September 2019 Phillies Minor League Transactions

[andyb]

Hernandez and Pujols are probably the two I would want to retain if possible (thinking in terms of who still has prospect value as opposed to AAAA major league replacement value).

[julio]

Hernandez and Pujols are probably the two I would want to retain if possible (thinking in terms of who still has prospect value as opposed to AAAA major league replacement value).

Agreed. With those two exceptions, the rest of them are either entirely fungible veteran replacement-level players, or guys who may (if they're lucky) rise to that level at some point. Possible exception might be Rivero, but he had TJ surgery this summer and won't pitch again, in all likelihood, until 2021.

And for that matter, Pujols, coming back from an Achilles tendon rupture, may or may not fully recover. That's a tough one, which often has a permanent impact on a player's career.

[gmwannabe]

not sure if this was elsewhere, sorry if it is, but Lindow was named pitcher of the year for the minors (paul owens award). i'd like to see him get up to 95 next year, with that change up and slider he has. if so, i think i can get to the show.
gm

[Mod's note: Moved from a game day thread - we can use the off-season milb transactions threads for milb discussion - the transaction activity is pretty low in the off-season. - J]

[Austinfan]

Lindlow was 90, t92 last year, but with a 6'4 185 frame he had room to grow and add velo.
Wonder what he was throwing this year?
Has good breaking stuff, and as a LH if he could average 92, t94 or so, that should be more than enough if he has good secondary pitches and command.

[julio]

Offseason changes began early this year, on September 30th:

9/30:
Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP JD Hammer from Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies recalled SS Arquimedes Gamboa from Reading Fightin Phils.
RHP Dan Straily elected free agency.
C Rob Brantly elected free agency.
RHP Fernando Salas elected free agency.

Interesting that while Hammer and Gamboa were recalled, Adonis Medina evidently was not?

[andyb]

Could be an oversight since these are really paper moves. Can't imagine Medina's 40-man spot is in danger (though Gamboa and Hammer's spots could be). Those two players would likely pass through waivers at this point if they had to.

[julio]

By my count, the Phils will have 42 players "on the 40 man roster" as of the date they have to clear the 60-day IL (five days after the WS ends) - which they'll presumably address by some combination of buying out club options ( they have club options on Jason Vargas, Jared Hughes, Pat Neshek), outright assignments, and/or releases. (The count of 42 assumes that Odubel Herrera remains on the Restricted List, and doesn't count against the 40-man roster).

As a side note - Mark Appel has been on the Restricted List for the past two seasons. Per Rule 2, he's due to come off that list, and thus to disappear completely from all Phils player lists.

[zambonir]

I would also think it's just an oversight re: Medina.

Does Herrera remain on the restricted list? I thought his suspension ended when the season did? (At one point it was reported it might carry over in to next year but that did not end up being the case.)

[julio]

Does Herrera remain on the restricted list? I thought his suspension ended when the season did? (At one point it was reported it might carry over in to next year but that did not end up being the case.)

Herrera remains on the Restricted List until they remove him from it. Don't hold your breath.

[zambonir]

I yield to your knowledge of roster minutiate but my understanding was that once his suspension is over, the Phillies can't do anything punitive. They need to trade him or have him in spring training. At some point they could decide to option him or release him by claiming he's not one of their 26 best players, which nobody can really prove or disprove.

Why would he be on the restricted list, for what reason? I mean, maybe it's a loophole until the MLB season is actually over, but surely not through Rule V.

[julio]

I yield to your knowledge of roster minutiate but my understanding was that once his suspension is over, the Phillies can't do anything punitive. They need to trade him or have him in spring training. At some point they could decide to option him or release him by claiming he's not one of their 26 best players, which nobody can really prove or disprove.

Why would he be on the restricted list, for what reason? I mean, maybe it's a loophole until the MLB season is actually over, but surely not through Rule V.

I addressed this at some length in the Herrera thread. He's been on the restricted list since 5/28, because to get a suspended player off the 40-man roster, that's your only recourse - and you are allowed to put any player who, for whatever reason, cannot actually perform for you on the Restricted List.

Leaving him on the Restricted List after October 31st could be more problematic. It's not clear they could leave him there "just because" - if he requests reinstatement (see my post in the Herrera thread). If he doesn't (unlikely), my guess is that they could simply "not bother" to initiate a club-requested reinstatement... but this last is just a guess.

[zambonir]

On another note, I wonder who was actually sitting in the Phillies office today doing paperwork and transactions? (I mean, any assistant GM could do that stuff too, but it's still kind of funny.)