Minor League Spring Training 2018: 3/14-->Games have begun

[phillychuck]

Not always. Usually noon but in some cases they start an hour or two earlier to dodge weather or facilitate commuting in the ridiculous Florida traffic. Call the Phillies and they will tell you, or tweet Jim Peyton.

[Squire]

Thanks. It looks like the schedule says 1pm on Thursday. I will try to get to the Yankees complex for the younger guys. May have to hang at the airport to make sure my family can get back to Philly

[Squire]

FYI...:I made it

[phillychuck]

Woo hoo!! Get us a report!

BTW, Tuesday the minor leagues played intersquad in the morning to avoid the predicted rain, and Wednesday, I believe, was a scheduled camp-day.

[Squire]

Group 3 lineup today was a 10 person double DH

CF Simon Muzziotti
SS Dalton Guthrie
RF Jhailyn Ortiz
DH Quincy Nieporte
DH Jose Pujols
C Edgar Cabral
1B Greg Pickett
3B Jake Scheiner
LF David Martinelli
2B Grenny Cumana

RHP Adonis Medina started. Yankees starter was a left handed kid maybe 5’10 who was dominating the first time through. Struck out 6 of first 9. Working on a the group 4 lineup now

[phillychuck]

That's a good group 3 lineup--sorry to see they were dominated the first time around the order.

[Squire]

Group 4 Lineup also a Doubld DH

CF Kevin Markham
RF Malvin Matos
DH Yahir Gurola
DH Danny Mayer
3B Cole Stobbe
SS Jonathan Guzman
C Rodolfo Duran
LF Josh Stephen
2B Brian Mims
1B Jesus Henriquez

Duran is 2-2 with a triple, double. Group 4 up 3-1. Group 3 down by the same score. Medina was good but gave up 3. They all may have been unearned as cumana booted 2 balls and Muzziotti dropped one

[Squire]

Random observations from my untrained eye.

Muzzioti looks like a player. Lefthanded and a little Tocci like but with a better frame. I think he is definitely starting at Lakewood.

Jhailyn Ortiz struck out his first two ABs and then put a charge into one to dead center for a fly out. Would have been a homer on normal conditions but the wind was blowing in hard.

I think Guthrie, Pickett and Scheiner are going to be solid Low A players this year.

TJ Warren got lit up for 5 runs in 1IP in the Low A game.

Medina looks like a future big league starter to me. Still pretty wiry but I didn't get any gun readings on him.

The Yankees Group 3 starter was LHP JP Sears and I got to tell you, he was bringing it. 6Ks the first time around.

I didn't position myself to see the start of the Low A game but Damon Jones, TJ Warren and Connor Brogdon were in the game at some point.

I think Malvin Matos has a chance to really step forward this year.

[Squire]

At the group 2 game yesterday Haseley homered. I’m heartened by his spring quite a bit. Romero also apparently struck out 5 in 4 innings

[phillychuck]

Reports from the games yesterday (Thursday) from Greg G. (edited; my italics added):

AAA game (5–5 tie)
Ranfi Casimiro allowed three runs in 2.1 innings of work. Shane Watson threw a scoreless inning.
3B Mitch Walding had a double and two walks in three plate appearances. LF Zack Copola went 1–3 and scored a run. Not sure what I think of the AAA club this year--I'll see them a lot, but there aren't really any position-player prospects to get super-excited about. I'll have to concentrate on Cozens and Walding I guess.

AA game (8–6 win)
JoJo Romero started and gave up one run over four innings with six strikeouts against no walks. Tyler Gilbert threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
DH Adam Haseley hit a home run in going 2–4.
C Deivi Grullon (2–2), 1B Darick Hall (2–4) and RF Jan Hernandez (2–3) had two hits with Hernandez adding a stolen base.
LF Cornelius Randolph was 0–2 but drew two walks. I'm also encouraged by Haseley, and Hall as well. I'd like to see Randolph get a few more hits.

Hi-A game (3–2 loss)
Adonis Medina started and gave up one earned run over 3.2 innings and added seven strikeouts against two walks. Gustavo Armas and Will Hibbs each threw two scoreless innings in relief, with Hibbs striking out four.
The following players all had one hit: CF Simon Muzziotti, SS Dalton Guthrie, RF Jose Pujols, C Edgar Cabral, 3B Jake Scheiner, C Colby Fitch, SS Jose Antequera, and LF Jesus Alastre. Muzziotti’s hit was a double. Pitching was good once again at this level (probably mostly Lakewood-bound).

Lo-A game (7–5 loss)
Damon Jones started and gave up one run over three innings with six strikeouts. Jones, from Washington State University, worked exclusively out of the bullpen last year.
Connor Brogdon struck out five over 2.1 scoreless innings in relief.
C Rodolfo Duran was 2–2 with two doubles. LF Danny Mayer, 3B Cole Stobbe, LF Josh Stephen had hits. I'll note that Stephen continues to hit.

[allentown]

Not sure what I think of the AAA club this year--I'll see them a lot, but there aren't really any position-player prospects to get super-excited about. I'll have to concentrate on Cozens and Walding I guess.

Come to Allentown early enough in the season to catch Kingery (and Rupp and the #6//7 SPs in waiting). Depending upon what the Phillies bench looks like, you could very well see Quinn in Allentown, at least early in the season. I will be closely watching Cozens.

[phillychuck]

I'm expecting Kingery to be gone well before I get to games. Do you think they will really option Rupp? I'm expecting a trade. It would be better for Rupp, even if they trade him straight up for a lower level B-prospect.

Watching the pitching will be fun, but there is a real dearth of position player prospects. I think I'd rather see the organizational guys (Tomscha, Coppola, Stankiewitz, etc.) than the AAAA retreads, but who knows? I'll watch Pullin, too.

[julio]

Philadelphia Phillies (Phillies)

[andyb]

Might only need to clear one roster spot for a pitcher now. Bench could be completely 40-man with at least 2 of 3 from Valentin, Quinn, and Florimon. And if they deal/waive Rupp they would not have to expose any pitchers at this point potentially.

[zambonir]

I still don't see how you go with only two catchers on the 40. I mean sure, you can always add someone, but you have more control if you do it now than if you have to do it because one of your catchers got hurt.

If they can get something for Rupp they can always bring in a vet, maybe even a defensive upgrade. But if not, I would think you want to keep him. What if Knapp struggles or Alfaro gets hurt? Rupp could still be of use.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Arrieta's first start too. Will they let him pitch 2-4 innings or just skip him one time, and either way, will it require an extra pitcher initially?

[fish]

I still don't see how you go with only two catchers on the 40. I mean sure, you can always add someone, but you have more control if you do it now than if you have to do it because one of your catchers got hurt.

If they can get something for Rupp they can always bring in a vet, maybe even a defensive upgrade. But if not, I would think you want to keep him. What if Knapp struggles or Alfaro gets hurt? Rupp could still be of use.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Arrieta's first start too. Will they let him pitch 2-4 innings or just skip him one time, and either way, will it require an extra pitcher initially?

I don't see Rupp as a guy who would go to AAA without making a stink about it- not talking necessarily like its an attitude problem, just that he hasn't been down to the minors for a while now. I'm positive there has to be someone who would give him a big league role, and if i were him i'd bet on that too and ask to be traded if the Phils try to send him down. I know they don't have to oblige, but it seems like a respectful thing to do for a guy that doesn't seem to be 'their kind of player' anyway. Logan Moore seems like a fine option to have in waiting as emergency backup and wait to you need the 40 man spot for a third catcher to make that move.

[zambonir]

I don't want them to trade him for nothing though, and interest obviously is low. If a team really needs a back-up catcher and likes Rupp for the role, that is worth something. If such a team doesn't exist, he's better off in AAA making $2 million this year than getting released (he'd get 45 days pay from the Phillies and presumably only major league minimum, which would also reset his arbitration figure for next year).

Is there a team that would claim him and pay him his full salary? I truly don't know. It's not that much but it's not nothing either. Nothing stopping a team from claiming him and sending him down either (as is also true with Joseph).

Presumably the Phillies already know what they're going to do.

[phillychuck]

Early reports from the group 3, 4, and 5 games vs. the Pirates on Friday (courtesy of Jim Peyton, phuturephillies):

Group 3: Falter started and gave up 1 run in 4 IP with 5 Ks. Ortiz hit a 2-run double and a long HR.

Group 4: Parkinson pitched effectively and Stephen hit a 3-run HR.

Group 5: Ethan Lindow pitched effectively. Most of these guys are headed to extended spring.

Ortiz HR:

Check the leg kick on that dude...and the sound of the ball off his bat.

Ortiz double to deep CF:

Bonus: Muzziotti RBI single:

[Austinfan]

Ortiz is my breakout candidate this year, he's 19, two years in the states under his belt, played against older players last year and held his own (if you call a .961 OPS against 20-23 year olds holding your own).
This is the season where I think he starts to dominate.

[allentown]

I think his is likelier to dominate at CLW than at Lakewood. Lakewood may frustrate him. I'd just leapfrog him to CLW.