Inciarte impresses, but not a roster lock
Ender Inciarte's talent is obvious, but he might be too young to sit on the bench for 162 games.
Inciarte impresses, but not a roster lock
Ryan Lawrence, Daily News Staff Writer
Ender Inciarte might not have a name that rolls of the tongue, but he’s been a favorite of Charlie Manuel in his postgame briefings with the press this spring.
The Rule 5 pick continued that trend on Thursday.
Enciarte, who started in center field, went 1-for-3 with a double and also threw out a runner a runner at home to end the second inning. Manuel called it a “tremendous throw,” and it was pretty impressive.
Inciarte is hitting .294 (5-for-17) in 13 games this spring.
But even with Delmon Young slated to begin the season on the DL, Inciarte is surely no slam dunk to make the Opening Day roster. The 22-year-old Inciarte never played above Class A while in the Diamondbacks organization, and thus, has some developing to do as a young player.
“You’re asking a kid a whole lot to be a utility player at 21, 22 years old,” Manuel said following Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Pirates. “I know we’ll discuss it, but when you stop and think about it, you’re trying to make a utility guy out a guy 21, 22 years old.
“By being realistic about it, that can set him back in his development. But also too, if we take him, if something happens and he does make our team, he’d be getting in the game for defense but how many at-bats he could get would come into play, too.”
As a Rule 5 pick, Inciarte has to stay on the major league roster all season. In order to send him to the minor leagues, the Phillies would first have to offer him back to Arizona.
The two teams could also work out a trade.
Comments (24)
Whether he makes the opening day roster or not (which is unlikely, given he's never played beyond A ), I hope the team keeps him. His defense has been very impressive, while his bat is inconclusive. A full season at the MLB level may be bad for his bat, but there's no way to know for sure. I did think the same thing about Freddy Galvis last year, in fairness, and he performed as I expected (before the injury & his suspension, anyway)— msankey86- Does Charlie not know this player's age? I know he didn't recognize him in Clearwater. Someone should ask Charlie if the kid is a lefty or righty ... and then ask him if he knows the Vice President's name. I betcha he would mess up ...
— Copper34 - The beginning of the article mentions that Cholly is probably the guy's biggest booster, yet you're more concerned that he knows his EXACT age?! You really need to find something new to whine about, because this one is a serious reach. Even by your "lofty" standards... — The Pack Leader
- The throw today was pretty impressive. The Phillies should find a way to keep him. I think they can also agree to a trade with Arizona. The thing is, as well as he's played it's a no-brainer for Arizona to take him back and let him develop in the minors if the Phillies offer him back. He's better than Gillies from what I've seen.
— s - "...and also threw out a runner a runner at home to end the second inning." Did Charlie Manuel himself write this?— BumSatellite
- @copper -- good one :)— warbiscuit
- Misery loves company. — The Pack Leader
- I forget the exact age of all kinds of people I know better than an employee. In fact, I would say, outside my kids, at best I would have to think about it a minute for everyone else who exists and for most all I could do is narrow it down to a couple year range. In fact, it seems most people are the same way. Work out a trade fro a low minor league player. They won;t be asking for a big prospect for a guy they left off the roster at the very tender age of 22 to begin with. They obviously didn't love him . Maybe they thought they could sneak him by because he is rated a marginal prospect whom no one could afford to keep on the big league roster. Either way, you trade for him and put him where he belongs or you offer him back.— UncleStosh
- Nice, reasoned analysis, Uncle Stosh. It is nice to encounter intelligence on this blog site. It is a refreshing alternative to the drivel coming from warbiscuit and Copper34, among others. Keep up the good work.
— sanity1 - Maybe Valle for Inciarte? Clears the way for Joseph to start in Lehigh Valley and we trade away a position of strength. Might be giving-up too much in return, but Valle has zero future with the Phillies, in my opinion. So...why not? — The Pack Leader
- Be nice to Charlie. He is an all-time great!— mlogan49
- Trade Rosenberg and Wheels to 'zona for the kid.— NewMick314
- Why lose this kid to AZ for $25,000? Keep him. Work a trade for Mayberry or Nix. Inciarte bats LH and offers more potential to put the ball in play off the bench than either of those two. Didn't Bryce Harper get a job with the Nats direct from a low level in the minors? Some guys don't need a lot of development time. Inciarte's 22 and has proven he can hit big league pitching.— 1republican
- Anything can still happen, but Revere and Brown are the only true roster locks in the outfield at this point. Mayberry is a highly probable. Nix has had a few nice pokes, but he's been inconsistent and still remains only a probable. Ruf is 6 to 5 and you pick em at this point. Inciarte appears to have a nice future but he needs time in the minors to develop. The Phils may feel an obligation to keep him because of his potential and Rule 5, but the Phils decided not to keep Victorino as a Rule 5 a few years ago, but were fortunate enough to keep him in the organization when the Dodgers didn't want him back. So, the Phils may try to trade for Inciarte at the end of spring training and send him to the minors. The player that has shown me a great deal of potential is Jermaine Mitchell, who has a .500 batting average for the spring although his plate appearances have been few and far between, some of the best base running I've seen on a Phillie team in years and solid defense. The one potential pot sticker for the Phils is the fact that Mitchell is a left handed hitter and 28 years old. Still, he has polished skills that could help the Phils in many different ways. For my money, I'd rather see Mitchell off the bench and Inciarte in the minors until the Phils can get a better hold on how Revere, Brown and Mayberry are going to perform when the regular season starts, and how Ruf, Nix and Young are going to fit into the Phils 2013 plans.
- There is a reason this guy was available as a Rule 5 draft pick,in other words he is not that good and his flaws won't fully be exposed in a couple of spring training games.— The Moose is Loose
- LOL, i hate to break it to some people but this kid hasn't proven he can do anything other than catch and throw the ball, that's why he was a rule 5 pick. Very small sample size, and spring training is much different that the reg season. Not only is it likely, but it's almost a certainty that 30 games into the season he'll be exposed when his batting average is lower than mini marts.— Stephen45
- Enciarte is only a center fielder (not a corner) and with Revere likely to be here for several years, there's no point in keeping him on the ML roster. Unless the minors are devoid of CF'rs, really no point in trading much for him. Maybe a low level catcher who will never be on the major league team like Lerud or Valle would make sense. In reality, I'd trade Gilles (that is if AZ would take him). Being a bit more along although lesser talent than Ender, AZ might bite!— streetrat
- I like your first idea better. Gilles hasn't shown much, at this point, but it's too early to get rid of him. He has the tools, and if he can remain healthy for a full season, I'd like to see what he can do. I'm certainly not high on him exactly, but I'd much rather give-up Valle, which would clear the path for Joseph, at the same time. — The Pack Leader
- I disagree with Moose that being exposed means he's not that good. Players rarely need protection at age 21, but he signed at like 16 or 17. Since he's never been above A ball, Arizona took a calculated risk that no one would be willing to carry him on an MLB roster and here we are. The Phil's can't carry him on the 25 man roster and Arizona will surely reclaim him. If the Phil's want him in a trade, it will take a prospect (what caliber I have no idea) certainly not a journeyman OF like Mayberry or Nix.— del_sj
- Another Mini Mart— Ssteve115
- Inciarte looks like a player. Probably will sit on bench which is not good for 22 Y.O. Revere has beenlooking good and Phills own his rights for few years and Tocci in minors probably 3 years away. Inciate might be trade bait in 2014.— Don w
- I can't believe they're worrying about a guy that at best would be the 40th man on their roster. I think they need to worry about the starting pitchers beginning with #2 thru #5. Cole Hamels right now is their only reliable, consistent pitcher. Oh, I also forgo their defense. As it looks now the Phillies defense will lose at least two games a week. Gonna be a long year.— MB2009
- Herndon,Martinez,and now Inciarte. Charlie sure is a master at judging talent.— Phillip Phan
- Nice to have you around for a few weeks, Incy...but we gotta send you back to wherever, and hope you have a good future.
Ruf has to work on stuff at Lehigh, but I still don't think that opens up a spot for Iciarte. We'll probably see him visiting Lehigh more, unless he's from a PC team. Sorry, but I forget who we got him from.
Might be doing better than Martinez, but only plays outfield, right? Good speed...would love to have him in September if we're competitive.— ocpizza
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