Phillies option Carpenter, send Vogelsong to minors

Right-handers Andrew Carpenter and Ryan Vogelsong we never really in contention for the fifth starter. Nevertheless, the Phillies are officially auditioning six starters for five spots. Carpenter will join Joe Savery with the Triple-A squad, and Vogelsong, the Kutztown University product, could go there as well. (Via Twitter reports)

Comments

[R.Billingsly]

I'd be really surprised if Carpenter doesn't make a few starts by the All-Star break.

[toddzilla]

domonic brown another homer out to right center. boom goes the dynamite.

[toddzilla]

actually fan reached over with his hat and turned a double into a HR. No replay in spring training.

[R.Billingsly]

Another Domonic Brown HR. Well, it should have been a double, but a fan reached over and caught it. The umpire actually went out to the fence and asked the fan if it was a HR or a 2B. Naturally, the Phils' fan said HR. Only in ST would an ump ask a fan if it was a HR or not. Gotta love it.

[joe]

>I'd be really surprised if Carpenter doesn't
>make a few starts by the All-Star break.

If he makes a few by the all-star break, that means that we went through kendrick, moyer, and a couple of contreras.

that would be bad news for da phils.

[Robby J]

cipper...I think Verlander felt Dom was "stylin" cuz he ran "slower" than he "should." on his 1st home run jaunt

[Jack]

joe: Pitchers can miss a start because of a minor injury or something. I'm guessing that's what he's referring to, not that all of our other 5th starter options would be replaced for performance reasons.

[NEPP]

Sadly, I would have been honest with the ump...just like if I was playing in a pickup game.

Yeah, I'm the wrong guy to catch the "HR" ball I guess.

[ozark]

When the doubleheaders pile up due to early spring rainouts.

[Dan in Philly]

who's pitchin?

[R.Billingsly]

Jack: exactly. It's got nothing to do with performance or long-term injury. And I don't see Contreras getting any starts this season. I figure they'd call up Carpenter to spot start rather than go with Contreras. A few spot starts were made by guys not on the initial 25-man last year...and most years, if I recall.

[NEPP]

In case anyone was curious:

Michael Taylor: 3 for 23, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, 7 SO, 0 BB, .130 AVG, .167 OBP, .261 SLG

Though he is always a slow starter so we'll see if he comes on stronger by the end of the spring.

[R.Billingsly]

To reinforce my Carpenter theory above, in 2009 the following pitchers made starts prior to the All-Star game:

Carptenter: 5/16
Bastardo: 6/2, 7, 13, 19, 25
Rodrigo Lopez: 7/3, 8
Kendrick: 6/12

[Gsl]

You hear guys talking about taking your hands straight to the baseball. You can see this clearly from watching Dom Brown's swings from today. From the side view you can draw a straight path from his ready position with his hands to where they travel to meet the baseball. No wasted movement, no dip or drag. Having a short, direct movement like that is what allows you to turn around a Verlander fastball.

[R.Billingsly]

Gsl: Indeed. Brown has a very nice, fluid swing. It's going to be fun watching him finish the final stages of his development.

[R.Billingsly]

Brown with a nice diving catch in RF. Kid's having a game today!

[RodeoJones]

I'd rather call up Carpenter to start one half a twin bill then throw Conterras off of his routine. That's just my opinion though.

[NEPP]

So...could this be a huge breakout year for Dom Brown? Maybe he finally puts it all together and realizes his potential...

[Jack]

RodeoJones: That's what the Phillies would do as well.

[RodeoJones]

To summarize R.B.'s, Jack's and others:

7th starter = Carpenter?

At this point I think so. It could be Vogelsong if performance merits it but it won't be Savery.

That's who good the team is that we're debating the 7th man in the bullpen and the emergency starter.

[MG]

Just repeat this mantra enough time to realize the value of stats in spring training:

"Bruntlett hit .360"
"Bruntlett hit .360:

[awh]

"A few spot starts were made by guys not on the initial 25-man last year...and most years, if I recall."

RBill, I've posted this before:

Twelve (12) different pitchers made at least one (1) start for the Phils last season.

If Moyer is the 5th starter, IMO the biggest decision the Phils have to make is whether or not to send Kendrick down to keep him stretched out. Even if they do that, I'd say KK is a good bet to get at least 10 starts in MLB this season.

We'll see....

[toddzilla]

MG- better that brown is doing well than struggling mightily.

so 3 for 3 two home runs a walk a diving catch. Looking good.

[MG]

toddzilla - Of course but I don't take the stats for Spring Training or Winter Leagues with much candor. Just largely empty numbers.

If people want to gush over a guy who puts up a very solid season at high A/AA, then I am much more on board.

[NCPhilly]

MG- Remind me: when is Clout Day?

[mainerob]

I get a kick out of a post above that talks about D. Brown "finally" putting it all together this coming season. How old is he? He's a pup and has progressed with alacrity through the farm system.

I guess it's the "finally" part that gets me. The whole idea of ascendancy through low A to high A is to improve one's total package while facing stiffer competition. So, in that sense, he's right on target. Velander is no slouch, although he will probably say, post mortem, that he's working on a pitch during ST that he would never consider for his in-season repertoire.

In any event, it's great to see another home-grown kid "finally" put it all together. I just wish he hit from the right side, but that's just coming from a spoiled Phillie fan, who dates all the way back to the Whiz Kids of 1950. I truly have seen it all.

[donc]

Kendrick is in the same position as Happ was last year. He'll probably get passed over for the 5th starters job, and most likely unfairly. Take it like a man and be ready because your opportunity will come. And probably sooner rather than later. Happ is the poster child for how to handle it and he nearly became the Rookie of the Year.

[awh]

Taylar has had all of 23 AB and someone here is even raising a question?

Sheesh.

Didn't is take him 50 - 100 AB just to get rolling at each level he played last season?

BEER*LEAGUER: Home of the toughest fans in MLB!

[R.Billingsly]

awh: Yes, see my post of 2:37. I was reacting to my post saying that Carpenter will make at least one start prior to the All-Star break. Those are the only ones I could see that made starts in '09 prior to the AS break, who were not on the 25-man.

To think that a stater other than Halladay, Hamels, Blanton, Happ, Kendrick and Moyer won't make a start prior to the middle of July is ridiculous. To further think that the Phils will be in deep trouble because of it is equally misplaced.

[Gsl]

Why is Michael Strahan on my Phillies broadcast. Get out of here.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

This is spring training. As long as you take it with a grain of salt, it is ok to applaud someone doing well during spring training.

[thephaithful]

damn i can not wait til watch this tonight on MLBN, to see Dom inate.

[Dan in Philly]

Dom = the next Willie Mays...

[MLL]

Zolecki says Brown re-assigned to minor league camp after the game today.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Brown should be going into minor league camp with a good taste from his time with the big club. I'm guessing the kid made an impression. Hopefully, he continues to put in the work now that he's back on the farm.

[MG]

Conlin predicts 98 wins and a WFC 2 in 3 years? That's some serious optimism from the old curmudgeon.

[clout]

awh: Did the Phillies send Happ down last year to "stretch him out" when he lost the starter job to Park?

[clout]

Domonic "The Total Package" Brown.

I like it.

[clout]

MG: I think you can make a good case that this team is better than the last two. As always, injuries are the wild card.

[MG]

clout - Yeah. I don't know about 98 wins but this team clearly has a better rotation to start the season this year than either the '08 or '09 clubs simply because of Halladay/Hamels as the 1/2. No more hoping and counting that Myers can be a legit No. 2.

Likely will push their largest regular season win total since '93 (97 wins).

[MG]

clout - I kind of wish the Braves had kept Vasquez and signed Damon. Would have given the Braves the better rotation and been fun to watch two really good teams go at it this summer.

Plus, I would love to see Cox come up a loser in his final season with a pretty talented team. My least favorite manager in the game.

[awh]

MG, I've never had a fondness for Cox, but I do respect him as a manager. That was one advantage the Braves had for amny years - a manager that got the most out of his players.

Fortunately, the Phillies seem to have 'lucked' into the same type of manager.

[NEPP]

****I get a kick out of a post above that talks about D. Brown "finally" putting it all together this coming season. How old is he? He's a pup and has progressed with alacrity through the farm system. ****

I take it you don't follow the minors as much then? Dom Brown has been bandied about as a top prospect for a couple of years but has only posted good to very good stats...we've all been waiting for it to really click. Its starting to look like it has.

****Taylar has had all of 23 AB and someone here is even raising a question?

Sheesh.

Didn't is take him 50 - 100 AB just to get rolling at each level he played last season?*****

Which was caveated in the post that I made commenting on his slow start.

[NEPP]

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7196483&topic_id=8048958&c_id=phi

Video of Dom Brown's day. What a nice swing.

[MG]

NEPP - That is a pretty swing. I hope to catch it a couple of times at Reading.

[NEPP]

Not a power hitter's swing like Howard by any means. Very compact and level. This kid looks like a future .300 hitter with 20-25 HRs.

His K rate in the minors has never been brutal.

16.6% for his minor-league career...pretty impressive actually.

[bsg]

Great article by zolecki today on what charlie did to help d.brown's swing before the game and all the other stuff surrounding his at bat vs. verlander and reaction to being sent down. hope the link works

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100316&content_id=8807056&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Cipper]

I may catch some flak for this... but his swing kind of looks like Ibanez's...

or is is Ibanez'...

[awh]

Cipper, I was thinking the same thing.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

"ibanez" is not a dirty word.

[doubleh]

Why, oh why, is the Phillies-Tigers' game blacked out on MLB Network? Is CN8 reshowing it? I hate you, Comcast. Die!

[thephaithful]

wtf? marlins and braves? i hate them even more now.

[awh]

hh, my thoughts exactly.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I've got Wheels and the Phils on mlb. The greedy corporate overlords have blacked yo uout.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Hamels strikes out the side in the 3d. Jonny "so easy a" Damon can do it whiffed on the change.

[PHIinBK]

phaitful you just gave me an idea. i braves marlins were on in NY this afternoon then...yahtzee!

[GrandSlamSingle]

Check out Crashburn Alley's posting titled "Fun with Blogs". Someone put together an NCAA-style tournament bracket of all Phillies blogs including "powerhouse No. 1 seed" Beerleaguer.

Take that, Tommy!

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Beerleaguer = Kansas (?)

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Ok, I checked out the brackets. How does We Should Be GMs get a 5 seed? Where's that guy been? Covering the Pirates?

[muchacho peligro]

those regions look chalky...

the bracket on 'zoo with roy' is way more amusing, tho...

[denny b.]

Just some info on some former Phils progress in ST...

Marson- .333 (4 for 12) 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB (likely to win 2nd catcher spot)

Donald- .143 (2 for 14), 0 HR, 1 RBI

Carrasco- 3 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 1 K (likely heading back to AAA to start season)

[EastFallowfield]

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