J.P. Crawford promoted, headed to Clearwater
Shortstop J.P. Crawford, The Inquirer's No. 2 Phillies prospect, is being promoted from low Single-A Lakewood to advanced Single-A Clearwater in the Florida State League.
In an accompanying move, Clearwater's Roman Quinn, The Inquirer's No. 4 prospect, is being moved from shortstop to centerfield, a position he played in high school.
First reported by CSNPhilly.com, Crawford will join Clearwater on Wednesday, a day after participating in the South Atlantic League all-star game in Hickory, North Carolina.
"We felt that J.P. handled himself well at Lakewood and felt it was time for him to move to the Florida State League," Joe Jordan, The Phillies director of player development said to The Inquirer in a phone interview.
Jordan also has high hopes for Quinn and felt he needed to get at-bats, but not at the expense of Crawford.
"We feel we have two guys in our system who could be above average major league baseball players," Jordan said.
Quinn, a second round draft choice in 2011, suffered a season-ending hairline fracture of his right wrist last June 24 while at Lakewood. He then ruptured his Achilles tendon in offseason workouts and began his season May 19 at Clearwater.
The Phillies didn't want both Crawford and Quinn on the same team since each was still at shortstop, but now that has changed.
Quinn, 21, is batting .253 in 75 at-bats with one home run and three RBIs.
Clearwater resumes action Monday following the Florida State League all-star break.
The 19-year-old Crawford was the Phillies first round pick (16th overall) last season. Entering Sunday he was hitting .295 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and an .803 OPS. He had 14 stolen bases in 21 attempts.