Window of Opportunity to the Phillies

On the way to the majors, detours can occur for a youngster when an organization acquires a veteran to fill a positional hole on the parent club and trades the raw talent they originally signed to a rebuilding franchise like the Philadelphia Phillies.

In the Rotation’s Shadow:

Routes to a destination are never as the crow flies: No straight line exists from point A to an eventual location because variables like the weather can lead to a change of plans.

Emerging from a host of pitchers, starters picked up from other teams are realizing the potential on the Phillies: They could achieve their dream of playing in the major leagues. Previously, they were behind hurlers with a higher ranking on MLB.com’s list of organizational prospects. In other words, they are now in the hunt to make the Phils’ five-man staff if they can impress management.

Of the four slots in the rotation aside from Aaron Nola, two have arrived from the trades of Cole Hamels and Ken Giles. The Hamels’ deal produced an early benefit with Jerad Eickhoff, and the Giles’ swap introduced Vince Velasquez to the faithful. Now, the competition for the other two spots continues in April on the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Wasting no time, Eickhoff had three solid outings with Lehigh Valley before his 2015 call-up, and he’s numerically indicated he’s here to stay. Meanwhile, continuing to make adjustments in the big leagues has earned him the second spot on the starting staff. On the other hand, Velasquez’s heater was originally the key to locking up a rotation job despite the so-called competition with Adam Morgan, who is in the mix for a bullpen seat this season. Presently, Velasquez is transitioning from a thrower to a pitcher, and he and Nola are looking to cement their slots like Eickhoff.

Before the International League could establish a book on Zach Eflin, he joined the red pinstripes after only 11 starts for the IronPigs before making 11 appearances here. In other words, the right-hander will return to Triple-A with confidence, the inside track back to the Show, the advantage of fixed knees and a league facing a new Eflin. Keep in mind, he only reached Advanced Single-A ball, had a lower prospect ranking due to those knees, and was available for Jimmy “J-Roll” Rollins in a three-way trade.

As the second piece of the Hamels’ deal to see major league action, Jake Thompson began his third consecutive level with four straight debacles. He entered Double-A, Triple-A and the majors with four regrettable starts before dominating in the high minors. However, he was inconsistent in his last six MLB outings because he didn’t attack the strike zone. He issued too many free passes by being too cautious against major leaguers. Now, he’ll challenge the opposition for Lehigh Valley to get another bite of the reddest apple.

IN OTHER WORDS:     “Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home plate don’t move.” – Satchel Paige

While the PA announcements were blaring behind them, two fans talked about Ben Lively’s last appearance before joining the minor league camp. He got lit up! Yeah, he figured he’d start the next inning after two quick outs, but then Nola loaded the bases: Lively just wasn’t ready for a jam. What player did we give up for Lively? Marlon Byrd.

After Thompson and Eflin advanced to the IronPigs, Lively began 2016 with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils. Wasn’t he in Double-A for the second half of 2014? Yeah, he received a promotion from the Cincinnati Reds. Hot dogs! Cold beer! Warm afternoon. Whether it was motivation and/or familiarity with the Eastern League batters, he dominated there and Lehigh Valley after his advancement. And he overcame the adjustments he faced at Triple-A to dominate the league again in his last eight performances.

After Mark Appel struggled at Double-A and Triple-A, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired the righty in the Giles’ deal. The former top selection in the MLB Draft was an intriguing part of that swap. But he only had a solid April before injuries ended his early success and year.

On the losing end of the current battle with Morgan to be the long reliever, right-hander Alec Asher may get three Triple-A starts before Thompson and Eflin finish extended spring training. That stated, Asher produced two successful stints of four starts each with the IronPigs in ’15 and ’16. In the majors for 2015, however, the righty had a disastrous seven appearances, but then he suffered an injury and an 80-game PED suspension in 2016 before five decent performances last September. Yes, he was the third arm in the package for Hamels.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:           “I would change policy, bring back natural grass and nickel beer. Baseball is the belly button of our society. Straighten out baseball, and you straighten out the rest of the world.” – Bill “Spaceman” Lee

For Jonathan Papelbon from the Washington Nationals, right-hander Nick Pivetta will also have at least three outings for Lehigh Valley. Last summer, he advanced to the IronPigs due to an opening after Asher’s similar promotion to Philly. Yes, Pivetta had five solid performances for the affiliate in Allentown, but the league didn’t have enough time to catch up with him. Ergo, he might win a spot there before the International League figures him out.

To sum up, the Phillies are filling their rotation opportunities. Eickhoff, Nola, Velasquez, Eflin and Thompson are here or will be in the second half if everybody remains healthy. Meanwhile, Lively will have a three-game advantage, while Asher or Pivetta might secure a starting role due to that same head start. And what is Appel? A wild card!