5 Trades, Free Agents the Philadelphia Phillies Can Add to Retool for 2013

The Philadelphia Phillies were one of MLB‘s biggest disappointments through most of the 2012 season.

That led general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. to become a seller for the first time at the July 31 trade deadline. Hunter Pence was traded to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton were dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

But a late surge made them a surprise contender in the National League wild-card race. Had Amaro known that was possible, would he have made those midseason deals? Probably, as getting below the $178 million luxury tax threshold and gaining payroll flexibility were priorities for Amaro.

So what will the Phillies do with that wiggle room in their payroll? The team needs at least one outfielder, maybe two. Third base is another hole that needs to be filled. And a bullpen that cost Philadelphia far too many games needs another arm. 

Here are five signings or trades that the Phillies should pursue this offseason. Amaro won’t make all of these moves, but two or three of them could put his team back into the NL East race next year.

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5 Center Fielders the Philadelphia Phillies Must Target This Offseason

While their needs are many, the Philadelphia Phillies must prioritize filling their hole in center field above all else this offseason.

The Phillies ranked at or below Major League Baseball averages in batting averages, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and runs scored. They certainly hope that full, healthy seasons from Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will give the slugging and runs scored numbers a boost.

Ultimately, though, this is still a pitching-first roster, with three starters scheduled to earn more than $20 million apiece in 2013. It would be senseless to spend that sort of money on starting pitching and then entrust the most important outfield position to John Mayberry Jr.

None of this is intended to suggest that signing a premium center fielder will “fix” the Phillies’ problems. Third base is still a huge question mark. Unless you really believe in both Darin Ruf and Domonic Brown, the corner outfield spots look, well, spotty. They still do not have a trustworthy setup man.

But an above-average center fielder, one who can cover defensive deficiencies of his outfield counterparts and help with the bat, is a necessity for the Phillies as they are currently constructed.

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Comparing the Philadelphia Phillies’ 25-Man Roster to the San Francisco Giants

Ever since Ryan Howard was rung up to end the National League Championship Series in 2010 and Buster Posey celebrated, the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants have been a pair of teams linked by their successes and failures. 

It’s only natural when you have a pair of teams built on the same philosophy: Pitching. Both teams have great starting rotations and solid bullpens with lineups that take a back seat. They play solid defense and win by playing fundamentally well.

So why are the Giants playing in their second World Series in three years while the Phillies have watched all three from home? What’s the difference? 

On paper, the Phillies are a better team. Coming into the 2012 season, they had the highest payroll in the National League and an All-Star at what felt like every position, yet, finished in third place. 

The Giants went in the other direction, holding off the now-payroll Goliath Los Angeles Dodgers to take the National League West. 

But again, it all comes down to the simple question of “what’s the difference?” 

To try and get to the bottom of this question, we’ll compare the teams’ 25-man rosters side by side to see who has the advantage. We’ll use each club’s Baseball-Reference page to build the 25-man rosters by who played the most, unless there is an extenuating circumstance, which will be noted. 

Are the Giants really a better team than the Phillies, or did the latter just underachieve? 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could Another Trade with Toronto Blue Jays Be Lurking?

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. and Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos have followed two very similar career paths. Both held the position of assistant general manager with their respective teams before being promoted to their current GM roles. Both dealt together in making the Roy Halladay trade become a reality before 2010. And both of them, though with some slight variations, are nifty in their dealings—Amaro in acquiring top-tier talent, and Anthopoulos in successfully dealing with a low budget.

Okay, maybe the comparison is a stretch, but it’s no secret that these two men have dealt with one another many a time in transactions.

The aforementioned Halladay trade saw Doc come to Philadelphia and Phillies prospects Kyle Drabek, Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Taylor get sent north (though Taylor was then flipped to Oakland for Brett Wallace). Even though this was indirect, when the Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt at the 2010 non-waiver trade deadline, Phillies prospect Anthony Gose was swapped for Wallace with the Houston Astros.

Since then, no trades of major significance have occurred between the Phillies and Blue Jays. Ben Francisco was sent to Toronto before the 2012 season. September call-up Tyson Brummett was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays almost two weeks ago, only to see that he would be outrighted off the 40-man roster and sent to Triple-A in favor of the Phillies’ 2010 Rule 5 draft pick, David Herndon, who is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Additionally, the Houston Astros have had a great relationship with both teams as well. Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett were traded to Philadelphia for a package headlined by now-free agent Michael Bourn. Oswalt came to Philadelphia in 2010 for a package centered around J.A. Happ. And now Happ is a Blue Jay and Francisco is an Astro after a 10-player trade that was among the first major trades to occur at this past year’s trade deadline.

Lastly, there was of course Hunter Pence, whom the Phillies acquired at the 2011 trade deadline in exchange for four prospects, three considered to be among the Phillies’ top 10 at the time. Pence has since been dealt to the now-World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Aside from this past year, though, it was former Phillies GM Ed Wade at the helm in Houston. Since he’s not there any longer, a relationship between the Phillies and Astros may not be as strong as it once was. But with both GMs in Philadelphia and Toronto still intact, maybe another trade could be in the works?

Toronto has a strong need for pitching. Their bullpen, though decent in 2012, needs some work. And after the collapse of Ricky Romero and an overwhelmingly strong injury bug, their starting rotation could use some reinforcements as well.

The Phillies, on the other hand, have some pitching to spare. Their bullpen depth, both at the major league level and in the high minors, is excellent. And if there’s any prospect department the Phillies have some depth in, it’s starting pitching.

That’s good news.

Perhaps I’m overshooting this in light of recent minor activity, but if Toronto has been looking at Brummett and Herndon, two relatively insignificant players, who else could they be eyeing on Philadelphia’s roster?

With a need for starting pitching evident, the Blue Jays could very well be taking a look at Vance Worley, Kyle Kendrick, Tyler Cloyd or even top pitching prospects Jonathan Pettibone and Trevor May. Jesse Biddle is also a hot commodity, but I have a hard time seeing him traded unless it’s for a superstar.

 

 

Worley, though highly regarded as a Phillie and admired by fans, is not nearly as untouchable as he was in 2011. Coming off of an ill-fated 2012 season that saw him struggle through bone chips in his elbow, Worley was ultimately shut down at the end of August to correct the problem. The potential still exists, though, and Worley could make a nice three or four starter over the border.

Kendrick, who’s under contract in 2013 for $4.5 million, will have one additional year of arbitration eligibility in 2014 before he hits the market after that season. He’s been a solid option to have as a long man out of the bullpen and as an occasional fifth starter, but the issue in Philadelphia is that there’s no obvious role for him between the two. Although he’s slated to have the fifth starter role as of now, perhaps a Cloyd or Pettibone could spell him from it in spring training.

To avoid any complications, one of Worley or Kendrick could appeal to Toronto. In Worley‘s case, the Blue Jays would receive a starter who’s under team control through the 2018 season, and in Kendrick’s case, a versatile pitcher who’s under contract for two more seasons. Neither player would be a terrible acquisition, though Worley obviously has higher value on the trade market.

So who would appeal to the Phillies on Toronto’s roster? Well, they share an issue with the Phillies in that they don’t have a cemented left fielder, as Rajai Davis has had his struggles in left field. Even center fielder Colby Rasmus has shown a lack of consistency. The outfield isn’t a match, unless the Blue Jays want Phillies center field prospect, Canadian Tyson Gillies. No way Jose Bautista changes hands, either.

Unless third baseman Brett Lawrie becomes available, he’s off the table, as are Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind. Yunel Escober has had his fair share of off the field issues, and the Phillies don’t exactly have a need at shortstop, either. And then there’s J.P. Arencibia, who’s got the catcher’s job under his belt, but again, that’s not a need for the Phillies, who have Carlos Ruiz.

With no apparent major league fits, who do the Blue Jays have in the minors? Since they have an incredibly strong farm system, it would not be surprising to see Toronto possibly delve within their organization to make a deal happen. After all, the Phillies do need prospects.

Among the most desired prospects of all is former Phillies prospect, catcher Travis d’Arnaud. d’Arnaud, a former supplemental first-round pick, was traded for Roy Halladay before the 2010 season. Since then, he’s emerged as one of the best catching prospects in the minors, and even won his league MVP in 2011. As for 2012, d’Arnaud started off strong, though he ended the season on the disabled list with a torn PCL.

Since Toronto has Arencibia entrenched as the starting catcher for the foreseeable future, what sense does it make for them to keep d’Arnaud in the minors? If they’re not going to use him as a full-time catcher, the best option would be to deal him while his value is high, and it certainly is just that.

With d’Arnaud coveted by the Phillies and considered to be Toronto’s top prospect, maybe a Worley-d’Arnaud straight-up swap  would be all that it takes.

My guess is that Worley holds slightly more value than that, however. Having said that, perhaps Christian Lopes would be a viable option to include.

Lopes, the 29th-best prospect in the Jays’ system according to Baseball America‘s 2012 Prospect Handbook, has both second base and shortstop potential. However, with the huge trade with Houston in addition to the 2012 season having ended, MLB‘s Prospect Watch now has Lopes as the Jays’ 17th-best prospect. He’s still in the low minors, though he’s got great bat speed.

If it took more than Worley to make a d’Arnaud/Lopes return possible, maybe one of the Phillies’ bullpen pitchers would be attractive to Toronto.

Yes, they did just take two of them off the Phillies’ hands, though neither one has as high a ceiling as a, say, Josh Lindblom, Michael Schwimer or even Michael Stutes. It would certainly free up a bullpen spot for the Phillies, and would make the inevitable spring training bullpen fight a little less challenging for management to decide. Even if it also took Tyler Cloyd, that wouldn’t be the worst thing, either.

If I had to make a guess, I’d say that such a trade would involve Worley and Schwimer being sent to Toronto for d’Arnaud and Lopes. I would guess Schwimer only because of Stutes‘s uncertainty after coming off shoulder surgery, though Stutes probably has the higher ceiling of the two.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what sort of package the Phillies could receive in a Worley trade, especially with Toronto. And keeping in mind that this is also all speculation, who knows if a trade’s going to occur at all?

Regardless, this offseason will be a creative one for the Phillies, one that could involve trading Vance Worley, And if the Blue Jays want to get a decent, controllable pitcher, Worley‘s a fantastic option for them. Though not nearly close to the blockbuster involving Halladay almost three years ago, this trade would be a nice deal for both sides, as it fills their needs. The Blue Jays get pitching, and the Phillies, though now possessing Tommy Joseph, get one of the best catching and overall prospects in the minor leagues back in their system.

What do you think? Share your thoughts, predictions and suggestions in the comments below.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why They Need to Be Conservative This Winter

The Philadelphia Phillies no doubt want to rebound from what was a frustrating 2012. Obviously, there are many ways to go about fixing a baseball team that was not quite functioning at full strength all season.

One possible way to fix this type of problem is going out and spending money. This approach has been used successfully by many teams, and it generally does help save a franchise for a few seasons.

However, if the Phillies are hoping to build a sustainable franchise, this winter needs to be very conservative.

Let me try to define what I mean by conservative.

The Phillies cannot afford to make any more massive signings on their current payroll.

It is no secret that the contracts of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon take up a lot of the team’s financial flexibility. I’m not necessarily saying that all of these contracts are terrible, but they are significant in the sense that the Phillies are committed to paying them.

By being conservative, the Phillies would make temporary moves to fill in holes and complement these pieces they have already committed to for the long-term.

For example, we all know that the Phillies could use some help in the outfield. Exactly how much help is necessary is up for debate, but the Phillies will probably be in the market for another outfielder this winter.

A conservative approach would avoid guys like Josh Hamilton, B.J. Upton, Nick Swisher or other players who will probably command a longer-term contract.

A conservative approach would recognize that the Phillies are aging, and in the near future, they will need to revamp their lineup. Consequently, they would not want to sink large amounts of money into players who are aging right along with their current nucleus.

The purpose of employing such a conservative approach would be to make strategic moves that complement the pieces already in place while not tying down the flexibility of the franchise to begin thinking about the next generation.

This generation is not over yet, and it would not be surprising whatsoever to see Philadelphia compete for the National League East championship next season, but this winter needs to be conservative. They cannot afford to continue this type of spending.

Making another big splash might help the Phillies next season, but eventually, all of these contracts will still need to be paid even if all of the players are beyond their most productive years. That can be crippling.

 

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Bargain Outfield Trade Options

With the World Series winding down and free agency set to begin soon after, the Philadelphia Phillies will soon have their chance to improve a team whose offseason began far too early this year.

Unfortunately, no clear game plan exists for completing this task.

Will the Phils break the bank on a marquee free agent, or will they scan the market for under-the-radar signings that hopefully make a difference?  Should they use their depth at certain minor league positions to acquire help via trade?  Which players from this season did enough to allow the Phils to stand pat at their position?

By trading Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton mid-season, and by declining options on players such as Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras, the Phils will have money to spend and flexibility for trade acquisitions this offseason.

But why spend money just to spend money?

General manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. has said that they must be creative this offseason, as an article by John Gonzalez on CSNPhilly.com mentions.  This means that Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton and Nick Swisher may not be the only outfielders that the team targets, although they will likely be the most expensive.

The trade market, on the other hand, could be where the Phils find one of their 2013 outfielders, and one who will not cause the team’s payroll to skyrocket after just one acquisition.

Here are five bargain trade options that the Phillies could explore this offseason.

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Josh Hamilton: At the Top of This Philadelphia Phillies Fan’s Wish List

Since the end of the regular season, Phillies fans have bantered back and forth on the blogs about what would be the best line-up come next April. That’s not unusual, however; every passionate baseball fan does that. 

Sometimes we lose our minds in our quest to make our team the World Series Champions.  Perhaps I, too, have lost my mind, but I think for the Phillies to win it again with their aging nucleus of players, they have only one option: sign Josh Hamilton!

Alright already, I can hear all those brave bloggers bowing up behind their computers saying I must be crazy or I don’t know anything about baseball.  But I will try to make my argument.

The Phillies have two glaring weaknesses heading into the next season.  Third base and center-field.  With the sudden demise of Placido Polanco and the departure of Shane Victorino those positions are unoccupied.

Going after a third basemen free agent would be a mistake because of the mediocrity of those available.  Kevin Youkilis is declining in production; he is not a great clubhouse guy and is injury prone.  Do you really want to invest in him for more than one year?  The Mets will have difficulty parting ways with David Wright and will probably resign him.  The rest of the free-agent pool for third basemen is not worthy of discussion. And forget a trade for A-Rod—he is a risky investment for many reasons beyond just money. Also forget the idea of playing Utley at the hot corner; he cannot handle it.

The Phillies should stick with Kevin Frandsen for a year until Cody Asche is ready.  He will give more than 100 percent and, although he may make a few errors, he also can make some big-time game savers as well. His .338 average was impressive although he only had 195 at bats.

Enter Josh Hamilton.  The multi-talented outfielder may already have made up his mind to stay in Texas but considering the way the fans treated him at the end of the year and Nolan Ryan’s obvious frustration, the Rangers might just let him walk. Now I know everyone will be saying there is just no way Ruben Amaro will convince the ownership to cough up the big bucks.  And there will be the detracting element that will say ”no thank you, too much drama.”  But despite the drama, he still puts up huge numbers and plays an awesome center field.  

Can you imagine how much better Utley and Howard will be with him in the middle of the lineup? For Hamilton, leaving Texas may be difficult; getting his wife Katie to commit to Philadelphia might be even harder.

In all probability the Phillies ownership will not deal with Scott Boras, so Michael Bourn might not be an issue.  Charlie Manuel’s lack of tolerance for clubhouse disruptions may disqualify both of the Upton brothers. Victorino? I doubt if Amaro will give him what he wants. Forget John Mayberry—he can’t hit right-handed pitching. Dom Brown, no way.  Josh Hamilton? The only choice.

The Phillies will be able to handle the contract despite everyone’s disapproval of another big multi-year fiasco.  Amaro said he thought Halladay, Howard, Utley and Rollins were still capable of another championship. They will save money with Ruf in left, who will prove himself like ‘The Bull” Greg Luzinski did back in the early seventies, and although it may be difficult to watch defensively, they could also go cheap with a platoon of Brown and Mayberry in right field. They have a worthy nucleus of young relievers with Horst, Aumont, DeFratus and either Stutes or Friend. They are as capable as most of those available.

In 2014, the Ryne Sandberg led Phillies will bring up Tyson Gillies and Cody Asche.  Asche will take over third and Gillies center. Hamilton can play right. Hernandez or Galvis could play second.  By that time there will be a changing of the guard with the starters as May, Pettibone, Martin, Morgan and maybe Biddle will be ready for their shot. With all those young stars in 2014, the money situation should not be an issue.   

So a lineup of Rollins, Utley, Hamilton, Howard, Ruf, Ruiz, Mayberry/Brown, Frandsen looks very impressive.  I may be dreaming, but I am sure I am not the only one who has detached himself from reality on this one. Now all we have to do is convince Hamilton and Amaro.  Oh yeah and all you bloggers as well.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley’s Upcoming Contract Year a No-Win Situation

Chase Utley is in a no-win situation in 2013 because of his contract situation, his injury history and his lack of production in the past two seasons.

Utley is in the final year of a seven-year, $85 million contract. As so often happens with long-term deals, Utley’s production has waned precipitously over the past six seasons. From 2007-2010 (the first four years of the contract) Utley made the All-Star team every season. He earned MVP votes in each of those seasons but 2010, which was also the first year that Utley’s knees became a concern. 

When Utley missed 47 games in 2010, it was the team’s first real indication that maybe, just maybe, Utley’s body would not let him be the player he had been again, like, ever.

By spring training in 2011, it was apparent that Utley’s knees were degenerating, the sort of injury that often cannot be fixed by surgery. He missed 59 games in 2011; because he came back in time for the playoffs, his absence was noticeable, but ultimately easy to forget.

Less so in 2012, as the Phillies‘ five-year playoff run came to an end while Utley played only four more games (83) than he missed (79.) Perhaps more alarming was Utley’s nose-diving production. From 2005 through 2008, Utley drove in more than 100 runs every year, hit no fewer than 22 home runs, hit no worse than .291 and scored more than 100 runs three times, including a league-leading 131 runs scored in 2006.

So it is not just the games he is missing that now trouble the Phillies, it is what he is (not) doing when he plays: eleven home runs in each of the past two seasons, 44 and 45 runs batted in, batting averages of .259 and .256. Sure, he is consistent now. It is just consistent mediocrity.

And this is why Utley’s coming contract year is such a problem. Utley will no doubt be heavily motivated to “prove he is healthy” and post numbers sufficient to convince the Phillies, or some other team, to give him another multi-year deal. Maybe he can do it, too.

If he does it, though, the Phillies and their fans will almost certainly question openly why he was able to do it in 2013 when he was not able to do it in 2011 or 2012. Particularly this past season, when Ryan Howard missed so much time with his Achilles injury, the Phillies desperately missed Utley’s bat in the middle of the lineup. Have his numbers declined? Sure. But he is still miles better than Freddy Galvis, Michael Martinez, Mike Fontenot and Pete Orr.

Utley’s worst-case scenario, of course, is having a year productive enough to get him signed elsewhere but not good enough to convince the Phillies to keep him. Because at that point, the fanbase will almost certainly feel that Utley used two expensive seasons to keep himself healthy at the team’s expense—and at theirs.

The team and its fans have no choice but to hope that Utley comes back healthy, strong and reasonably like the player he has been for them in the past.

It will be interesting, though, to see what that ultimately means.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis Showing Progress in Venezuela Fall League

In 2012, Freddy Galvis had a very interesting rookie season, to say the least. He found himself playing regularly trying to fill in for perennial All-Star Chase Utley.  That’s a daunting task for anyone, let alone a rookie.

Galvis played outstanding defense, unbelievable at times. He has the potential to be a Gold Glove caliber middle infielder at either position.

On the other side of the coin, Galvis struggled immensely at the plate. Posting a .226 average with three home runs and 24 RBI in 190 at-bats. He only walked seven times while striking out 29 times. His OPS was downright terrible .617.  

To end on a positive note, Galvis did have 15 doubles.

Fast forward several months, which included a 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs along with a pars fracture to the L45 vertebra in his lower back, and we find ourselves in the Venezuela Fall League.

Here, Galvis has been playing shortstop for the Aguilas del Zulia, who are managed by Luis Dorante.

Through 12 games, Galvis is hitting .375 with three home runs, five RBI, four walks and 12 runs scored all in 48 at-bat. His OPS currently stands at 1.069, which ranks third in the entire league.

Obviously the pitching in Venezuela isn’t nearly what it is in the major leagues, but any consistency at the plate from Galvis will be encouraging for the Phillies. 

Charlie Manuel has raved about the intangibles of Freddy Galvis and his knowledge of the game. Galvis will be 23 going into next season. If he can put the work in and improve his offensive game, he could be one of the top middle infielders in baseball. 

Galvis should play another important role for the Phillies in 2013; he will be the first to fill in for Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley if need be and may be given regular time at third base if the Phillies do not address the position this offseason.

Keep it up Freddy, we’ll see you in Clearwater.

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Who Is the Most Irreplaceable Philadelphia Phillies Prospect?

Hailing from Germantown Friends High School, the Philadelphia Phillies had the privilege of seeing local-product Jesse Biddle on a weekly basis, heavily scouting each one of his starts in the spring of 2010. Therefore, it came as no surprise when they made the left-hander their first-round selection (27^th overall) in June. Despite his perceived strong commitment to the University of Oregon, the Phillies were able to lure him away with a $1.16 singing bonus.

Regarded as a highly projectable but unpolished high school senior, Biddle’s mediocre professional debut between the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and Short-Season New York-Penn League was somewhat expected. He ultimately made 12 starts in his age-18 season, registering a 3.92 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 43.2 innings.

Assigned to Low-A Lakewood for his full-season debut in 2011, Biddle excelled as the third-youngest pitcher in the South Atlantic League—but that’s not to say he didn’t endure his share of struggles. Overall, the 19-year-old was 7-8 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 133 innings spanning 24 starts.

Throughout the season, he struggled with the command of both his fastball and secondary pitches, but nothing out of the ordinary for a player his age. At the same time, Biddle also made strides in improving the overall quality of his arsenal, prioritizing a sharp curveball over his slider while developing a changeup.

The Phillies handed Biddle a well-deserved promotion to open the 2012 season, assigning the 20-year-old to High-A Clearwater in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. Once again he responded favorably, emerging as one of the league’s top pitching prospects in what was a breakout campaign.

The left-hander finished the season with a 10-6 record, 3.22 ERA, 9.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over 26 starts, and paced the Florida State League with 151 strikeouts in 142.2 innings. He also posted the third-best ERA among all qualified pitchers.

Biddle’s success as a younger player in an advanced league can be attributed to his vastly improved command and confidence in his full arsenal. For the first time in his career, Biddle consistently located his fastball throughout the strike zone, which, in turn, made his secondary offerings all the more effective.

With a tendency to spike his curveball in previous seasons, he demonstrated the ability to throw the pitch for a strike and locate it out of the zone to draw swing-and-misses. Additionally, his changeup emerged as a third potentially above-average pitch as he learned to throw it with a more convincing arm action.

At 6’4”, 225 pounds, Biddle has a durable frame that allows him to work deep into starts. Over the last two years, he’s smoothed out his mechanics by eliminating some jerky movement with his upper body. He still throws across his body but has become more comfortable with the delivery and repeats it with consistency.

Using his height to throw on a downward plane, Biddle’s two-seam fastball seemingly jumps on opposing hitters and is most effective in the 90 to 93 mph range with arm-side action. His curveball is of the 11-to-5, downer variety, and he throws it hard to achieve tight rotation. His changeup has also emerged as an effective weapon with late fading action.

More importantly, Biddle has drawn praise at every minor league stop for his competitiveness and overall demeanor on the mound. Combine that with his size and three-pitch mix of above-average pitches, and the left-hander has the makings of a No. 2 or 3 starter in the major leagues. Considering the age and related health concerns of the team’s big league starting rotation, Biddle is on pace to make his debut by the end of the 2014 season, if not sooner.

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