Triple A:
With the struggles of Adam Eaton and Brett Myers, some have called on JA Happ to be the call-up to make a start should a move be made. Happ is a lowly 1-4 at Lehigh-Valley, but has also been a victim of being on a poor team. Latley it seems the poor supporting cast has begun to take it’s toll. He’s given up 8 earned runs in his last 13 innings pitched. This is only a minor concern. Every young pitcher hits a rut from time to time. Should the Phillies look to make a move, Happ would still be the favorite to get the call-up.
Jon Knott has flourished since the Phillies picked him up off the Twins scrap-heap. In 22 games as an Iron Pig, Knott is batting .313 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI’s. Like many of the Iron Pigs, Knott is another minor-league jounreyman, who’ll probably never get to smell the grass at Citizen Bank Park. The Phillies don’t have much in the way of prospects at the Triple-A level, so continue to see guys like Knott, Andy Tracy, and Mike Cervenak get at-bats in Lehigh-Valley, until the younger players come along.
Odds are you haven’t heard of Robert Swindle. He’s not on any prospect sheet, and has flown under the radar since being drafted in the 14th round of the 2004 draft by the Boston Red Sox. In saying that, he’s a pitcher you should keep an eye on. After starting the season at Reading, where he dominated out of the bullpen (1-0, 0.54 ERA), Swindle was promoted to Lehigh-Valley, where he’s continued to impress. In his seven appearances since his call up, Swindle is 1-0 with a 0.97 ERA. He’s also struck out eleven in just over nine innings, while only walking one.
Double A:
Pitcher JD Durbin’s star has continued to fall. The once self-proclaimed “Real Deal”, pitched his way off the Phillies this spring, and was assigned to Lehigh-Valley. Well, he managed to pitch his way out of Triple-A as well. Unable to fool hitters in Triple-A (0-5, 9.42 ERA), was demoted to Reading last week, and his struggles continue. Durbin made his debut against the Trenton on Thursday and took the loss as the Thunder beat the R-Phils 5-2. Durbin gave up four hits and four runs (none earned), in five innings. The odds of Durbin ever returning to Philadelphia as a member of the Phillies continue to slim.
While Durbin’s stock continues to drop, Carlos Carrasco is making a case for a promotion. The righthander is now 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA. Carrasco has only allowed three runs in his last eighteen innings (spanning three starts). It’s hoped that Carrasco joins the Phillies rotation by 2009. Given his current progress, see some minor action this year, and a rotation spot next year doesn’t seem out of the question.
Single A:
After missing time with a back strain, Adrian Cardenas has returned to action, and has started to hit FSL pitching. Cardenas is 5 for his last 10 with two home runs and three RBI’s. Cardenas is a propsect to continue to watch. Long considered the Phillies top position prospect, it’s unsure where he fits into the Phillies future lineup. We all know who mans second base for the Phillies, and Chase Utley isn’t going to give it up anytime soon. Whether Cardenas has the arm to play third base still remains a question. It’s to early to speculate, but given what is ahead of him at the big league level, Cardenas could be a name brought should the Phillies look to make a mid-season trade.
