PHILS PHACTS:
Phillies Select Goeddel With First Pick – The
Phillies hope Tyler Goeddel is the next Shane Victorino, Odubel Herrera or Ender Inciarte. The Phils selected Goeddel with the first pick
in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. Pro scouting director Mike Ondo selected Victorino,
Herrera and Inciarte in previous Rule 5 Drafts, and each of those players
enjoyed success in the big leagues. Perhaps Goeddel can follow suit. The
Phillies also selected left-hander Daniel Stumpf, who pitched last season in
Kansas City's farm system. "This mirrors a lot what we tried to do last
year with Herrera," Ondo said about Goeddel on Thursday morning at the
Winter Meetings. "It's taking a chance on a prospect and adding him to the
mix that we have. Trying to hit big on a player with a high ceiling. Goeddel
excited us at the beginning of this whole process with his approach at the
plate, the athleticism, the speed, the fact that he moved to the outfield this
year and handled all three outfield positions. You have a baseball player here.
He has instincts. He can steal bases. There's a lot of things to like about
this player." Goeddel, 23, was the No. 24 prospect in Tampa Bay's farm
system, and he slots in with the
Phils at No. 19, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Rays selected him
with the 47th overall pick in the 2011 Draft. He is the younger brother of Mets
reliever Erik Goeddel.
Tyler Goeddel moved from third base to the outfield last season and responded
with the best offensive season of the career, hitting .279/.350/.433 with 17
doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, 72 RBIs and 28 stolen bases in 123 games at
Double-A Montgomery. "There's power potential," Ondo said. "His
home runs jumped this year. Especially the latter part of the season, he really
started to climb. He hit 12 this year, which is a career high for him. There's strength
in there. There's good approach and there's strength in the bat, and I like to
think there's more power to come." The Phillies weren't the only team to
like Goeddel. The Reds had the No. 2 pick in the Rule 5 Draft and hoped to
select him. "[Goeddel's] ceiling in our mind wasn't as high as the five
guys we protected," Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics said. "And
that's where it comes down to it. ... We have 40 spots. One through 40.
Somebody's 41, somebody's 42, somebody's 43." Goeddel's arrival in Philadelphia
makes it almost a certainty that free agent Jeff Francoeur will not
return next season. If Goeddel makes the Opening Day roster, he will join a
young and crowded outfield that includes Herrera, Peter Bourjos, Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. Darnell Sweeney can also
play outfield. Darin Ruf
has experience in left. Stumpf, 24, went 5-4 with a 3.57 ERA in 42 games last
season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He struck out 76 in 70 2/3 innings,
holding opponents to a .212 average. Stumpf held left-handers to a .167
average, but he is not viewed as a left-handed specialist. "We like the
arm," Ondo said. "We like the aggressiveness, the approach he has. He
handled left-handers real well this year. He's an aggressive reliever up to 94
[mph], and he's got a slider to get left-handers out." The Phils did not
lose anybody in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, despite the fact that
outfielder Carlos Tocci and right-hander Alberto Tirado were unprotected. They
lost right-hander Manny Martinez in the Minor League phase to the White Sox.
Martinez went 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA for Class A Lakewood.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL
East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and
bipolar performances, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in
franchise history! However, at least Ryan Madson got another ring this year.
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