Stock Up, Stock Down for Philadelphia Phillies’ Top 10 Prospects for Week 17

With the MLB non-waiver trade deadline looming on July 31, the focus around baseball tends to be on what major league teams will be doing to bolster their rosters. Whether it’s by means of acquiring talent for the home stretch or for the future, many names will switch places over the next few days, if they haven’t already.

In the case of the Philadelphia Phillies, who reside in last place in the NL East with a 46-59 record, any talent they acquire will be of the minor league and/or prospect variety. They will not be a team trying to trade prospects away because they aren’t in any sort of playoff race and the farm system is too depleted to be able to sacrifice the little depth it has. Consequently, the Phillies prospects will continue to develop along their current tracks within the Phillies organization.

Without further ado, here’s the Week 17 edition of Stock Up, Stock Down for the Phillies’ top prospects.

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10 Realistic Trades Philadelphia Phillies Could Make at 2014 MLB Trade Deadline

During the MLB All-Star break, players and fans alike took a four-day breather from the rigorous 162-game season to celebrate the best players in the game and to focus on other priorities for a few days. From a fan perspective, this could not have been any truer for supporters of the Philadelphia Phillies, who have watched the team go 43-55 and sit 11 games out in last place in the National League East division.

Consequently, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has publicly said that changes are coming to this team (per CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury). Whether that’s in the form of trades, minor league promotions or both, it’s worth noting that this is arguably the most candid Amaro has ever been concerning the state of the team during his tenure as Phillies GM.

So where does Amaro go from here? It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Phillies will sell at this year’s trade deadline. Given the lack of production on the major league team and the lack of offense and starting pitching depth throughout the organization (per Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer), the Phillies need to—and for once, likely will—make as many moves as possible to replenish the dearth of talent in the farm system.

Amaro’s job could also hang in the balance of this trade deadline. In a radio interview with 97.5 The Fanatic’s Mike Missanelli, Amaro was asked if he has been guaranteed an offseason to clean up this mess. Although Amaro did not explicitly say he has not been given that promise, he was dodgy in his answer and it led to an inferred conclusion that that is indeed the case.

This trade deadline is both the most important for the Phillies and for Amaro in recent history. On the brink of what will likely be a full-out rebuilding phase, the Phillies need to get pieces to jump-start the process.

Amaro is responsible for bringing in talent—and the right talent at that—to create the future for the Phillies. The difference between years past and 2014, however, is that Amaro has no margin for error. If Amaro makes even a slight mistake, it could mean the difference between his employment after 2014 and a new general manager at the helm in 2015.

Due to the Phillies’ current state, all trades in this slideshow will be of the selling variety. The Phillies are not in a position to be acquiring talent by surrendering the few minor league pieces they have. There are no spare parts, and that’s what needs to change going forward.

Please keep in mind as well that the following list of trades, which are based on rumor, speculation or both, are not all intended to happen. Rather, any of the following trades are meant to be feasible possibilities, but it’s not like the Phillies will likely be making 10 trades in the span of roughly 10 days.

Ladies and gentlemen, with that in mind, here are 10 realistic trades the Phillies could make at or before the 2014 MLB non-waiver trade deadline.

*All prospect rankings and commentary are courtesy of Baseball America’s 2014 Prospect Handbook unless otherwise noted. All contract information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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Stock Up, Stock Down for Philadelphia Phillies’ Top 10 Prospects for Week 16

As the All-Star break has ended for the major leagues, so too has it ended for some of the upper minor leagues. Although the lower minors held theirs more than a month ago in some cases, prospects are nonetheless entering the home stretch of the 2014 season.

Concerning the Philadelphia Phillies‘ prospects, some are coming off of their respective level’s All-Star games, while others haven’t exactly been spectacular in recent days.

At the unofficial halfway point in the 2014 season, here’s a look at what the Phillies’ top prospects have been up to over the past week.

All prospects on this list have yet to make their MLB debuts. All prospect commentary courtesy of the 2014 Baseball America Prospect Handbook and/or MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. All statistics courtesy of MiLB.com.

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5 Prospects the Philadelphia Phillies Should Give a Shot in the 2nd Half

In the midst of what is likely a lost season, the Philadelphia Phillies haven’t had extensive experience with this situation in recent years. The 2012 season still showed some hope when the Phillies caught lightning in a bottle in September to get to an even 81-81 record, while last year’s club found some winning ways in mid-June and mid-July before the wheels fell off.

In 2014, there has been no such luck. The Phillies won five in a row not too long ago, but they then proceeded to lose two straight before the All-Star break. While the Phillies aren’t in as dire of straits as they were in their shockingly-poor 2012 campaign, it is clearer now that this team is producing to its potential, not underperforming as was thought to be the case back then.

Such circumstances mean that players will likely be traded come the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, while others could be shipped off in August through waiver deals. With vacancies emerging on the major league roster, opportunities will present themselves for prospects and minor league players to get a chance to impress at the major league level.

What would the Phillies have to lose? Absolutely nothing. Giving prospects a chance would allow the Phillies to get a long look at what they have so they can evaluate their talent, which helps for knowing how to approach the offseason and spring training in 2015.

Without further ado, here are five prospects the Phillies should give a shot in the second half of the season.

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Scouting Reports for Philadelphia Phillies’ Prospects in the 2014 Futures Game

Although the MLB All-Star Game typically and rightfully steals the spotlight during the annual All-Star break, an event just beforehand that slips under the wire is the Futures Game.

Showcasing the best prospects around the minor leagues and pitting them against each other on United States and international teams, the Futures Game offers the best opportunity for prospects to make impressions—good or bad—on the national stage.

Last season, the Philadelphia Phillies were represented by two prospects: starting pitcher Jesse Biddle, who would end up earning the win in the game, and third baseman Maikel Franco. This year, Franco returns to the Futures Game, while 2013 first-round pick J.P. Crawford will be one of the shortstops on the U.S. team and, at 19 years old, the game’s youngest participant.

Despite coming off a four-game road sweep of the National League‘s best team, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Phillies haven’t had a season with much to write home about. Thus, fans can only hope to get excited about the future, and the Futures Game gives fans a glimpse of future promise.

Here’s an in-depth look at the Phillies’ prospects who will be playing in the 2014 Futures Game.

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Ranking Philadelphia Phillies’ Best All-Star Game Candidates

The month of July in MLB is arguably the most significant month of the regular season. Not only does it mark the halfway point of the year, it also presents the MLB All-Star Game midway through (July 15) and ends with the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31.

In the case of the Philadelphia Phillies, July has only brought a continuation of losing that closed out the month of June. While the Phillies won their first game of the month on July 3 by a score of 5-4 over the Miami Marlins, it was their first win in seven games and still came down to the ninth inning.

Before embarking on a current 10-game road trip, the Phillies came off a 2-6 home stand that saw them go from potential division climbers to permanent cellar dwellers.

It’s been nothing short of negativity surrounding the Phillies over the last couple of weeks, but the bright side is that the All-Star break is rapidly approaching. Not only will it present a much-needed breather for the Phillies to attempt to distance themselves from losing baseball, it also gives fans the chance of seeing the team’s best and brightest playing on the national stage.

While the Phillies don’t have an incredible amount of All-Star talent, there is a player or two who could find himself playing in the Midsummer Classic. This slideshow will look at the Phillies’ most likely candidates of playing in the 2014 All-Star Game, even if only a few are realistically going to be elected.

Without further ado, here’s a ranking of the Phillies’ best MLB All-Star Game candidates this season.

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The Biggest Issues Philadelphia Phillies Must Address at the Trade Deadline

For the third consecutive season, the Philadelphia Phillies are going into the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline as a team that could, in theory, ship off some of its veterans in exchange for prospects who could help out the team in the future. Also for the third consecutive season, the Phillies have not firmly established themselves as definitive contenders or pretenders.

While the 2012 season—one that was considered an anomaly at the time—was the worst of the three, the Phillies have been a losing team and have spent more days in recent years with a losing record than within fighting distance of the top of the NL East division. It’s led to the departures of Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Michael Young and John McDonald over the last two years.

This season, while the murkiest of the three in what lies ahead, could be the most radical yet.

The Phillies are not getting any younger, and they aren’t getting cheaper, either. It’s why expensive veterans such as Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins and even Chase Utley, to an extent, are possibly available in trades.

This is a Phillies team without a clear road map in front of them. They have approached a fork in the road, yet they remain stuck there, indecisive on which road to take.

What needs to be addressed at this year’s trade deadline? Plenty, ranging from players to personnel to prospects, both physically and metaphorically. Not only is the minor league system thin, but so are this team’s hopes for future success. Here’s a rundown of what exactly are the biggest issues the Phillies must address at the 2014 trade deadline.

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Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses of Philadelphia Phillies’ Top 10 Prospects

Although the Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of their longest winning streak in over a year, they are still one of the worst teams in baseball at 28-36. They sit dead last in the NL East, and despite being just a half-game behind the fourth-place New York Mets, they have shown no promise of contending this year.

As pessimistic as that sounds, it’s the unfortunate truth. With that said, perhaps the most exciting part of the Phillies is not who’s playing for them now but who’s inclined to don a Phillies uniform in the future.

Now that the 2014 MLB draft is in the rear-view mirror, the focus can return to whom the Phillies have in their system at this present time. While the Phillies have not yet signed all of their draft picks—they have until July 15 to do so—all but two of their first 10 draft picks, including first-rounder Aaron Nola, have signed as of the publishing of this article.

Even though the best part about discussing prospects is their upside, all prospects have their downside as well, which isn’t always considered. In order to accurately gauge a prospect, one must take both sides of the spectrum into account.

Here are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the Phillies’ top-10 prospects.

 

All prospects on this list have yet to make their MLB debuts. All prospect commentary courtesy of the 2014 Baseball America Prospect Handbook and/or MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.

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Philadelphia Phillies 2014 Draft Picks: Scouting Profiles and Analysis

There has been very little for Philadelphia Phillies fans to look forward to so far in 2014. Currently entrenched in a five-game losing streak and sitting dead last in the NL East at 24-33, the Phillies have hit rock bottom if there ever was a time for them to do so.

However, there is a bright spot in this time of darkness.

The MLB draft begins June 5 at 7 p.m. ET. The Phillies hold the seventh overall selection in this year’s draft, their highest since 2001, when they selected Gavin Floyd with the fourth overall pick.

The only upside to losing is the higher draft pick that comes with it the following season, and the Phillies have needed this pick in the worst way. Their farm system is barren of any blue-chip prospect talent. Not only does that inhibit them from making trade acquisitions in the offseason, but it also means that little to no impact help is available in the minors for this sluggish team.

In years past, the Phillies have taken risks, generally selecting high school talent in the early rounds with high upside.

However, after the failure of recent top picks Joe Savery, Zach Collier, Anthony Hewitt and Larry Greene, the Phillies may be taking a different approach this year, per CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury. Due to the plethora of top college arms who would take less time to develop into big league pitchers, the Phillies may opt to choose a top-flight college starter at No. 7.

From the time the clock strikes 7 p.m. on Thursday through the evening of Saturday, June 7, check back here for live updates on the Phillies’ draft picks as they come in. Until the first pick is announced, though, proceed to the next slide to see who the experts believe is most likely to go to the Phillies in the 2014 MLB draft. 

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Latest Expert Predictions on Who Philadelphia Phillies Will Draft

With the 2014 MLB draft just under a week away, teams around baseball are gearing up to determine whom they will choose should the players they want fall into their laps. For the Philadelphia Phillies, this draft holds even more importance, as it will be the most crucial means to add to a thin farm system.

Although the Phillies drafted well in 2013, one year is not enough time to turn around a farm system. However, it would not be surprising to see the Phillies select a college player with a higher pick in this draft in an effort to bolster the major league roster sooner rather than later. Regardless of whom they choose, the Phillies must make it count, as they have their highest draft pick since 2000 at No. 7.

Experts throughout the baseball world have published many mock drafts indicating what they believe the Phillies—and the rest of the MLB—will do on Thursday, June 5. Here’s a look at how the draft gurus see the Phillies’ No. 7 pick shaking out.

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