March 2024 Phillies Minor League Transactions

[julio]

3/4:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Yael Arias to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LHP Zuher Yousuf to a minor league contract.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Edwin Castillo to a minor league contract.
LHP Zuher Yousuf assigned to DSL Phillies Red.
RHP Yael Arias assigned to DSL Phillies White.
RHP Edwin Castillo assigned to DSL Phillies White.

3/9:
FCL Phillies released RHP Ty Collins.
FCL Phillies released RHP Daniel Mejia.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws released SS Wilfredo Flores.

3/11:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Michael Mercado to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/12:
Jersey Shore BlueClaws released RHP Malik Binns.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws released SS Freylin Minyety.
Clearwater Threshers released RHP Eduar Segovia.
FCL Phillies released C Jose Colmenarez.

3/13:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Darling Reyes to a minor league contract.
RHP Darling Reyes assigned to DSL Phillies White.

3/14:
1B Bryce Ball assigned to Reading Fightin Phils from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/16:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LF Jordan Luplow to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
LF Jordan Luplow assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/17:
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Efrain Contreras to a minor league contract.

3/19:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Max Castillo to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned 1B Darick Hall to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned LHP Kolby Allard to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned SS Rodolfo Castro to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/20:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Nick Nelson to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies traded RHP Jason Ruffcorn to Seattle Mariners for cash.
Philadelphia Phillies traded RHP Ezequiel Ventura to Minnesota Twins for cash.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs placed RHP Nick Snyder on the 60-day injured list.
Reading Fightin Phils released 3B Jacob Gonzalez.
Reading Fightin Phils placed RHP Andrew Painter on the 60-day injured list.
Reading Fightin Phils placed RHP Dominic Pipkin on the 60-day injured list.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws released C Anthony Quirion.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws released OF Jared Carr.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed LHP Jordan Fowler on the 60-day injured list.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed LHP Erubiel Armenta on the 60-day injured list.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed RHP Wen Hui Pan on the 60-day injured list.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed RHP Alex Garbrick on the 60-day injured list.
Clearwater Threshers placed RHP Alex McFarlane on the 60-day injured list.
Clearwater Threshers placed RHP Giussepe Velasquez on the 60-day injured list.
FCL Phillies released OF Santiago Torres.

3/22:
RHP Marty Gair assigned to Clearwater Threshers from FCL Phillies.
Philadelphia Phillies optioned 3B Weston Wilson to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
3B Jim Haley assigned to Reading Fightin Phils.

3/23:
Philadelphia Phillies released RHP Brett Schulze.
Reading Fightin Phils released 1B Rixon Wingrove.
Philadelphia Phillies released RHP Cam Wynne.

3/24:
Philadelphia Phillies optioned 2B Kody Clemens to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Zac Houston to Philadelphia Phillies for cash.
RHP Zac Houston assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
DSL Phillies White released OF Dariam Gutierrez.

3/26:
Reading Fightin Phils released C Herbert Iser.
Reading Fightin Phils released SS Pedro Martinez.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws released 1B Cole Moore.
FCL Phillies released C Gustavo Sosa.
DSL Phillies Red released RHP Jendry Charles.
DSL Phillies Red released RHP Juan Melendez.
DSL Phillies Red released RHP Angel Ferreras.
DSL Phillies Red released OF Neify Rosario.
DSL Phillies Red released RHP Ramon Reyes.

3/27:
FCL Phillies released OF Gavin Tonkel.
FCL Phillies released CF Yhoswar Garcia.

3/28:
C Luis Caicuto assigned to Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent C José Godoy to a minor league contract.

3/29:
C José Godoy assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred C Cody Roberts to the Development List.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred RHP Noah Skirrow to the Development List.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred 3B Esteban Quiroz to the Development List.
RHP Ricardo Pinto assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/30:
Philadelphia Phillies sent RHP Orion Kerkering on a rehab assignment to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

3/31:
Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Nick Nelson from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

[andyb]

Segovia is the one release there of someone who was considered a prospect several years ago before injury. The offseason minor league limits are 10 players more than the in-season limits (though 60-day IL moves can mitigate most of that).

[Squire]

Phillies traded RHP Jason Ruffcorn to the Mariners

https://twitter.com/milb_central/status/1770285069921390852

[gmwannabe]

For???

[Squire]

I'll be surprised if its anything other than cash.

[zambonir]

First Mark Leiter Jr. now Jason Ruffcorn, you hate to see the children of legends leave.

[andyb]

Guessing this trade is related to organizational numbers more than anything. Remember we have gone from 190 in the last offseason to 180 last season to 175 this offseason and must get down to 165 when the season starts. Just little room for marginal prospects after 2-3 years if they don't have high end stuff.

I currently have the Phillies at 177 minor leaguers with two signings somehow not official in the log, possibly up to the player limit of injuries, and like 4-9 demotions from the mlb roster depending on IL assignments. Soo that is like 8-12 more cuts to get to 165.

— Matt Winkelman ( @Matt_Winkelman ) March 20, 2024

[Matt_Winkelman]

It is absolutely this, and I have been told to expect some more of these in the coming week. They will all likely be for cash considerations (typically $1) and it is the team trying to do the player a solid and find them a home in another organization that wants them rather than releasing them outright.

It is possible the Phillies pick up a player this way if someone is going to get released that a scout or analytics team likes or is at a position of org need (like Jersey Shore needing another backup infielder or long reliever).

The whole situation sucks immensely.

[julio]

Yep, it sucks…because even if the Phils are successful at placing players, rather than releasing, somewhere across the game, players will be released, for no reason other than the domestic roster limits.

Maybe (a big maybe) one result might be a resurgence of independent leagues and teams, with independent rosters, that are actually focused on winning and entertainment in smaller cities. We can hope so.

[andyb]

Maybe (a big maybe) one result might be a resurgence of independent leagues and teams, with independent rosters, that are actually focused on winning and entertainment in smaller cities.

I hope for resurgent independent leagues too, though remember the player that gets released loses access to MLB development tools. They can pay themselves for Driveline-like access, but there is probably no independent substitute for players without means.

Independent leagues will certainly grow and hopefully thrive, but are they more a low paid career extension for marginal prospects than a development tool to help them become better prospects?

[zambonir]

I guess I feel like it can be true that MLB is only doing this to save $, but it can also be true that the larger system roster had little actual developmental value. And some of that money had been reallocated to the remaining players thanks to the new CBA (even if it's still not enough relative to what teams could really afford. Even the cheap ones).

It's potentially devastating for international players of course. For Americans the "low-paid career extension" is more of a choice/privilege (instead of going back to college or using the degree they already have or pursuing non-degreed careers that are still more lucrative).

What do the four "MLB Partner Leagues" actually provide to their players?

[Austinfan]

Colmanarez received a $350K bonus.

[andyb]

Yes but he never really did anything in the minors to hint that he was a prospect. Think of him as something like a 6th round pick in the regular draft that failed (that is where the bonus would slot). Segovia was really good his first couple of years and throwing in the upper 90s. Then COVID and TJ surgery hit and he was never really a prospect again. Matt had him ranked at 24th on his 2021 list.

[julio]

I hope for resurgent independent leagues too, though remember the player that gets released loses access to MLB development tools. They can pay themselves for Driveline-like access, but there is probably no independent substitute for players without means.

Independent leagues will certainly grow and hopefully thrive, but are they more a low paid career extension for marginal prospects than a development tool to help them become better prospects?

I wonder how the contraction of minor leagues, and the implications that has for minor league opportunities, will affect the decisions made by kids coming out of high school; e.g., will those of them who actually weigh their various opportunities be more likely to opt for college, rather than signing out of high school?

[Matt_Winkelman]

Wasn't TJ, I don't know what the exact injury was but he threw a pitch and his arm popped out of his shoulder violently during the pitch. Probably the worst pitcher injury I have ever seen.

Yeah Colmenarez got a decent bonus, it was also the July 2, 2019 signing class which was extremely cursed with inability to play, but year that is like a 5th to 10th round pick type guy and if we are going to start counting each of them as a big loss then the number of failures piles up quickly.

More kids are going to opt for college not just because of minor league contraction (also there is now no complex league after the draft), but with the draft now only 20 rounds there is less opportunity unless you are a top 5 round type talent.

[andyb]

Guessing more kids will opt for college. They really need significant bonuses to make it worth it. The Ben Brown $60,000 signing just won't happen again because teams will not want to carry a 5-year project in their domestic system who only has projectable rather than current tools. A Logan O'Hoppe $230K signing will also be less likely in the future though that bonus will still be high enough to lure some kids.

Now Brown can go to college, hopefully get a half decent scholarship and a little NIL money to make that path better.

[andyb]

Wasn't TJ, I don't know what the exact injury was but he threw a pitch and his arm popped out of his shoulder violently during the pitch. Probably the worst pitcher injury I have ever seen.

I just saw that in a Fangraphs article which put him in a TJ rehab group. Shoulder injuries of course are worse, especially with regards to velocity.

[zambonir]

Yeah I would think the combination of NIL and the changes to MLB will put a lot more kids in college. NIL more so than scholarships since there's still only 11.7 of those in NCAA (split among 27 players). Not sure anyone ever picks college over MLB because of the free ride per se.

[andyb]

Not sure anyone ever picks college over MLB because of the free ride per se.

The NIL will change that somewhat. At least for the revenue producing high major schools (mostly SEC and a little ACC/West Coast). Some discussion here:

How are NIL, transfer portal affecting college baseball? The Athletic’s coaches...

Imagine we will see the top schools routinely paying $100K-$300K for the top players on their roster. Maybe get a team sponsor to get everyone $25K. At that level there will be players who do not need full rides or could simply use NIL money to pay the rest of their tuition instead of some work study job. I could also see money to play in top summer leagues like the Cape. No idea how NIL money would work there, but imagine there might be sponsors willing to do that.

[julio]

What we don't know yet is what the impact of the Dartmouth unionization and definition of athletes as "employees" will be on college athletics.