In a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Phillies received infielder Randy Ruiz for no compensation. They also singed right-hander Chris Rojas, who had been pitching in the independent leagues. Both players were previously with the organization.
Ruiz hits like crazy, but has been suspended numerous times for violating baseball’s substance abuse policy. In 2005 with Reading, the 29-year-old New Yorker was on pace to win the Eastern League triple crown until his suspension. He was hitting .349 with 27 homers and 89 RBIs in only 344 at bats. The Phillies didn’t keep him, and neither did the Yankees, Royals or Pirates, the teams that had him in the time since. With Double-A Altoona, Ruiz was hitting .290 with 7 homers and 30 RBIs (.850 OPS).
Chris Rojas was also in Reading during the summer of 2005. In nine minor league seasons, the 30-year-old right-hander is 48-47 with a 4.38 ERA.
Beerleaguer: These latest moves expose the team's state of minor league disarray. They’ll take anything just to adequately fill out a roster, no matter how old, damaged or hopeless. From Clearwater through Ottawa, the rosters are absolutely jammed with independent retreads and has-beens. They're signing them almost daily now. It’s an embarrassment.
MLB should end the franchise, and allow one of the Fla. franchises to replace it.
Posted by: curt | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 03:32 PM
It is an embarrasment. What is happening in Ottawa that guys are retiring in season? Ron Calloway was 1st after a hot spring training when he hit .405. And "Hey" Lou Collier was one of the Lynx better hitters. These guys would not have helped the Phils unless there was a rash of injuries, but still, something is very wrong with the farm system. Randy Ruiz, really???
Posted by: martin | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 03:36 PM
We're very lucky Utley, Howard, and Hamels somehow trickled through, but they look like the last survivors to escape a dying planet.
Posted by: curt | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 03:40 PM
Which makes it all more imperative to get young ML-ready talent from someone for Rowand, Garcia, Lieber.
Posted by: curt | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 03:44 PM
Most farm systems are filled with re-treads... READ: Chris Coste is the exception. He's a retread that happened to work his way up. The minor leagues only exist so that the few prospects get the proper seasoning so they can get to the BIGS... But that is such a rare case that paying attention to a Ruiz is almost silly.
Some teams have more prospects than others...
Ed Wade spilled through the "prospects" during his last few years and his trading deadline moves.
This is not a sign of any embarassment or anything like that. You just happen to be noticing it. Every day there are transactions just like this across every team.
The real problem indicator might be due ot the fact that the players are stuck in Ottawa for a year and the travel schedule is hell... and a guy like Collier doesn't want to make those trips any longer. Would you???
I think you will see quite an improvement when the AAA franchise moves to Allentown. YOu will see more flexibility the 40 minutes difference between AA and AAA. It will be real interesting.
Posted by: Mike Cunningham | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 03:57 PM
Mike: You are wrong. That has been dealt with in news stories. While it's correct to say every organization has retreads, you are WRONG in implying the Phillies have no more than the typical organization. I believe the DN reported the number at 65% or so. It is far higher than most organizations and yes it is an embarrassment.
Posted by: clout | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 04:14 PM
What's a prospect?....Gavin Floyd
Posted by: GM-Carson | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 04:15 PM
So i just wanted to officially retract my statement that the Phil's would be well over .500 by the end of May. Upon second thought it seems like less than a sure thing.
That must be some ego boost for Ruiz, being told he is being sent to the Phils for (drumroll please) ... NOTHING.
I'm sure at the very least the arn't hoping the door hits him in that ass on the way out.
Posted by: yt | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 04:21 PM
Mike, I agree Allentown will be an improvement, and travel to Ottawa is a pain, but I am fairly sure the Phils have the most ex-Indy players is their system. And not all tires are the same. Coste was a good find (but not helping now), but guys like Melvin Mora, Marcas Thames, Carlos Pena were probably considered retreads, and they're bit better than a guy like Randy Ruiz.
Posted by: martin | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 04:28 PM
And you thought it was tough to play in Philly:
Not a good team'
Scout rips Yanks, calls Abreu 'piece of garbage'
BY MARK FEINSAND
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Posted Friday, June 1st 2007, 4:00 AM
Abreu, in particular, has baffled the scout, who said, "It looks like he's never played the game before in his life." Having watched several Yankees games during the past month, the scout can't figure out how Abreu has dropped off as severely as he has this season.
"I'm as confused as you are; he looks like a piece of garbage," the scout said. "I keep looking and trying to find reasons, but I have no explanation. All I know is that he's not doing the job."
Posted by: curt | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 06:01 PM
Clout - Agreed about the high percentage of retreads in the Phils' system. Every system has a bunch of retreads, especially at AAA, but it is a telling sign when the Phils have to seriously look at A level and below to find viable talent they consider worthy of bringing up.
Posted by: MG | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 06:20 PM
It's not just that they have a lot of retreads. It's that even their so-called legitimate prospects don't have very good prospects. How excited can you get about guys like Zach Segovia and J.A. Happ, whose minor league ERAs are in excess of 4.00? Or Michael Costanzo, the Phillies supposed third baseman of the future, who can't hit over .230 in Double A and leads the league in errors? Or Adrian Cardenas, the "crown jewel" of their farm system, whose batting average is around .260?
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 06:52 PM
BAP: Cardenas is only 19 and in his first professional season. He's not worth picking on yet.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 06:58 PM
Jason,
Well, ok, I suppose I'm over-reaching a little by criticizing Cardenas. 30+ years of rooting for the Phillies have perhaps left me jaded & hyper-critical. But I would still feel a little more enthusiastic about the guy if he'd at least put up a respectable batting average at a very low minor league level.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 07:40 PM
Teams do not give up affordable major league ready talent for aging players you no longer want.
The Phillies Minors - Rookie Leagues, Low A, and High A all have good talent now thanks to this GM not losing top draft picks for marginal free-agents, and trading away arms for trade deadline used up relievers the way Ed Wade did.
Posted by: SirAlden | Friday, June 01, 2007 at 11:04 PM