Beerleaguer for breakfast: Sizzling start for farm arms

Philadelphia's rotation has been a mess, but further down the chain, a handful of starters are lighting it up, including a mystery lefty.

Here's a name that you haven't seen. Scratch that. Here's a name that I haven't seen: Yohan Flande. He's a 23-year-old 6-2 lefty from El Seibo in the Dominican and spent last season stashed in the Gulf Coast League, where he went 4-1 in 10 games (9 starts) with a 2.19 ERA. This season, he's been jumped all the way to Class-A Clearwater, where he pitched seven shutout innings yesterday, making it 12 shutout innings so far this season. Where's he been hiding? Seven innings in mid-April is an awfully long leash, typically reserved for the big dogs. Keep your eye on Flande.

Some of the more recognizable starters are off to solid starts as well, including Flande's teammate Kyle Drabek, who threw seven shutout innings of his own his last start, including nine strikeouts. In full recovery from Tommy John, the former first rounder is primed for a breakout. Elsewhere, Vance Worley and Mike Stutes, direct arrivals from the Sally League, appear to be at the right level in Double-A and have performed well. And in Lehigh Valley, top prospect Carlos Carrasco tossed a pair of excellent six-inning outings, while Kyle Kendrick allowed two runs over seven frames his last turn.

Mayberry: Following up on March Mayberry Madness, John Mayberry Jr. is hitting .206/.308/.441 with two homers and 11 strikeouts in Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Comments

[shake-n-bake 77]

Good to have arms at all levels. My gut feeling is this is going to be a rough year in Philly unless a starting pitcher really steps it up. I was secretly fantasizing it would be Chan Ho. But now I'm wondering how short of a leash Park will be on. Of course, as bad as everyone else has been on the pitching staff it's kind of hard to single a guy out. I'm thinking give him two or three more starts to show us something. If mediocrity continues, I wouldn't waste any more time flipping him with Happ, in whom we have invested beyond 09.

[NEPP]

Drabek goes again tomorrow...should be interesting to see if he keeps it up.

[GM-Carson]

I read the minor league box scores every day, and I believe it's time we become accustomed to seeing Flande as a real prospect.

[NEPP]

But what kind of actual stuff does Flande have? He's 23 and at a low level in the minors afterall. He should be doing pretty well.

[Dave X]

0.00 ERA, 7 IP, 4 K, 1 BB

Carlos Monaserios, yeah

[J. Weitzel]

NEPP: I wish I knew. Like I said, I know nothing about him.

[PhillyFriar]

Flande performed well as a 20-year in the DSL in 2006, but perhaps because of a logjam, he wasn't promoted to the GCL in 2007 (instead repeating the DSL as a 21-year old). He was good but not overpowering in the GCL last year (53.1 IP, 41 H, 11 BB, 39 K, 2.19 ERA), so jumping him to Clearwater is the best way to tell if they're on to anything or not.

So far, so good. He's been tough on both righties and lefties, and he's maintained some ground ball tendencies. He's certainly one to watch going forward.

[Albert]

Nice to see John Mayberry is hitting the cover off the ball

[DanTheMan]

was at LV for Carrasco's last start. He had some nasty stuff but he's still putting too many guys on base. He threw a lot of first-pitch offspeed stuff. I don't think he trusts his fastball enough, but he's very close to having an amazing 3-pitch repetoire.

On Mayberry, he's clearly swinging for the fences in every at bat. The night I saw him he was flailing all over the box. He did hit a hanging Kip Wells curveball halfway to Scranton to tie the game for the Iron Pigs though.

[J. Weitzel]

Thanks Friar. If anyone would know, it would be you!

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I understand the estimable Kip Wells is headed to D.C. to join Manny Acta's rotating bullpen.

[J. Weitzel]

Hugh. Indeed. There was a pretty major shakeup yesterday with a couple guys getting pink slips and others getting demoted.

[MG]

Nats had to shakeup up their bullpen/team in a big way after starting 1-10 and having their bullpen completely meltdown 3 days in a row.

Just think how bad this team would be if they hadn't signed Dunn or Biemel later in the offseason?

[clout]

Flande is not on any prospect list and is facing players 3 years younger than he is.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Well, perhaps our prospect lists can be adjusted. Here's to hoping.

[paco]

If Flande were a prospect, phuturephillies would have mentioned him. He needs to be at least at AA by the end of the season to have a realistic chance of entering the prospect realm.

[clout]

Dave X: I know your post is tongue-in-cheek, but it's Monasterios, not Monaserios. And, yeah, he isn't among the Phillies Top 30 prospects and, like Flande, is old for the league.

[clout]

BedBeard: If your aunt had balls, she'd be your uncle.

[thephaithful]

*is already removing the stiching in his Lidge jersey to replace with Flande*

[denny b.]

Don't forget about the starts Knapp, Overholt, Bastardo and Escalona have gotten off to either.

Knapp has power stuff. And, the other 3, have been lights out, in the bullpen.

Julian Sampson has also been pretty good early on at Clearwater.

And, Drew Carpenter won his last outing at LV.

Most encouraging thing about the first few weeks of baseball in this organization, has been the pitchers performances, in the minor leagues.

[thephaithful]

re: Park's outing

Put me on the side that thinks he pitched well enough to keep the Phils in the game. Aside from the AGonz blast, all of his runs were aided by largely junk.

Gives up other three runs on a bunt, sac bunt, weak single over utley's glove, misplay by ibanez, groundout.

Yes, the Padres were hitting the ball off him and relied on a line drive DP and a few great plays by Howard, but he still managed to keep the Phils in the game, and thats what your 5 starter should do. If he was on an oft-mentioned "leash" coming into this game, I do not think his outing shortened it any.

[Albert]

Yea I agree with thephaithful about the length of Park's "leash". However, Park could pitch a similar game next time around which could significantly hurt his chances of staying in the rotation (Howard doesn't make a nice play, Phillies don't win, etc). Park isn't going to be anything better than MAYBE a 5th starter/bullpen arm, due to the numbers he has put up as a starter over the last few years. I think the problem here becomes the chance that Happ could blossom into more than a 5th starter this year if he gets the reps (maybe a solid middle of the rotation guy). If its mid May and Park isn't really giving the Phillies many QS, I think it will be then be time to let Happ step up.

[PHIinBK]

since i live out of market I rarely get to watch the games. I was wondering if the starters appear to be slowly getting it together start by start?

I'm looking for some glimmer of hope that the staff has not regressed to 2007 levels.

[bay_area_phan]

Knapp is definitely a guy worth watching because he throws around 97 MPH. He supposedly doesn't have much in the way of secondary pitches, but a 97 MPH fastball is a good start. At worst, he probably has a major league future in the bullpen.

[MG]

Don't mean to rain on the lovefest with the minor league pitchers but just as we have gotten bent out of shape about the Phils' pitching staff, it is still only been 2 times through the rotation.

Old adage is that pitchers are always ahead of hitters at this point in the season. I would imagine this is especially true in the minors where batters don't have the same amount of time to prepare/face live competition in spring training.

It will be much more interesting to check back in around Memorial Day or so especially if the Phils' staff keeps pitching so poorly. Likely the Phils are going to need some meaningful contributions from their minor league system this year if they are going to make the playoffs.

[king myno]

I don't think the debate is "does Park deserve a few more starts," because he does. I think the debate is "can he be more useful in the bullpen," and I think that's a no-brainer. Durbin, Taschner and Condrey cannot lock down the 7th inning, and that's something we need right now. Neither can Happ, but I think Park could. Until JC gets back, Park is better served in the pen, and JA is better served as a starter. This has become readily apparent over the first two weeks, IMO.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I think it's fair to praise the early work of the prospects, especially with the poor start the big league pitchers are off too.

[Mac Tonight]

Pitching has definitely been a problem thus far:

Park: 2 starts, 9 IP, 15 H, 9 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB
Moyer: 2 starts, 11 IP, 16 H, 8 ER, 3 HR, 4 BB
Myers: given up 1 HR for every 2.5 K

Park may end up being replaced by Happ, but who will replace Myers if he repeats the first half of 2008 or Moyer if age finally begins to take its toll, or Hamels if he finds himself on the DL?

[Albert]

I tend to agree, I think Park would be better served as a bullpen arm. I'm curious to what makes you think he can single handedly "lock down" the 7th? Honestly I trust Durbin more to take on that roll than I would Park.

[PhillyFriar]

Ahhh clout, always the naysayer.

Seriously though, you're right that Flande is certainly old for the league, but since he hasn't failed yet, and he's managed to post good peripherals, he's at least worth monitoring. It's certainly possible that he has a future as a strike-throwing bullpen lefty -- and after the Ed Wade era, I've come to appreciate developing those guys from within, as opposed to signing them to silly free agent contracts or trading for them (Turk Wendell or Todd Jones, anyone?).

[thephaithful]

Mac: The return of KK baby!! (joking...kinda)

myno: good point and I agree with you 100%. Personally that would have been my move from the start, but since they started this way, i believe it would be unwise to switch gears already.

[EastFallowfield]

Yo, new thread