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Matt Hockenberry, image- Jay Floyd Righty hurler Matt Hockenberry made headlines when the Phillies selected him as their 9th round draft pick in 2014 out of Temple University. Since that time, he's been a contributor out of the Class A bullpen. Following a 2014 campaign that saw the Dillsburg, PA native tally a 3-0 record with two saves and a 5.12 ERA in 20 outings, Hockenberry bounced back with a great season for the Lakewood BlueClaws this year. In 42 appearances, the 24-year-old posted a 4-4 record with 19 saves and a 2.24 ERA. Last week I spoke with Matt about his off-season routine, his ties to Temple and the city of Philadelphia, coaching youth players as well as how he tries to knock down boundaries between American and Latino players. Read ahead for that full interview. -What is the amount of downtime, the time you go without picking up a ball, that you enjoy during the off-season and then what do you do to knock the rust off once action resumes? That'

The PhoulBallz Podcast is back to close out 2015 by running down the top moments from the Phillies minor league year. Jay also interviews pitchers Blake McFarland and Stephen Shackleford . Among the topics of discussion are Cornelius Randolph , Aaron Nola and plenty more. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE .

Kyle Martin as Santa, edit- Eric Floyd Everybody loves the holidays and, of course, baseball players are no exception. Each year at Christmas time, I survey a group of Phillies prospects about what they get excited for during the holiday season. Players taking part in this year's sixth annual questionnaire include 4th round draft pick first baseman Kyle Martin , 2nd round pick second baseman Scott Kingery , slugging outfielders Nick Williams and Dylan Cozens , righty relievers Matt Hockenberry , Jason Zgardowski and Stephen Shackleford as well as lefty reliever Joey DeNato . Questions and answers detailing each player’s holly jolly holiday favorites are ahead… -What is your favorite Christmas movie or TV special? Martin: I love comedies, so I gotta go with National Lampoons' Christmas Vacation. Kingery: A Christmas Story. That was one of my dad's favorites and we watched that one every year, growing up. I see a couple times each year. Williams: Fav

Scott Kingery, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies' 2nd round draft pick this year was second baseman Scott Kingery . In 66 games with Class A Lakewood after signing his first professional contract, the 21-year-old posted a .250 average with three home runs, 21 RBI and 11 steals. Kingery, a righty batting second baseman, sported a .392 average while being named Pac-12 player of the year as a member of the Arizona Wildcats in 2015. The five-foot-10 180-pounder took time recently to talk about his very first off-season, mentoring high school players, feeling inspired by an NBA team and more. Read ahead for the full interview. -After the season, how much time do you take off from swinging a bat and picking up a ball? Also, during that time, what do you do to stay fit? I mean, this is my first real off-season. Before this, I was playing year round without a break. So, this is the first time I've had some time off to rest and get my body back in the best shape in can be i

Stephen Shackleford, image- Jay Floyd Righty reliever Stephen Shackleford set the single season saves record for the Double-A Reading Fightins this past season, when he notched 30 in 53 Eastern League appearances.  Following the 2015 campaign, the man known as "Shack" became a free agent and news of his signing with the Nationals was announced on Friday. Via his twitter account , the 26-year-old fan favorite posted a nod to the city where he enjoyed his record setting season this year as well as the Phillies organization.  I would like to thank the Phillies and the Fightin Phils for everything they did for me this past year.  I had an amazing experience in Baseballtown and it will always hold a special place in my heart.  I'm looking forward to the next step in my baseball journey and excited to be a part of the Nationals organization.   Last week I spoke with Shackleford about his off-season routine, playing abroad this autumn following Reading's pos

After some delay with releasing the details, the Phillies announced their minor league coaching assignments for the 2016 season this week. Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage is back with the IronPigs for his fourth season. Dave Lundquist will take on pitching coach duties with Lehigh Valley after holding that spot for Reading for the past three seasons. Sal Rende is back for his fifth season as IronPigs hitting coach. Brundage previously managed in the Atlanta system and was an outfielder during his playing days. Double-A Reading manager Dusty Wathan returns for his fifth season in the role. Hitting coach Frank Cacciatore will also return, while Steve Schrenk will serve as pitching coach. Schrenk previously held the position with Reading in 2009 and has coached at varied levels of the Phils' developmental ranks in the years since. Wathan's Class A Advanced Clearweater will again be led by Greg Legg , who was honored as the Florida State League manager of th

Zgardowski honored prior to Lakewood's last home game, image- Jay Floyd Righty reliever Jason Zgardowski had a solid season in 2015, a year after he was signed by the Phillies as an undrafted free agent. In 34 games combined at short-season A level Williamsport and Class A Lakewood this season, the 22-year-old sported a 4-1 record with two saves, a 3.12 ERA and a .182 batting average against. The Texas native was honored by the Phils organization this year, representing Lakewood as the player that best displayed leadership through community service. This weekend I talked with Jason to learn about how he's spending his off-season and what he is doing to stay in shape during the fall and winter months, balancing fatherhood with being a pro athlete and more. Read ahead for the full interview. -How much time off do you take from picking up a baseball and what other methods do you use to work out during the off-season? I like to go at least a month and a half before I

As a busy week continued for the 99-loss Phillies, news was released confirming another swap as the team sent minor league hurler David Whitehead to Pittsburgh for starting pitcher Charlie Morton . The 32-year-old Morton is best known for his mechanics which resemble Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay . In 158 career big league games, the righty sports a 34-70 record along with a 4.54 ERA. Whitehead, a pitcher not particularly close to the Phillies' top 25 prospects, posted a 9-11 record with a 4.44 ERA and a .291 batting average against for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers last season. The addition of Morton likely locks him into a rotation spot as the team's veteran, although he isn't a workhorse, having never thrown 30 or more starts in a season and making more than 26 starts in a year only one time. Morton will join newly acquired pitcher Jeremy Hellickson as the only locks to be Phils starters. Rookies Aaron Nola (the Phils' 1st round pick fr

Kyle Martin, image- Jay Floyd First base prospect Kyle Martin grew up in South Carolina as a Phillies fan, admiring slugger Jim Thome , so it was a dream come true for his entire family when the organization made him their 4th round draft choice this year. A lefty batting power threat, Martin quickly made his professional debut with Class A Lakewood. The transition to the minors seemed easy, as the 23-year-old tallied a .279 average with five home runs and 37 RBI in 65 games for the BlueClaws. I recently spoke with the University of South Carolina product about his remarkable 2015 as a whole and he ranked how playing in the Phillies organization ranks against playing for Team USA in this year's Premiere 12 tournament. Read ahead for that interview and click here for my previous feature on the six-foot-two 240-pounder. -Are you still enjoying downtime right now or have you reached the stage of your off-season where you are back to baseball activities and knocking the ru

In the midst of trade reports on Wednesday evening, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki confirmed that the Phillies will select Tampa Bay outfielder Tyler Goeddel with the initial pick in Thursday's Rule 5 draft. The 23-year-old California native was originally selected 41st overall by the Rays in 2011. The righty batting Goeddel sported a .279 average with 12 home runs, 72 RBI and 28 stolen bases in 123 games for Double-A Montgomery this year. He was converted from third base to the outfield following the 2014 season. Players are eligible for selection in the Rule 5 draft when they are not on their major league organization's 40 man roster and 1) were signed to a contract at age 19 or older and have been in that organization for four years, OR 2) were signed at age 18 or younger and have been in that organization for five years. Regulations in the big league portion of the Rule 5 draft require the selecting team to keep any drafted player on its 25-man big league roster for

Kenny Giles, image- Jay Floyd After a day full of hot stove rumors indicating the Phillies were in talks with Houston about a deal for righty closer Kenny Giles , several reports have the deal in place, pending physicals. A reporter from a Fox affiliate in Houston tweeted incorrect facts about the trade multiple time, but it seems the return coming back for the 25-year-old Giles are right-handed hurler Vincent Velasquez , left-handed pitcher Brett Oberholtzer and outfielder Derek Fisher . Velsaquez, a 23-year-old, was a 2nd round pick by Houston in 2010.  With terrific upside, the youngster sported a 4-0 record with a 1.91 ERA and a 12.3 K/9 mark in nine games at the Double-A level last season prior to a promotion to the big league.  With the Astros, in 19 games (seven starts) Velasquez tallied a 4.37 ERA and a .240 batting average against. Oberholtzer, 26, has an 11-20 record in 3.94 ERA in 45 career big league outings.  He was an 8th round draft selection by Houst

In their first move at the annual MLB Winter Meetings, the Phillies announced the signing of free agent right-hander David Hernandez to a one-year deal. The 30-year-old is a veteran of six big league seasons and was originally a 16th round draft selection by Baltimore in 2005. In 40 appearances last season for Arizona, Hernandez sported a 1-5 record along with a 4.38 ERA. This signing by Philadelphia will help to fill out the bullpen, but should not be expected to improve it. As seen in the embedded tweet below, Hernandez has very similar career numbers to departed righty reliever Justin De Fratus . Phils RHP acquisition David Hernandez- 4.15ERA, 1.32WHIP, 9.0K/9, 3.8BB/9. Departed RHP Justin DeFratus- 4.08ERA, 1.37WHIP, 7.9K/9, 3.6BB/9. — Jay Floyd (@PhoulBallz) December 9, 2015 Additionally, reports out of the Winter Meetings also mention continued dialogue between the Phils and Astros regarding closer Ken Giles. Phils and Astros have been talking about Giles all week.

It's another round of updates from around the globe for Phillies playing in off-season leagues. While some players like Roman Quinn are done with their time abroad, other like Jorge Alfaro and Severino Gonzalez are just getting their extra time on the diamond under way. Read ahead for all the details.  Dominican Winter League- Maikel Franco, image- Jay Floyd Maikel Franco is batting .267 with two home runs and four RBI in 11 games thus far with the Gigantes. The 23-year-old tallied a .280 average with 14 homers and 50 RBI this year as a rookie for the Phillies. Joely Rodriguez is 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA and a .194 batting average against in eight games for the Gigantes. The lefty had a 6.12 combined ERA in 32 total outings for Reading and Lehigh Valley this year. Rodriguez was acquired from Pittsburgh last off-season in a swap for Antonio Bastardo . In six games righty Jimmy Cordero has a 2.16 ERA while striking out nine and walking six in 8 1/3 innings for the Leone

Minor league infielder Tim Zier took part in an interview with me in May of this year while he was a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Shortly afterward, the Phillies' 21st round draft selection from 2014 suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee. Prior to being sidelined, the 24-year-old had forced coaches to give him more playing time when he posted a .293 batting average in April. In the following interview that was unused following Zier's injury, he talks about his early success, growing up as a Padres fan and he takes part in Nine Silly-ass Questions, a segment intended for the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast . Read ahead for the full interview. -I heard from the coaching staff that you're a guy that's really pressing them to get you into the lineup with your output. What are your feelings on the success you've had thus far with Lakewood? I would say it definitely feels good when I get in there and have some success, especially, not be

The off-season is moving along and it’s almost time for "Hot Stove" excitement. With the Phillies not expected to be a major factor in the MLB free agent market, their time to shine at next week’s Winter Meetings will likely come in the annual Rule 5 draft. Last December the Phils selected Odubel Herrera , in the 9th slot, from Texas and the youngster proved to be a talented contributor for the team in a clear rebuild mode. As a 23-year-old big league rookie, Herrera tallied a .297 average with eight home runs and 16 stolen bases. Selecting first this year, the Phillies have a chance to really utilize their professional scouting department and take another player ready to impact a big league roster. Positionally, the spots to target may be the outfield or pitching, with depth or a lineup slot locked up in just about every other place on the roster. With their eyes on finding another Herrera, some players the Phils should be considering are listed below: Jabari Blas

Throughout the off-season, Phillies Nation be bringing you details on Phils players participating in fall and winter leagues from around the globe. Read ahead for a rundown of how various players have performed to date. Venezuelan Winter League- Carlos Tocci, image- Jay Floyd With the Tigres, outfielder Carlos Tocci is currently sidelined with a broken hand after being hit by a pitch. Prior to the injury, Tocci posted a .333 average with a triple, four RBI and two stolen bases in 11 games. The 20-year-old posted a .287/.339/.363 slash line in 127 combined games with Lakewood and Clearwater this year. Outfielder Herlis Rodriguez is batting .196 with five RBI in 25 games for the Tigres. The 21-year-old lefty batter posted a .284 average with 10 home runs and 61 RBI in 120 games for Class A Lakewood this year. In six starts Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez as a 0-4 record with a 4.88 ERA for the Aguilas. In his most recent appearance, MAG allowed seven runs (six earned) in 1 2/3

The Phillies' new general manager has completed his first trade. A deal announced on Saturday saw Matt Klentak send pitching prospect Sam McWilliams to Arizona for right-hander Jeremy Hellickson . Hellickson will join a Phils pitching staff that included three rookies by season's end and is in need of some established durability. In the last five years, the Iowa native has averaged 150 innings per season. The 28-year-old sports a 49-48 record along with a 3.94 ERA in 142 career MLB outings. Hellickson was a 4th round pick by Tampa Bay in 2005 and was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2011 when he posted a 2.95 ERA in 29 starts in his first big league season. He also won a Gold Glove Award for his defense in 2012. McWilliams, 20, was an 8th round draft selection by the Phillies last year. In his time as a pro, the righty sported a 2-5 record with a 4.19 ERA and a 4.8 K/9 mark in 16 games (12 starts). Klentak took over as the team's GM last month. Durin

Knapp, image- Jay Floyd One of the biggest events of the off-season league schedule takes place this Saturday when the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game happens at Scottsdale's Salt River Fields. The "Fall Stars" exhibition marks the 10th annual event and will be nationally televised at 8PM Eastern on MLB Network and will stream live online at MLB.com. Representing the Phillies will be righty hurler Edubray Ramos and catcher Andrew Knapp , who were part of the Double-A Reading team that went to the Eastern League Championship Series this year. Ramos, a 22-year-old Venezuelan, was a stand out performer this year, when he tallied a 4-6 record with eight saves, a 2.07 ERA and a .196 batting average against in 47 games in relief for Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading. As a member of the Glendale Desert Dogs in the AFL, Ramos has allowed seven earned runs in 6 2/3 innings (9.45 ERA) while striking out eight and walking none. The switch-hitting Kn

Mickey Morandini, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies announced on Monday that former infielder Mickey Morandini would be added to their staff next year as the team's first base coach. Morandini spent the last five seasons coaching in the minor leagues in the organization that drafted him in the 5th round in 1988. He began his coaching career as the manager of the Class A short season Williamsport Crosscutters in 2011. He would go on to manage Class A Lakewood the following season, spending two seasons there. He coached at the Triple-A level in 2014 and at Double-A this year. In those roles with Lehigh Valley and Reading, Morandini spent time overseeing base running and assisted with hitting as well. Previously, the 49-year-old was a guest instructor for the big league team in spring training in 2009 and 2010. As a coach in the higher levels, he was utilized in recent seasons during big league spring training as well. During his playing career, Morandini, a second baseman, rep

Throughout the off-season, we'll be bringing you details on Phillies players participating in fall and winter leagues from around the globe. Read ahead for a rundown of how many players have performed to date. Stats are current through games played on Friday except ABL notes, which include stats for Saturday's games. Australian Baseball League- Cord Sandberg, image- Jay Floyd Outfielder Cord Sandberg is hitting a lofty .444 with a double, four walks and a steal in six games for Canberra. The 20-year-old was one of nine minor league Gold Glove Award winner as a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws this year. Sandberg was a 3rd round draft selection in 2013. Through seven games for the Sydney Blue Sox, first baseman Rhys Hoskins is batting .240 with five doubles, a homer and five RBI. In a double header on Saturday, Hoskins went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run. The 22-year-old was a 5th round draft pick by the Phils last year. He batted .319 with 17 home r

Top Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford will miss the remainder of the Arizona Fall League season after suffering a small tear in his left thumb, as first reported by CSN's Jim Salisbury . Crawford, who was the Phillies top draft selection in 2013 (16th overall), had gone 3-for-20 (.150 average) in five games with Glendale in the AFL this month. The 20-year-old shortstop missed time early in the 2015 season with an oblique strain. In a season split between Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading, the lefty batting Crawford sported a combined .288 batting average with a .793 OPS in 107 regular season games. He was also named a mid-season All-Star in the Eastern League with Reading and competed in the MLB All-Star Futures Game. The ailment for Crawford does not require surgery and he is expected to be healthy for spring training. Drew Stankiewicz, image- Jay Floyd Replacing Crawford with the Glendale Desert Dogs will be infielder Drew Stankiewicz , who was an 11t

Dylan Cozens, image- Jay Floyd Recently, I spoke with Phillies outfield prospect Dylan Cozens about an injury keeping him from playing in the highly regarded Arizona Fall League (read that feature by clicking here ). Below are some bonus quotes from my telephone interview with Cozens about his progress, his 2015 season, spending time last winter playing baseball in Australia and more. - The 21-year-old talked about transitioning from the Class A Advanced Florida State League to the Double A Eastern League late in the season this year... I felt like it was easy for me (in Double A). I felt like it was a lot easier up there to get a plan, make a plan against the pitcher. You kind of have an idea of how they are going to attack you. In High A, you don't really see that as much. Everybody's just kind of doing their own thing. I definitely felt like it was easier to get a plan. More pitchers were around the plate, which was good. Umpires were better, made it easier