | RHP Shane Watson | LHP Casey Brown | LHP Jhon Nunez | 2B Gunnar Buhner | SS Adam Rosales | OF David Martinelli

[julio]

Per Baseball America - Released: RHP Francisco Rodriguez | RHP Jake Kelzer | RHP Parker Frazier | RHP Shane Watson | LHP Casey Brown | LHP Jhon Nunez | 2B Gunnar Buhner | SS Adam Rosales | OF David Martinelli

Thanks. None of these late-March releases has, as yet, been posted on milb.com transactions pages. When they are added, I'll update the top post here.

[Austinfan]

David Martinelli

David Martinelli - 6th rd 2016, hate when these guys can't last more than 2 years.

[phillychuck]

The Martinelli release puzzles me a bit. He had a monster month in Lakewood (June-968 OPS which is like 1150 in Lakewood given how lousy a park it is for hitters), but he was sub-600 OPS the rest of the year. I would have slotted him in somewhere, even in Williamsport if need be, to see what happened--that's a really, really strange month...the Phils, however, know the players better than we do, and maybe there is something about Martinelli's makeup or approach they don't like.