Phillies 2018 Minor League Placement/Rosters Speculation

[Squire]

My Clearwater Threshers:

1B Darick Hall
2B Daniel Brito
SS Arquimedes Gamboa
3B Luke Williams (no better option, make or break)
OF Jose Pujols (make or break)
OF Adam Haseley
OF David Martinelli (make or break)
C Edgar Cabral
DH Jesus Alastre

Rotation
RHP Adonis Medina
LHP Ranger Suarez
RHP Spencer Howard
LHP Bailey Falter
RHP Sixto Sanchez
LHP Nick Fanti

Key Reserves:
INF Jose Antequera
C Henri Lartigue
INF/OF Austin Listi
OF Emmanuel Garcia

[phillychuck]

Waiting for Lakewood, Squire--who ya gonna jump?

[allentown]

OF Jose Pujols (make or break)
OF Adam Haseley
OF David Martinelli (make or break)

I'd put Ortiz at CLW. Why get him out of the HR habit at Lakewood?

[nycphils]

No way is Drew Anderson back at Reading - will be at LHV (or even the MLB or traded)

[Squire]

My Lakewood

1B Greg Pickett
2B Jake Scheiner
SS Dalton Guthrie
3B Cole Stobbe
OF Josh Stephen
OF McKenzie Moniak
OF Jhailyn Ortiz
C Colby Fitch
DH Malvin Matos

Rotation
Connor Seabold
Kyle Young
David Parkinson
Julian Garcia
Will Stewart
Ramon Rosso

Key Reserves:
INF Nick Maton
INF jack Zoellner
C Rodolfo Duran
OF Yahir Gurola
DH Luis Encarnacion

[andyb]

One step at a time for Ortiz for me. The Phillies know everyone's HR stats are down at Lakewood. Ortiz is still very raw and should not skip a level. Midseason promotions can still be earned of course.

[phillychuck]

Which of the six LV starters Squire picked is Anderson bumping? The rotations are crowded at the top with lots of more than competent pitchers...

[andyb]

Which of the six LV starters Squire picked is Anderson bumping? The rotations are crowded at the top with lots of more than competent pitchers...

I think Anderson ends up at LHV most likely too. It is not necessarily who he is bumping. Among all the major league and AAA starters undoubtedly one or two will get hurt. Remember also that we expect to have a 13 person ML staff at times and seem poised to use the 10-day DL and options to shuttle arms back and forth. So a Thompson could easily end up being an inexpensive swing arm, spending half of his time on the major league roster pitching 2-3 inning outings and then being shuttled to LHV for 10 days of light use (and maybe a little time on the minor league inactive list as the team effectively expands all the minor league rosters a bit). I just assume any arm on the 40-man roster will have that option status used as much as possible.

[allentown]

If Anderson is fully healthy, I think he is regarded as a serious prospect and as such gets placed at the levelei best for his development, with lesser prospects down a level to accommodate him. I'd say Liebrandt for sure. Beyond that, if he is fully healthy, I believe Eflin starts the season in the Phillies rotation. Thompson also has a chance to make the Phillies out of ST.

[phillychuck]

I'm not concerned about LV and Reading record-wise, I'm concerned that lots of movement will lead to the healthy guys who aren't moving pitching too many innings.

I can see Liebrandt or Taveras being in Reading or in the bullpen I guess if Anderson earns AAA time. If Thompson or Eflin makes the Phils, somebody else won't, and that pitcher will take their rotation slot. And if the Phils actually sign a FA pitcher it pushes another starter down to LV. I'm glad I'm not the one handling player movement this year, though...

[Squire]

Williamsport Crosscutters Pre-Draft Lineup

1B Draft Pick
2B Brayan Gonzalez
SS Jonathan Guzman
3B Jake Holmes
OF Ben Pelletier
OF SImon Muzzioti
OF Draft Pick
C Lenin Rodriguez
DH Draft Pick

Rotation
Draft Pick
LHP Jhordany Mezquita
RHP Francisco Morales
LHP Ethan Lindow
LHP Manuel Silva
Draft Pick

Key Reserves
Draft Pick Catcher
Keudy Bocio INF/OF

[fish]

I think Morales goes to Lakewood after a start in extended. Can’t wait to see if there will be another Latin pitcher to step up this year to be a top 10 type prospect in what has become an annual tradition!

The other thing I’m desperate to see is one of either Haseley, Howard, Moniak or Stobbe step up this year and become a ‘dude’. As it is, my stomach is a little queasy over the thought of what might not be.

[andyb]

I wonder if we will get the same level of promotion from GCL of younger players. This would be guys like Morales, maybe a Jake Holmes. With 2 GCL teams we should have the opportunity to get more regular playing time in GCL to players that repeat rather than forcing them up to Williamsport.

[Squire]

That's probably right. Likely also depends on how the draft breaks for us I would think.

[phillychuck]

I think the youngest GCL players who didn't particularly succeed might be more likely to repeat. Pelletier repeated last year, but played very little in the previous year. Most of the repeats might be international signees (who are generally younger). I think it will be great to be able to bring more international signees to the states earlier where they can get more consistent coaching and better nutrition than they often get in the complexes. I'm very interested in how the GCL and DSL play out this season in terms of who ends up where...

[phillychuck]

Quincy Nieporte is now 23, but has a lot of success in the GCL last season (as he should have). Might see some 1B/DH time in WMPT. Yahir Gurrola might stay in WMPT, at least to start the season--will probably depend on how he plays in extended. Kevin Meyer and Dany Markham are over-age GCL players from last year who might hold down the OF spots until draftees sign and are ready. I hope Bocio gets regular ABs--I think he's actually a prospect at some level.

Oscar Marcelino probably gets a WMPT rotation spot at some point in the season--he was better in GCL than he was in the DSL last year, and he's 20 years old (21 in June) so he's age appropriate.

[andyb]

Cross-posting this Baseball Betsy video:

2 things - First, Carlos De La Cruz (undrafted 6'8" HS OF from New York) may be the unknown prospect I am most intrigued about. He has apparently spent a lot of time at the complex this winter so the team seems to like him. Hopefully there is a GCL OF spot for him now that we have 2 teams.

Second, Moniak has been working out a bit from the video.

[Squire]

Yeah. Moniak looked solid. Hope it translates into performance. De La Cruz is friggin' ginormous

[Squire]

Lehigh Valley Taking Shape I think:

LF Andrew Pullin
CF Roman Quinn
RF Dylan Cozens
C Logan Moore
1B Mitch Walding
2B Jesmuel Valentin
SS Malquin Canelo (I think)
3B Heiker Meneses
DH Danny Ortiz

Rotation
Zach Eflin
Jose Tavares
Brandon Leibrandt
Drew Anderson
Tom Eshelman
Enyel De Los Santos

[gmwannabe]

not a bad 6 out of the first 7. shows how far this organization has evolved. they all have a chance to make it. some of those pitchers might make too. the days of the AAAA players at AAA are over. Looking good.
gm