The 2022 Philadelphia Phillies Draft Picks, UDFA and Signings

andyb 2022-07-20 15:26:42 UTC #122

That is generally what you get in the undrafted market (even with guys that might have been drafted previously in rounds 21-30). Or big guys that throw hard that don't have any sort of control.

allentown 2022-07-20 15:58:31 UTC #123

I don't doubt this is what you get from a guy who previously would have been a 22nd round draft pick. He just isn't a Radcliff-type -- the power hitter with low BA, but a ton of walks. Without the walks, Radcliff is a total nothingburger.

andyb 2022-07-20 16:24:33 UTC #124

Inquirer summary. Nothing much new but collects the Barber quotes in one place:

One more UDFA. Going back to the Dallas Baptist 1B pipeline.

D1 Baseball has the Phillies signing DBU 1B Cole Moore as an undrafted free agent
— Matt Winkelman ( @Matt_Winkelman ) July 20, 2022

allentown 2022-07-20 18:52:26 UTC #125

Even in the immediate draft aftermath golden words of our scouting director, most of these guys seem like longshots. The guy who stands out most, in a positive way based on position taken and likely bonus size, is Boyd, whom Barber seems to like almost as much as Crawford. They both seem to be super-fast, defense first, slap-hitters who must bulk up to gain strength and power, without losing speed or agility. The downside, is we've now spent top $ on basically the same guy (counting the top athlete on the Phillies Pharm, 'the Drone' -- Yhoswar Garcia, and not a lot different from the fleet and plus CF Johan Rojas -- who is hitting ok in AA at age 21. Seems we're spending a lot of $ and top picks to solve one problem, which might be within a year of being solved.

Rincones seems a guy we over-valued. We apparently stand apart from the crowd on his speed and D, based on Barber's comments:

" but he’s a better defender than people have given him credit for and he’s a better mover than people have given them credit for. And maybe some of the power and hit has even been undersold there with him.”

Docs 2022-07-20 19:37:44 UTC #126

Devil's advocate on the loading up on one position, the farm is also about having players valued in a trade. If they see those guys as players that could develop in their system, they might be moved in order to shore up the roster for a playoff run. Better to take someone at a loaded position that can be used as a trade chip than someone with a lower probability to become a real prospect. Plus - they are all lottery tickets that aren't guaranteed to develop, if one of three pans out, you solved the problem. If you only have one prospect at a position of need and they don't develop past AA then you have that gap for a decade. If two or more develop, you have an asset to flip and a solution to the position in the bigs.

allentown 2022-07-20 19:46:38 UTC #127

I totally agree none of these guys is a sure thing. In fact, the Phillies have tried over and over ad nauseum to fill this role through draft and international signings with zero success. It just seems a dumping of resources to fill a hole which they have been totally incompetent to fill. If there was ever a position which called for filling with a FA, it is CF for the Phillies. The Phillies biggest draft success in over a decade is former college pitcher Nola. The most interesting and promising guys on the pharm are pitchers and a catcher. If you are developing an excess from which to trade, stick with what you do well. I see Boyd as an excellent bet. Yhoswar and Crawford: not so much. All 3: meh. No organization does everything well. It's good to know your strengths and weaknesses.

julio 2022-07-20 19:59:58 UTC #128

Most of the people drafted in every draft, by every team, are longshots. The vast majority do not reach the major leagues.

allentown 2022-07-20 20:07:00 UTC #129

True, but I'm talking about our 3 top bonuses of this draft (I think Boyd will be #3)

julio 2022-07-20 20:15:17 UTC #130

I think my point stands. Guys picked #17, #93, or later (including 11th round picks) are never sure things. Even the top guys in the draft (as in, the top half-dozen picks or so) fail to make an impact at the major-league level with some regularity.

It's always a crap shoot.

When I read the fretting about picks, about how some kid doesn't look like a sure thing, may not be good enough, etc.... I'm very tempted to go dredge up some of the similar kinds of things that were posted in response to, for example, the selection of Chase Utley. It really seems like there's a compulsion to grumble over draftees about whom we really know very little.

Purduke 2022-07-20 21:01:23 UTC #131

I understand the point but I think it is less valid in a sports admin application than Corporate America, where the top execs may come up through a culture for 20 years. Starbucks may know coffee but they never have figured out the food thing. That type issue.

The reason you tear up the playbook after Almaraz (and before him again) and bring Barber in, let him bring Crowson in as his right hand is because you are trying to break propensities and make a reset. If the Phils just did the same old, same old afterwards I think that would be a bigger point of criticism about the Phillies culture.

For instance, with Almaraz we seemed to be Cal oriented with premium picks; so far I could argue Barber seems a bit SEC focused, specifically Florida. Somebody in Almaraz' tenure was a Long Island Longshot scout, right. That's gone; now we seem to be taking longshots from Missouri.

Almaraz tenure stressed pitchability and control with Seahorn, Seabold and the other guy they traded to the Orioles -- all from the West Coast. Barber's group seems to love active arms. Almaraz was hit tool -- don't know whar Barber is yet -- back to slappy toolsy kids?

On that last point, if you want a scare, isn't Darrell Connor Mr toolsy OF? I remember he was the Cal scout when they signed the Collier kid 1A who they were going to teach to hit; ditto Quint Berry from SD area. Believe he was there when we signed Gose.

andyb 2022-07-20 21:24:57 UTC #132

Barber is definitely pro-analytics. We'll teach control but give me a big arm and some spin rate. Editorial comment on that is it probably is a path to develop relievers rather than starters. Nobody other than the HS LHP looks like a long term starter to me out of this class' pitchers unfortunately.

On the hitting side Barber loves speed and exit velocity. The speed might get us a little defense, but clearly the thought is to develop bats and teach them the strike zone. And defense at lots of positions is simply less valuable in a DH league playing 3-outcome baseball.

It is hard to say if this year's draft is basically Crawford and then using analytics to identify potential upside among cheap signings. It may be. Remember our pool is among the smallest here. If we get even an average draft class out of this it will be a victory. Crawford and 2-3 utility players and relievers is kind of what we should expect from our pool.

fish 2022-07-20 21:28:17 UTC #133

Sal, in his free time, is the Long Island Longshot scout. UDFA 3B Matt Alifano was signed out of Adelphi on LI.

andyb 2022-07-20 21:31:11 UTC #134

It is part Sal, but the main guy is another regional scout. Looks like we made him the East Coast crosschecker after 2019.

Phillies scout Alex Agostino signed two of the organization's top 10 prospects out of Long Island high schools late in successive drafts.

RHP Ben Brown (33rd round, 2017)
C Logan O'Hoppe (23rd round, 2018)

Incredible.
— Matt Eddy ( @MattEddyBA ) July 18, 2022

Sabin 2022-07-20 21:41:38 UTC #135

Fair enough, but when I hear others speaking of draft 'longshots' I guess I assume your point to be a given, and thus the concern being raised is over that particular player(s) seeming to be even further down the scale.

Now, one can argue I'm doing some ass-u-ming here, as well as how much a few degrees further down a scale of considerable uncertainty merits mentioning, but in a game of inches it would seem every little bit you can gain in your favor helps.

andyb 2022-07-20 21:52:27 UTC #136

One thing that may be a negative in the long run is the lack of HS signings. We have more HS signings than college signings in our top 30 at the moment (using the MLB.com list). We have 9 HS signings and 12 International at the moment and a few of the other 9 were from trades. HS signings have more chances to stay on prospect lists than others because of age, but the fact remains that we have simply not been very good at identifying college prospects beyond the top few rounds of picks. Prospects like Ben Brown and Logan O'Hoppe seem to have a better chance at being high end prospects than similar college picks. Even McGarry was in the 5th round so it is not like he was a very low pick. Some of those HS prospects do not look great now (like Kendall Simmons), but some others like Brown and O'Hoppe and even a Jordan Viars look like they have top 10 potential).

flyers19rw 2022-07-20 23:09:21 UTC #137

What is the overall opinion of the talent across the board in this draft? There seems to be a few high quality players at the top but what was there after that?

julio 2022-07-21 04:06:03 UTC #138

As of this evening, Steve Potter has identified seven undrafted free agents who have signed (or will sign) with the Phillies. Steve's blog post is here:

I've updated the top post to include all these UDFA.

MaroonPistheBest 2022-07-21 05:51:40 UTC #139

I’m really excited about Cole Moore from DBU. Highly touted catcher coming out of high school. Had some hard luck with some injuries. Flourished at McLennan JC and at DBU. An absolute defensive wizard. I think he could play third, first, catch or even a corner outfield. He almost never strikes out. Just needs to increase his power numbers. Mark it down, I think he’s gonna be one of those sleepers that makes it.

Austinfan 2022-07-21 14:15:39 UTC #140

A backup catcher who can competently fill in at those positions has a huge edge in this day of 4-5 man benches, because he makes it much easier to make late game substitutions if your 3rd catcher is your "5th IF" and "5th OF."

But he'll have to show he can hit above the Mendoza line.

andyb 2022-07-21 15:56:50 UTC #141

Matt Winkelman on the draft. No great conclusions though outlines their preferences and trends. He also has an updating undrafted free agent post with the same 7 as Steve Potter. I think we signed 10 right after the draft last year and 30 new players seems to be about the number that the 180-person domestic organizational limit can handle. Right now we are around 172 though could easily place a few more on a 60-day IL to get more spots. Players only count once they are assigned to a team, so there are ways to finesse the limit (which IMO is stupid - first year drafted players should be exempt as they don't play much anyway).