2008 R-Phils Spring Training Guide

Baseball's hottest commodity

Pitching. It is the hottest commodity in baseball. Like precious stones, good pitching is dazzling, hard to find, difficult to replace and if you’re faking it like cubic zirconium, you’re not going to get away with it for very long. 

Last year we split up our pitching preview into two sections – starters and relievers. Then we told you that Julio De La Cruz and Patrick Overholt were promising starter and reliever prospects, respectively. Then De La Cruz spent all of 2007 pitching out of the bullpen and Overholt became a starter. So this year we’ll lump everyone that pitches together and try to paint a decently accurate picture as we go along. 

We’re going to go through over two dozen names this year. Six of them were invited to big league spring training and at least six of the remaining arms have been there at some point in there careers. 

Again, this is not set in stone. The R-Phils are likely to start the season with 11 or 12 pitchers on the roster. In 2007, 28 pitchers made at least one appearance for the R-Phils. Fourteen of them made at least one start. Those figures do not include rehab assignments. 

Righty Jason Anderson came to the Phillies as a Minor League free agent last year and appeared in 37 games between Reading (14) and Triple-A (23). He’s a hard thrower that has appeared in 32 career Major League games for the Yankees (26) and Mets (6). In almost 400 career games he made 51 starts and boasts a 3.39 ERA in the Minors. He’s a candidate to pitch at Reading, Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia.

Lefty Antonio Bastardo is a 22-year old lefty from the Dominican who went 9-0 with a 1.87 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 91.2 innings at Lakewood last year before getting promoted to Clearwater. He pitched in one regular season game for the Threshers, in which he struck out 12 in five innings, and he had a 1.93 ERA in one playoff start. At 22 with only 36 pro games on the back of his baseball card he most likely will be back in the Florida State League with a chance to earn some Double-A time later in the year. He’s the Phillies #26 prospect according to Baseball America. 

Righty Kip Bouknight should sound familiar to Reading fans. He spent some time with Harrisburg in 2005-2006 and Altoona in 2007. Since 2004 he’s been back and forth between Double-A and Triple-A and could do that again while he looks for his shot at the bigs. He’s 11 games over .500 (57-46) in 180 games, 158 of them starts. At least the R-Phils won’t have to face him. He had a 2.41 ERA with a complete game against Reading in 2007. 

The unconventional yet effective righty Ryan Cameron passed on bigger dollars in Korea to stay with the Phillies and pursue his goal of pitching in the big leagues. Cameron is only on this list because he was a surprise addition to the Reading roster last year and we don’t want to get caught off guard again. He also spent time in Triple-A in 2007. Last summer his numbers were a little off from than what everyone is accustomed to him putting up. Look for him to get back on track. 

Drew Carpenter was the Phillies second round pick out of Long Beach State in 2006. The right-hander led the Florida State League with 17 wins last year and picked up two more in the playoffs to help Clearwater win the championship. He had a 3.20 ERA and is the Phillies #9 prospect according to Baseball America. Reading should be his home to start 2008.

R-Phils fans got a change to see the tremendous stuff of Carlos Carrasco in the second half of 2007. Baseball America named him the Phillies #1 prospect the last two years. He overmatched the Florida State League to the tune of a 6-2 record with a 2.84 ERA. He found the Eastern League a little tougher but showed his tremendous ability with a six-inning no-hitter vs. Altoona. We’ve been talking about him so long it feels like he’s been around forever but he won’t turn 21 until March 21. Because he’s so young he could return here but because he’s so good he could end up in the Lehigh Valley or even Philadelphia. Carrasco was invited to Major League spring training. 

Righty Alex Concepcion started 2007 at Lakewood going 3-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 20 games, one start. He moved to Clearwater around the same time Carrasco came to Reading, June 26. With the Threshers he made 10 starts in his 13 appearances and had an 11 strikeout game. He’s a Clearwater/Reading candidate.

Andrew Cruse is a righty drafted in the 9th round of 2006 out of South Carolina. He appeared in 34 games last year (28 at Lakewood and six at Clearwater), 13 of them starts. He’ll probably start the year at Clearwater, possibly Reading. Cruse Control could be his nickname. He walked just 33 batters in 115.1 innings last year.

Righty Brett Harker led Clearwater (13) and Lakewood (17) in saves the last two seasons respectively. He had a 2.92 ERA in 2006 and a misleading 6.69 ERA last year. It’s misleading because in 31 relief appearances, 21 of them were scoreless. A consistent spring could earn him a flight to Reading. 

It’s rare for players with no experience at Clearwater to make this list. You don’t need all the fingers on two gloves to account for all the players to skip Clearwater and come to Reading over the last ten years. However, when you go 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA in 39 appearances for Lakewood, like righty Garet Hill, we’ll give you the nod. That said Garet is probably Clearwater bound to start the year. 

Now up the next hill - Ron Hill. He had a 2.63 ERA in 17 games for Lakewood and a 2.23 ERA in 27 games for Clearwater. He’s a good candidate to start the season in Reading. 

Nate Johnson started last season in Reading and after a few rough innings rattled off six straight scoreless appearances. After the Phillies found themselves suddenly short on pitchers, they sent the good soldier Johnson to Clearwater were he was 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA in 23 games, fives starts. The right-hander will probably get back to Reading for Opening Day.

Righty Gary Knotts is a great story, a big league veteran and in big league camp. He was out of baseball in 2005-2006 due to injuries. His comeback in affiliated ball began in Reading last year. He showed he was healthy in three starts here, including a 9-inning one-hitter vs. Erie. He ended up in Triple-A and probably starts there this year. But we can’t rule him out to make the big league club or get caught up in numbers and pitch here again.

Probably the hardest thrower on this list is righty Scott Mathieson. “Goose” as he’s known, was the Kyle Kendrick of 2006 going right from Reading to Philly. Mathieson’s elbow needed repair though and he’s on the comeback trail. He could literally pitch anywhere from extended spring training to Philadelphia. Mathieson is in big league camp. 

After a year away from the game, righty Travis Minix is a Phillie again. Minix came to the Phillies in 2005 and posted a 1.84 ERA for the R-Phils and a 1.43 ERA at Triple-A. In 2006 he had a 2.40 ERA for the Phils at Triple-A. His career success at Triple-A speaks for itself and should start there this year but the year off might land him in Reading.

The hardest throwing lefty on this list is probably Josh Outman, the Phillies #4 prospect. Like Carrasco, Outman dominated Clearwater (10-4, 2.45) but found Double-A a little tougher. He did show plenty of promise in Reading though and could start here again before advancing quickly. Outman is in Major League spring training. 

Pat Overholt became a starter last year to consistently get his work in. His future probably lies in the bullpen though, and he’s likely to return to Reading in that role. Think Geoff Geary, also a righty, he started for the R-Phils in 2000, came back in 2001 as a reliever on his way to the Majors.

Justin Pope may ring a bell to Reading fans. He’s racked up 58 saves for Trenton from 2004-2007. He’s also pitched at Triple-A in parts of the last two seasons. The righty is probably going to be on the field for that April 1 exhibition game no matter what.

Righty Will Savage led Clearwater with 42 appearances last year and posted a 3.63 ERA. He was just as good at Batavia and Lakewood in 2006, the year he was drafted, and could advance to Double-A for Opening Day. No word on whether or not he does a Macho Man impersonation. 

Last year’s top pick, Joe Savery gets a mention here. The Phillies #3 prospect pitched in the prestigious Arizona Fall League the same year he was drafted. That type of progress doesn’t happen every year so it’s not totally out of the question for him to advance fast and start here, though he’s likely Clearwater bound. He had a 2.73 ERA in seven NY-Penn League starts. In case you were wondering if anyone has ever jumped from the NYPL to the Eastern League the answer is yes. The last guy to do it for the Phillies was another lefty, Randy Wolf, 10 years ago. Savery is in big league camp this year.

Last year was a roller coaster ride for Zack Segovia. He made the big league club after a strong spring following a super 2006 in Reading and Clearwater. Once the big Phils got some arms back healthy, as expected, he was sent to Triple-A to continue his development. Things didn’t go well in Triple-A and he would up back in Reading. An offseason check up showed he needed surgery. He’s back and looking to prove he’s healthy and that last year’s struggles at Triple-A were a fluke due to the injury. We’re listing him here just to play it safe.

Righty Zac Stott came to the Phillies in 2006 for Ryan Franklin. He was 7-8 with a 3.85 ERA in Clearwater last year and should get his first taste of Double-A in 2008.

R.J. Swindle pitched for the Phillies at Lakewood and Clearwater in 2007. He probably brings his big curveball to Reading for the 2008 season. Sixty-five of his 66 career appearances in affiliated ball have been relief. 

Side-arming righty J.J. Trujillo made 12 appearances for Reading and 12 for Clearwater in 2007. He’s a good candidate to start the season in Reading. Trujillo has big league time with San Diego. 

Righty Cory Willey was 2nd on the Clearwater staff with 38 appearances last year. He might have been first if he hadn’t spent enough time in Reading to pitch for the R-Phils in six games. After posting a 2.37 ERA for the Threshers last year he’s got a good chance to make more than six appearances for Reading in 2008. 

Several of the pitchers written about above are in camp with the Major Leaguers. The rest were scheduled to report to Minor League camp at the Carpenter Complex today. 

This story was posted on February 28, 2008