Success of big-league Phils to affect future of prospects

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies rode 140 miles south on two buses last Sunday as the Grapefruit League schedule slogged to its conclusion. Matt Klentak stayed behind. The 35-year-old general manager of the Phillies walked to the Carpenter Complex, where Phillies minor leaguers scrimmaged against each other in two games.

Klentak watched from a perch above home plate. He chatted with a few player-development officials as he shifted his focus from one game to the other. During the weeks spent in Florida, his presence on the back fields was a common sight.

"I really like that," Klentak said. "I really like watching the young kids play, but, secondly, it's important for me to go see them."

Progress in 2016 for these Phillies will not be measured in wins and losses; rather, the development of young players both in the majors and minors. That will dictate how long the rebuild will last. It is less quantifiable, and prospects can break hearts.

At the very least, the talent bar has been raised at every level in the organization.

"The progress of those players will ultimately help set the course for where we head this offseason and in future offseasons," Klentak said. "Period. Really, that's the answer."

It is not a stretch to imagine a Phillies roster in August that is augmented by the promotion of numerous prospects. Those players, such as Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn and Andrew Knapp, must earn the promotions.

It is typically more complicated than that. But indications are that service-time implications will not play a factor in those decisions; the Phillies hope many of their top prospects are regulars in the majors by 2017, so a taste of the majors this season is realistic. That is, if the prospects perform in the minors.

Crawford and Quinn will start at double-A Reading with catcher Jorge Alfaro. Thompson, Williams and Knapp are closer; they will begin at triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The argument for waiting to promote a prospect is to delay his service-time clock. The rules of the current collective bargaining agreement encourage teams to do just that; the Phillies operated in that spirit when they stalled Maikel Franco's recall last season.

But these are the Phillies. They are flush with cash. They have zero future burdens; the lone committed payroll money for 2017 is $13 million to injured pitcher Matt Harrison. The club has zero guaranteed money in 2018.

So if the front office speeds up free agency for one of its prospects with a promotion in 2016, it can be proactive later in pursuing an extension - if warranted - prior to free agency. The money is there.

That is all hypothetical. Prospects are prospects. Some of the hyped names will flourish. Others will not. By October, the Phillies hope to have a better read on which ones are legitimate.

Klentak started his research with the spring back-fields visits. He expects to make frequent trips to the nearby minor-league affiliates during the season.

"I learned there's a lot of talent in this organization," Klentak said. "Not all of it is polished and going to impact the team on opening day this year, but there's a lot of good players in the big leagues and in the upper levels of our system and some exciting players in the lower levels. I'm encouraged that so much that I have heard about prior to my arrival and then this offseason really does appear to be true."

Success in the majors would resemble something like this: Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff at or near 200 innings pitched. All-Star Maikel Franco approaches 30 homers. Vince Velasquez makes 20 starts. Jeremy Hellickson, Charlie Morton, Peter Bourjos or Andres Blanco fetch another prospect or two in summer trades. Odubel Herrera keeps hitting. One of Cesar Hernandez or Freddy Galvis emerges as an everyday player.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he was pleased to see the young players about which he had only heard or read. But he prefers to focus on the more realistic goals of his current players.

"They really looked like they've got a chance to be real good players," Mackanin said. "My focus right now is on the guys we have on the major-league level. And I really don't want to discount those guys. Their turn will come. But I'm hoping we're not going to have to take a chance on bringing them up early because the guys we have at the big league level are doing so well that there's going to be no rush."

That brand of loyalty is expected from Mackanin. Read between the lines, and his message to the 25-man roster that will begin its adventure on a cold Monday in Ohio, surfaces.

"We might not have to see [the prospects] early," Mackanin said. "The guys in the big leagues, they don't want to hear about those guys. And, understandably so. I wouldn't want to hear about it."

mgelb@philly.com

@mattgelb