Saturday, November 22, 2014

Biddle, Morgan and Ogando Added to 40-Man Roster

2014 Topps Heritage
Minor League #193
2014 Bowman Chrome
Prospect Autographs #BCAP-AM
2014 Grandstand Reading
Fightin Phils #25

I'm taking a break from the Phillies Team Issue posts to look at three recent prospects added to the team's 40-man roster.  The addition of these three to the roster keeps them safe from next month's Rule 5 draft.  As of this writing, there are 38 players on the Phillies roster.

I'm not an expert on future Phillies, so please see the fine Phuture Phillies blog for more on these players or follow along at Phillies Minor Thoughts.

Jesse Biddle (lhp) - Biddle had a lost season in 2014, appearing in just 19 games and missing significant time due to concussion-related symptoms incurred during a violent hail storm.  In total, the 2010 first round pick went 5-10 with a 4.58 ERA playing mostly between High A Clearwater and Double-A Reading.  Biddle has appeared on quite a few Phillies baseball cards since 2010, and his most recent baseball card can be found within the 2014 Topps Heritage Minor League set.

Adam Morgan (lhp) - Morgan was the team's third round pick in the 2011 draft.  After finishing the 2013 season with Lehigh Valley, Morgan missed the entire 2014 season due to shoulder surgery.  He was omitted from any of the team's minor league sets in 2014, but he can be found in the 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs set.

Nefi Ogando (rhp) - Ogando emerged as one of the system's top pitching prospects after an impressive 2014 campaign with Double-A Reading.  I say impressive in the sense that he apparently has a big upside, not in the sense that his numbers at Reading were impressive.  Ogando, acquired from the Red Sox last season for veteran infielder John McDonald, went 5-1 with a 6.27 ERA this past season.  He struck out 57 while walking 28 in 56 innings of work.  If he can gain any semblance of control, he might just emerge as a 2015 bullpen candidate.  His sole Phillies card to date can be found in the Reading team set.

Memory Lane
2009 Additions - Quintin BerryYohan Flande and Jesus Sanchez
2010 Additions - Cesar Hernandez, Matt Rizzotti, Harold Garcia, Freddy Galvis and Justin De Fratus*
2011 Additions - Phillippe AumontJake DiekmanTyson Gillies and Sebastian Valle
2012 Additions - Zach CollierEthan MartinTrevor May and Jonathan Pettibone
2013 Additions - Aaron Altherr, Kelly Dugan, Tommy Joseph and Rob Rasmussen

*Somehow I skipped 2010 and didn't do a post.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing to do with the subject of the post, but I have to get something off of my chest... I really hate the "Baseballtown" uniforms that Biddle and Ogando are shown wearing.

Jim said...

I have to agree with you. I feel this is a classic case of a popular minor league franchise "trying too hard."