Joseph, Martin and Simon improved Phillies farm system
As they do every year around this time, the Phillies brought in a pack of minor-league prospects for a four-day orientation program that they hope will serve them well if and when they make the climb to the big leagues.
Joseph, Martin and Simon improved Phillies farm system
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
A couple hours after the Eagles introduce Chip Kelly as their 21st head coach Thursday, the Phillies will hold a media event of their own at Citizens Bank Park.
As they do every year around this time, the Phillies brought in a pack of minor-league prospects for a four-day orientation program that they hope will serve them well if and when they make the climb to the big leagues.
The final day of the program includes media interviews and there is something really interesting about this year's cast. Three of the seven players in town were not even with the organization a year ago at this time.
That trio consists of catcher Tommy Joseph and pitchers Ethan Martin and Kyle Simon. The other four players taking part in the program are projected third baseman of the future Cody Asche, outfielder Zach Collier, left-handed pitcher Adam Morgan and catcher Cameron Rupp.
Joseph, Martin and Simon came to the Phillies in three separate trades and performed well enough that the Phillies feel as if they significantly improved their farm system with the additions.
Here are some short bios on the three newcomers to the organization:
Tommy Joseph: He was acquired along with outfielder Nate Schierholtz and minor-league pitcher Seth Rosin in the July 31 trade that sent right fielder Hunter Pence to San Francisco. With Schierholtz released in December and Rosin considered more of a fringe prospect, Joseph will be the player that determines the outcome of the Pence trade.
That deal, of course, has already worked out well for Pence, who will have a World Series ring from the Giants to show his friends for the rest of his life. It could work out for the Phillies, too, if Joseph follows Carlos Ruiz as the team's next catcher.
Joseph, 21, batted a combined .257 with 24 doubles, 11 home runs and 48 RBIs last season at double-A Richmond and double-A Reading, the two Eastern League affiliates for the Giants and Phillies. His defensive tools and leadership qualities have pushed him ahead of Sebastian Valle as the team's top catching prospect. With Joseph, Valle and Rupp all targeted for double-A and above in 2013, it should be interesting to see how the Phillies handle the minor-league assignments at the end of spring training.
Ethan Martin: He was acquired along with pitcher Josh Lindblom and infielder Stefan Jarrin in the July 31 trade that sent Shane Victorino to the San Francisco Giants. Like Joseph in the Pence deal, Martin will likely determine the success or failure of the Victorino deal.
Martin, 23, was the 15th overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Dodgers, but his development with the team had been slow. He appeared to make strides forward last season, going a combined 13-6 with a 3.48 ERA in 27 double-A starts, including seven with the Phillies' Reading affiliate. He figures to be a part of manager Dave Brundage's starting rotation at triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.
Kyle Simon: When the Phillies traded Jim Thome to the Chicago White Sox after the 2005 season, they did well to get Aaron Rowand and Gio Gonzalez in the deal. Rowand only spent two seasons here, but was a very productive player and Gonzalez was later dealt back to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia in a trade former general manager Pat Gillick would rather forget.
It seemed much less likely that the Phillies would get a quality player for Thome when they traded him to Baltimore last summer, but Simon was outstanding in the combined 20 relief appearances he made at single-A Clearwater and double-A Reading after joining the organization.
The 22-year-old righthander was 3-0 with one save and a 1.26 ERA at Clearwater. He struck out 14 batters and walked only one in 14 1/3 innings.
In 13 ppearances at Reading, he was 1-0 with two saves and 1.42 ERA. He allowed just 12 hits, struck out 21 and walked five batters in 25 1/3 innings.
The Phillies sent Simon to the Arizona Fall League, but he did not fare as well in five starts with the Peoria Javelinas, posting a 2-2 record and 9.00 ERA.
Gabriel Lino, a 19-year-old catcher from Venezuela, was also part of the Thome trade and he played in 37 games at Lakewood last season, hitting .227 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. The Phillies also liked what they saw from Lino.
@dirtracker --you're right --you're hopeless and i'm wasting my time -- i don't need to call you a moron --you have demonstrated it yourself— warbiscuit- If that Simon kid turns out to be anything at all (let's hope his 9.00 ERA in the Fall League is an aberration) it will be the first good trade Ruin Tomorrow Jr. has made since he dealt for Halladay. Of course, it was RAJ who decided to bring Thome back to begin with ... Seems like Bob wrote this article as a favor to the GM -- or as an invitation to attack warbiscuit ... b/c these prospects are not very highly regarded. Don't stop speaking (commenting) the truth!! But, please warbiscuit, do stop responding to these weirdos who love the Phillies so much that they need to defend the horrible personnel moves made by Rube-the-Boob. Eventually, a real reporter will look at all the Boob's moves and write a decent piece. Until then - stay on course. We won't have a real future until we have a real GM.— Copper34
- His ERA was 180.00 after his first appearance. Simon does NOT have swing or miss stuff, but he's the type of junkballer with a weird delivery that so often does become a keeper.Well coached in college (ASU). Think Kent Tekulve. He'll make it as a short stint specialist getting RH batters out...BTW, love checking out knowledgeable Sixers fans on other sites! — bearsfriend
- @copper -- per 1980 you're supposed to be me -- and I'm supposed to be 24dad-something -- just be aware— warbiscuit
- Ah ... 1980. Now that was a good Phillies team!! They had leadership, power, defense, pitching, grit ... They had that in 2008 as well. The more I think about it, the more I think this team misses Werth and Burrell. Here's why -- Utley/Howard/JRoll are not true leaders. They are/were followers. When Pat-the-Bat left, those guys lost something. And the line-up did too (Burrell made pitchers work and took some walks). Werth's production on both offense and defense is still sorely missed. He saw tons of pitches - and could intimidate teams with his OF arm alone. My guess is that he was a clubhouse leader as well (grit, toughness, 'tude, etc). This current group was heartless last year. They were pretty pitiful in Playoffs the year before as well. And, for that matter, they looked over-matched by the Cody Ross-led Giants the year before that. I know -I know: they had the best record in baseball that year ... I know. There was something missing though -- and I still think it involves chemistry. And I still think the GM has failed to fix it.— Copper34
- @SpecialAgentFox --reviewed your posts and they're not insulting enough to possibly be the work of dogbiscuitthedope --I'm probably mistaken (I admit my error once in a blue moon) .... and what's "good for the goose..." i knwo I get offended when accused of posting under other names as well -- so my apologies— warbiscuit
- Shut up idiot — DogBiscuitthedope
- I should have known better than to try and reason with a fool. Rave on doofus.— dirttracker
- @copper -- what each of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 teams lacked was clear going into the post-season and that's why I refuse to give Rube credit for their regaular season success those years...each of those teams had obvious issues with their relief pithcing, bench, offense, depth and/or balance (not the same issues each year but glaring problems every year) -- a smart g.m. like Gillick or Sabean does "all in" when he knew he was going to post-season and tries to mend the possible holes...Rube just looked to make a splash in July and then sat tight -- Gillick made significant "minor" moves AFTER the trade deadline in 2008 that were huge (Stairs, Tad Iguchi) -- while Rube went out and got Bowker in 2011!— warbiscuit
- Yes, while ignoring the rapid improvement in 2011 of Brandon Moss. — bearsfriend
- I warned you doggie bone, the moment you made the mistake of taking me on, that it would be a big mistake. You could handle your doppelganger last year, you ignore every poster here, those "voices in your head" , which are not in agreement with you, hear only those who mistakenly cheer you on.
Everyone else is an "imbecile", a word you frequently misspell. How ironic.
This might come as a shock, but it is an OPINION BOARD, and yours is no more or less important than any other non professional writer. To express a different point of view is welcome, IF supported. Argument founded in reality is respected.
A one note orchestra is tiresome and there is no such thing as absolutes, all right and all wrong, yet that is your point of view on Amaro and prospects, and trades, etc.
I showed the bizarre aspect of your posting habits, 10 posts in under twenty minutes, each merely adding a sentence to the one before. Your thin-skinned, unable to take criticism, while you hand out "imbecile" freely to every poster, showing no respect. It's manic, over-the-top hysteria, and always negative.
Some of us are looking forward to this season, even if it is a transitional one. We love the serene pace of baseball, the grass and the lights, or the sun and the bright uniforms, and memories evoked.
You? I don't even think you could enjoy a game rainman. You would find something to complain about.
I warned you to stay away from me. You didn't listen. I got the "imbecile" badge of honor, though zubzub proved me right in my theory about the buying power of the team, it's earnings, it's value. But others heard, and the reflection of one day is haunting you already.
Find some peace, harmony , and PATIENCE. Then become a friend of the board, not a provocateur.— PhillyboyinNYC - Phillyboyinyc is BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK: here are his recent greatest hits -- examples of schizophrenia --"phillyboyinnyc" in his/her/its own words:
"Why is ALL the blame on Amaro?"...
"...if you were looking for MOTIVES. Rube is slightly clueless...So, if they are not delusional, see the big picture, instead of foaming at the mouth like a clueless one note "warrior", WHO has the motive?..."
"...I eviscerated ( look it up ), both Amaro and gave the manager the moniker, "GOMER GUMP". .."
"Just check out a two year battle I waged to rid the Flyers board of a SIX alias poster, who was merely a Cindy loving Penqueen fan, the latter another term I coined, and now in general use."...
"I could go on and on, but I post so infrequently [SIC]... I admit to hating trolls on a sports board, especially the one who plagued the Flyers boards for years under six aliases. Anyone there remembers "Supreme One", Flyers losers", "Big Tom threw 3", and many more. Perhaps he was finally institutionalized...."— warbiscuit - top 3 posters who exist to attack other posters, instead of intelligent analysis having anything to do with baseball:
phillyboyinnyc -- a true piece of cake sprinkling in pseudobabble and insisting that he's out to rid of the world of "alias-posters" and Penguin fans
1980 (see above)
dogbiscuitthedope -- thinks he perfected stalking as an art-form— warbiscuit 
Prospects and Trades
-d'Arnaud and Biddle for Halladay ? Worth it
-all four guys for Lee ? Worth it. I, like most fans think we should have kept him for one more year. But either way, we dont get to the 09 WS without him.
-Lee to Seattle for Gillies and Aumont? Love Aumont. Think he allowed like one line drive last year. Great speed and nasty movement. Jury out on Gillies. Eh ... we could have gotten more.
-Gose, Happ, Villar for Oswalt ? Oswalt pitched great in '10. Helped get us in the playoffs. Wish he didn't go home and ride his dozer. Trade would have been worth it if he had pitched a healthy '11. I really don't miss those prospects though.
-Santana and Singleton for Pence ? Not worth it. I was in favor of it when it happened, but when I got a real good look at him ... eh, he wasnt worth what he's gonna get from someone else. So they got a future catcher (hopefully).
-Worley and May for Revere ? I like Worley. If they didn't have Cloyd, Pettibone, Martin, Biddle, Morgan and Wright I wouldn't have done it. But since they do I don't mind.— zubzub- Why were the Phillies in a position to need Oswalt at the deadline? B/c RAJ traded Lee when he picked up Halladay. Dumb. Why did he feel the need to trade for Pence at the deadline? Because he failed to replace Werth in the line-up (and he has continued to do so). Terrible. This isn't just about the bad trades (Pence and Oswalt are the worst -- so far). It's about bad personnel decisions generally. The Pap deal is a good example. He over-paid and now we have yet another an un-tradeable "name" player. But the best examples are the decisions to spend FA money on the likes of Wigginton, Nix and Thome rather than guys we could have really used (like Aramis Ramirez, Cuddyer, and Willingham - to name a few). Additionally - with all those "top" prospects gone (you can like them or dislike them - but some are "top" prospects), we don't have the ammunition to add good veterans from other teams. — Copper34
