Weekly Off-season League Updates, 11/19/12

It’s another edition of our weekly off-season league updates.  Check it out, as we take a tour around the globe for a look at Phillies talents participating in various autumn and winter league action.

Venezuelan League-

Outfielder Tyson Gillies (pictured, left) is done playing with the Lara team, after just 13 games, as his contract is up.  The 24-year-old had two separate stints in which he missed time in Venezuela, due to ailments, at least one of which was a hamstring issue, something Gillies has dealt with on a recurring basis since the Phillies acquired him in 2009.  The British Columbia native posted a .294 average with two doubles, one triple and four RBI with the Cardenales.

Darin Ruf slugged his Venezuelan League leading 10th home run of the season on Sunday.  Ruf, playing mostly left field, has posted a .943 OPS and his 27 RBI are also tops in the league (tie).  Combined with his minor league leading total of 38 homers and his three in the big leagues this year, Ruf has mashed 51 big flies in 2012.

Justin Friend notched his first save in the Venezuelan League this week for La Guaira.  Through 19 appearances, the righty reliever has posted a 3-1 record with one save and a 4.32 ERA.  Friend, 26, was an All-Star in the Eastern League for Double-A Reading in 2012.

In 13 outings for La Guaira, Michael Cisco has a 3-1 record with a 4.91 ERA.  The 25-year-old was a 35th round draft pick by the Phillies in 2008.

J.C. Ramirez hasn’t pitched since November 7th and sports a 10.80 ERA with a .400 batting average against in five relief outings for La Guaira.  The right-hander was acquired along with Gillies and pitcher Phillippe Aumont in December, 2009 from the Mariners for Cliff Lee.

Second baseman Cesar Hernandez is batting .219 with two doubles, two triples and a homer with four RBI and 10 steals in 20 games for Margarita.  The switch-hitting 22-year-old was an All-Star in the Double-A Eastern League before earning a promotion to Triple-A in 2012.

Also with Margarita, shortstop Edgar Duran is batting .308 with five doubles, a home run and eight RBI in 23 games.  The 21-year-old spent the 2012 regular season with Class A Advanced Clearwater, posting a .253 average with seven homers and 49 RBI in 121 games.

Freddy Galvis has tallied a .317 average with five doubles, two triples, four homers and 14 RBI in 31 games for Zulia.  The 23-year-old has been playing strictly shortstop in Venezuela.

20-year-old hurler Manaure Martinez has a 1-1 record with a 3.68 ERA while walking four and striking out four in six relief outings for Aragua.  Martinez, who hasn’t appeared in a game since October 27th, spent time during the 2012 regular season with the Gulf Coast League Phillies and the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters.

Lefty-hurler Yoel Mecias

has appeared in one game, recording a scoreless 1/3 of an inning for Aragua.  The 20-year-old was signed by the Phillies in December 2010 and made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies (0-2, 2.16 ERA in 14 games) this year.

Also with Aragua, first baseman Cody Overbeck (pictured, right) is batting .118 with one RBI through five games.   The 26-year-old Overbeck, who was the Phils’ 9th round draft pick in 2008, posted a .716 OPS in 133 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year.

Infielder Andres Blanco who played in 120 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, is batting .167 with a double, a triple and four RBI in 19 games for Magallanes.  Blanco, 28, was recently re-signed by the Phillies.

Mexican League-

Catcher Sebastian Valle missed a little more than a week of action this month, for undisclosed reasons, and has had a tough time heating up since returning to action.  In five November contests, the 22-year-old has just one hit in 16 at bats, dropping his season average to .191.  Valle also has two doubles, two homers and seven RBI in a 14 games for Los Mochis.

Dominican League-

Outfielder Leandro Castro has posted a .211 average with two RBI and a stolen base in 16 games for Oriente.  The right-handed hitting Castro, 23, batted .287 with 10 homers and 71 RBI in 133 games and was an All-Star for Reading in the Double-A Eastern League this year.

Infielder Michael Martinez is batting .080 with a double and four RBI in eight games for Oriente.  The switch-hitting Martinez appeared in 45 games with the big league Phillies in 2012.

Right-handed pitcher Lisalverto Bonilla is 0-3 with one save and a 6.75 ERA in nine games with Escogido.  The 22-year-old posted a 1.55 ERA in 31 combined relief appearances with Clearwater and Reading during the 2012 regular season, but injured himself while horsing around at the MLB All-Star Futures Game festivities in July, then missed the remainder of the regular season.

Juan Morillo has a 3.18 ERA and no decisions in five relief outings for Escogido.  Morillo, a 29-year-old right-hander, pitched for both Reading and Lehigh Valley in 2012, posting a combined 1-2 record with a 5.34 ERA and a poor 67/55 strike out to walk ratio in 40 appearances.

Righty pitcher Hector Neris (pictured, left) had one rough outing for Este in which he surrendered three earned runs in 2/3 inning.  That poor effort has Neris’ ERA sitting at 9.00 through four appearances.  The 23-year-old righty posted a 4-2 record with a 3.55 ERA in 50 games for Class A Advanced Clearwater this year.

Lefty pitcher Raul Valdes is 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA in three games with Este.  Valdes had a 2.90 ERA in 27 games with the Phillies this year.

Catcher Steven Lerud made his Dominican debut this past week.  In two games with Este, Lerud, who was 2-for-10 in three big league games for the Phillies this year, has one hit in four at bats.

Third baseman Maikel Franco has appeared in only one game for Cibao, striking out in his only at bat. The 20-year-old slugger batted .280 while slugging 14 home runs and driving in 84 runs with Class A Lakewood during the 2012 regular season.

Juan Sosa allowed three earned runs in an inning of work in his lone appearance for Licey.  The 23-year-old right-hander had a 5-7 record with four saves and a 4.26 ERA in 46 games (five starts) for Clearwater this year.

Australian League-

19-year-old catcher Liam Bedford is 0-for-7 thus far through four games for Melbourne.  Bedford, a native to Australia, was signed by the Phillies in May of 2011 and batted .130 in 19 games with the Gulf Coast League team during the 2012 season.

Tim Kennelly is batting .250 with a double and two RBI in four games as an offensive player, while he has allowed three earned runs in two innings pitched on the mound.

Infielder Carlos Alonso (pictured, right), a University of Delaware product, is 3-for-17 (.176 avg) through five games with the Brisbane Bandits.  The 24-year-old California native was the Phils’ 32nd round draft pick in 2010.

Puerto Rican League (AKA- the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball  League)-

Julio Rodriguez is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA and a .158 batting average against in three games for Carolina.  Additionally, the 22-year-old has struck out six and walked none in 5 2/3 innings.  In 29 games (22 starts) for Reading in 2012, Rodriguez was 7-7 with a 4.23 ERA and 9.13 K/9.

Arizona Fall League (season ended with Peoria winning the championship on Sat.)-

Outfielder Zach Collier had a very successful AFL season for Peoria, as he posted a .371 average with four doubles, three triples, 10 RBI and three steals in 19 games.

Cody Asche sported a .281 average with 11 doubles, a home run and 12 RBI in 24 games with Peoria.  Asche, a 22-year-old third baseman, became one of the Phillies’ fastest rising prospects in 2012, as he batted .324 with 12 homers and 72 RBI in 130 combined games at Clearwater and Reading.

Catcher Tommy Joseph never heated up after missing time in the AFL due to the flu.  The 21-year-old closed out his AFL season with two multi-hit games, to bring his batting average with Peoria up to .204 in 14 games.  Joseph was acquired from San Francisco in the Hunter Pence trade.

Righty reliever Colby Shreve went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA with six strike outs and five walks in 10 innings for Peoria.  Shreve was the Phillies’ 6th round draft choice in 2008.

The remaining Phillies prospects on the Peoria roster, Jay Johnson, a left-handed pitcher, along with Kyle Simon and Tyler Knigge, who are both righty hurlers, combined to post a 9.30 ERA in 26 total outings.