Minor League Games - August 23, 2025

[julio]

AAA: Durham @ Lehigh Valley (RHP Gabe Mosser) 6:35 pm
AA: Reading (RHP Braydon Tucker) @ Altoona - 6:00 pm
High A: Hudson Valley @ Jersey Shore (RHP Luke Gabrysh) - 7:05 pm
Low A: Jupiter @ Clearwater (RHP Camron Hill) - 6:30 pm
FCL: Season Concluded
DSL: Season Concluded

Scores Here - https://www.mlb.com/milb/scores/2025-08-23/all/all/phillies

Boxes Here - https://www.mlb.com/prospects/stats/affiliates?teamId=143&date=08/23/2025

[kmc1019]

Aidan Miller another 3 hits. Call him up!

[Austinfan]

Rodriguez is flying under the radar, suspended for a year due to gambling, but still only 24 in Reading.
2B, though has played SS.
Next year, Lehigh could have a heck of a team, Ricketts/McIntosh C, Anthony 1B, Rodriguez 2B, Miller SS, Kemp 3B, Reyes lF. Rojas might return in CF if not claimed or kept in Philly.

[andyb]

Not sure Rodriguez is more than a depth player at this point. 24 in AA is not young and he has a 705 OPS in his comeback across 3 levels. The suspension did not help, but he has not shown the skills in the last 2 years where one would think he is still a serious prospect.

[zambonir]

Was he ever? DFAed by the White Sox and traded to us for cash because the Phillies had an open spot on the 40, non-tendered after the suspension was over. With over 1000 ABs in AA as well as some time in AAA before the Phillies got him you'd think he'd be taken in the Rule 5 if there's something there.

[phillychuck]

Rodriguez is flying under the radar, suspended for a year due to gambling, but still only 24 in Reading.
2B, though has played SS.

Rodriguez has literally never had a prospect-type year in the minors. He’s basically a 750 OPS hitter at best and a below average defender (he’s not quick laterally). He’s flying under the radar because he can’t get off the ground...

[zambonir]

"fly below the radar/pretty soon you hit some trees"

(lyric from this song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOz6fi18cU

[andyb]

The older Reading guy that is definitely a bit interesting (but probably not a prospect) has got to be Felix Reyes. Defensively challenged (makes Otto Kemp look good), but he has always had some pretty loud tools. Way too much swing and miss to think he can make it of course, but he is just a big guy with legit power who can run a bit that really looks like a baseball hitter.

This season has definitely been a step forward, though it could also be a veteran with a fair amount of experience learning how to succeed at the plate against younger or lesser prospects. This is the age thing, learning how to succeed against younger minor leaguers. I definitely want to see him next year at least in AAA.

[Austinfan]

Rodriquez was in AA at 21. Phillies picked him up off DFA (wonder if White Sox knew he was going to be suspended, since he was their #6 ranked prospect in 2023 according to MILB), Basically missed a year and a half of playing time, 229 PA at AA the last two seasons combined. Normal progression would have been full season at Reading at 23, and Lehigh this season.

2022: 7.9%/13.6%. 2023, 4.5% BB, 21.9% K. Seems to have gone HR happy in 2023. 18 HRs but expanded K zone.
In 2024, he showed a lot of improvement in BB/K rates at Reading before he was suspended, 7.9%/12.8%. Since he returned to Reading this summer, 6.2%/7.7%.

RC+ 2022: 102, 2023: 93, 2024: 110.

Utility IF with pop off the bench has value.

[zambonir]

He had sunk to 14 by the time of the trade. 17 according to whatever source this used.

Plus it was the White Sox system.

White Sox trade No. 17 prospect José Rodríguez to Phillies

For sure, he could hang around and maybe get on the 40-man in-season next year if there are injuries. But we thought that about Rodolfo Castro too (I think we even thought he might allow them to trade Sosa, if it came to it).

[andyb]

Sometimes players stop improving and it happens in their mid-20s. You keep posting about 1,500 plate appearances but Rodriguez is well over 2,000. So by your own philosophy he is really old and experienced tor the level. You keep quoting "normal progression" but you change the meaning of that every time you like (a usually older player who is not much of a prospect).

This is why tools matter. His defense is not great. He can hit a bit, but nothing special. I am not sure any of his 5 tools would grade over 45. Certainly none above 50.

[Austinfan]

We don't know, he missed a year and a half of experience from 23-24, had he not been suspended, probably would have had a full season at Reading last year then this season at Lehigh, giving a good read on his upside.

Should be in Lehigh next year, someone to watch.
Utility IF with some pop definitely has value, especially if they trade/lose Sosa.
You don't bring Miller up to sit on the bench or play part-time, so you want someone for that role.

I'd say 2000 PA is the norm for most college players, 2500 for HS/LA.
Not sure how I'd weight DSL reps, above HS but below rookie?

[phillychuck]

AF, he’s not good--his performance this year in AA projects to a MLB performance of about .660 OPS, which isn’t enough. Even for a utility IF. And he’s really sort of a tackling dummy on defense.

I mean it’s fine to keep an eye on him, but the odds of success have to be well below 5%. Not statistically significant.

[zambonir]

Technically the Phillies don't even control his rights next year, no? They non-tendered him and then he signed a straight minor league deal as a free agent. That doesn't retroactively put him back on the six-year clock (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

[phillychuck]

z, I think the terms are dependent on the contract.

[andyb]

He actually did not even miss a year. Played winter ball. 1-year suspension. Yes the suspension hurt. But he was already mediocre before that. What does 2,,000+ plate appearances really mean to you?

[zambonir]

That seems unlikely to me unless it was some kind of multi-year deal. They may or may not have paid him more than AAA minimum (but way less than the 40-man money he lost), or it just may be that he felt he owed it to the team to stick around. Or no other team wanted him.

In any case, I just don't know - can a straight FA who is not subject to the six-year limit still be put on the AAA reserve list (tendered, essentially) or is he truly free? Whether it's Rodriguez or Adonis Medina.

[julio]

Rodriquez was in AA at 21.

Why do you keep spelling Rodriguez' name with a Q? He doesn't.

[julio]

Technically the Phillies don't even control his rights next year, no?

This is correct. There's no reset on service time for minor league free agency. You played in seven major or minor league seasons, you're not on a 40 man roster five days after the WS ends, you're not on a multi-year guaranteed contract (think Scott Kingery here), you're a free agent.

In any case, I just don't know - can a straight FA who is not subject to the six-year limit still be put on the AAA reserve list (tendered, essentially) or is he truly free?

Free as a bird. Which is not to say a club couldn't offer such a player a minor league contract for the following year. It's not uncommon for a player who hits minor-league free agency to re-up with his prior organization within a day or two...although such players presumably want to go where they have advancement opportunities (which is to say, there's not much room in the Phils infield for Jose Rodriguez, so he might want to look around).

[zambonir]

I wasn't even thinking he had the service time, more that the non-tender made him a total free agent. But if he does it's all moot anyway. He's certainly not going on the 40 this fall and he wouldn't be subject to Rule 5 either (since any team can just offer him a contract, major, minor or split).