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On Friday, in the midst of the official announcement of the Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to Texas news, another deal was made by the Phillies.  OF Ben Revere will be swapped to Toronto for two minor leaguers.  Revere, 27, was batting .292 and had a homer along with 26 RBI and 24 steals in 96 games this season. To fill the void on the big league roster, veteran OF Jordan Danks has been promoted to the Phils. The 28-year-old lefty batter is a career .227 hitter in 180 major league contests. CSN's Jim Salisbury reported that the two players coming to the Phils organization are righty hurlers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado . Cordero, a 23-year-old Dominican, tallied a save and a 2.92 ERA along with 22 strike outs and 14 walks over 24 2/3 innings in 17 games for Double-A New Hampshire. Prior to his promotion to the Eastern League, Cordero notched a 0-1 record a save and a 2.49 ERA while striking out 24 and walking six over 25 1/3 innings in 15 relief outing for Class A A

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation Ian Riccaboni joined hosts Rachel Micali and Corey Seidman to talk about the Phillies dealing ace hurler Cole Hamels and All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon . Minor league insider Jay Floyd also joins the panel to talk about the organization's rising prospects like Aaron Altherr , Andrew Knapp and Roman Quinn as well as members of this year's draft class such as Cornelius Randolph and Kyle Martin . Also, Timothy Parker joins the show with a profile piece on the local youth baseball RBI program. Check out this week's episode in the media player below. Look for new episodes each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network with replays throughout the week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet.

This afternoon Phillies Nation's minor league insider Jay Floyd joined Matt Leon on KYW 1060 AM to speak about the widely reported trade of Cole Hamels to Texas as well as the crop of guys the Phillies are slated to receive in return, mainly OF Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro . Also discussed is the current state of the Phils' minor league system and how the organization has bounced back in regards to possessing a collection of great young talents. Check out the media player below to listen to the segment.

The Cole Hamels to Texas trade is a six-for-two ( plus money ) deal with lefty reliever Jake Diekman joining the Phillies' former ace on his way to the Rangers in return for big league starting pitcher Matt Harrison as well as the following prospects- pitchers Jerad Eickhoff , Alec Asher and Jake Thompson , outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro . Eickhoff, a 25-year-old righty, tallied a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in two starts at the Triple-A level this year and had a 4.25 ERA and an 8.24 K/9 mark in 18 games at Double-A this season. The six-foot-four 240-pounder was a 15th round draft pick in 2011. Eickhoff throws a mid-90's fastball as well as a curve ball and a change up. It's possible his future is out of the bullpen. Asher, a righty, tallied a 3-6 record with a 4.73 ERA in 12 games at Triple-A after posting a 1-4 record with a 3.98 ERA in eight Double-A games this season. The six-foot-four 230-pounder was a 4th round draft selection in 2012. With

The Phillies got into the action approaching the non-waiver trading deadline on Tuesday, dealing closer Jonathan Papelbon and cash considerations to the Washington Nationals for righty pitching prospect Nick Pivetta. Pivetta was the Nats' 4th round draft selection in 2013 out of New Mexico Junior College. The British Columbia native stands 6'5" and is listed at 220 pounds.  He is described as an innings eater and has clean arm action. This season, the 22-year-old tallied a 7-6 record with a 3.02 ERA and a 6.9 K/9 mark in 18 games (17 starts) at Class A Advanced and Double-A. The youngster's repertoire features a sinking fastball that ranges from 92 to 95 MPH, a decent curve ball and a developing change up that he's building consistency with.  The Phillies often make adjustments to their pitchers' grips and deliveries, so expect the organization's coaches to take on Pivetta's offerings and mechanics as a new challenge.  Papelbon, who posted a

In what could have been a farewell by Cole Hamels to Philadelphia, the veteran lefty tossed a no-hitter on Saturday at Chicago's Wrigley Field. En route to his first career nine-inning hitless bid, Hamels struck out 13 and walked two to move his season record to 6-7 while tossing 129 pitches to mark his first win since May 23rd. The shutout victory could also serve as an up close audition as Hamels, who has been the subject of loads of trade talks in recent weeks, has been rumored to be of interest to the Cubs, who are 1 1/2 game out of the National League's second Wild Card spot. The Phillies won the contest 5-0, led by Ryan Howard 's 17th home run of the season, a three-run blast in the third inning. The game marked the first time the Cubs have been no-hit since the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax accomplished the feat in 1965.

With over 61 million views and climbing on YouTube and a top five ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Silento's blazing hot single "Watch Me" is, as some might say, all the rage among young people across America.  As the song itself is virtually only a steady reminder to view the vocalist's dance moves, its catchy lyrics and party vibe, that encourage listeners to bust a move, or seventy-five moves, have made their way to the world of professional sports. In the video player below, Class A Lakewood BlueClaws mascot Buster and several friends get in on the Silento action and party it up between innings during a recent game.  Check it out.

Shawn Williams, image- Jay Floyd The Class A BlueClaws are 10-3 in their last 13 games and have won 13 of their last 18 contests. Currently, Lakewood sits in 2nd place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division, two games behind the first place West Virginia Power (Pirates affiliate). Following Lakewood's 4-0 victory over the Power on Wednesday, team manager Shawn Williams spoke with Phillies Nation about a pair of the game's winning pitcher, some of the standout offensive contributors as well as the team's recent success following some roster turnover. I asked Williams about right-handed hurler Ranfi Casimiro , who notched the win with 7 2/3 scoreless innings on three hits, while striking out six and walking two... He was awesome. He threw the ball really well. He's been throwing like that all year, but he put together 7 2/3 (innings) and I'm really impressed with his outing. The slider was really good. His change up is always good, but

Damek Tomscha, image- Jay Floyd Corner infielder Damek Tomscha has been a solid performer of late for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Overall this season, the Phillies' 14th round draft choice from 2014 has posted .270 average with four homers and 32 RBI in 77 games. Recently, I spoke with the six-foot-two 200-pound righty batter about his production, transitioning to the minor league from college ball at Auburn and his unique name. Read ahead for that full interview. -You've had some solid success recently, especially after the promotions of some teammates up to Clearwater. What can you tell me about the improved output? I mean, you just definitely have to step up. You're given the opportunity, I just feel like you need to take advantage of it and I was kind of playing here and there at the beginning of the year and then I started hitting the ball a little better and got the opportunity to start playing a little more. So, I just feel like, for the most

With news that the Phillies' first round draft choice from last year is headed to the big leagues for his next start, it's a suitable time for another of the organization's recent top draft selections to be on the tip of people's tongues. Granted, it won't be with the same levels of gusto and excitement. With the Phillies Nation all abuzz with anticipation as righty hurler Aaron Nola is set to make his major league debut next Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, news of the return of the Phils' top draft pick from 2011, Larry Greene Jr., might draw more eye rolls than tickets sold. Earlier this season it was reported here that Greene had retired, while the team insisted is was simply a break. To clear up any confusion, the 22-year-old says that he'll be heading back to the field with the Phillies. "I'm not done...no chance," Greene asserted on Friday. Fans, who were frustrated with a growing list of expensive early round draft picks th

The Phillies announced on Friday that the club's top draft pick from last year, Aaron Nola , will be called up to make his big league debit on Tuesday, July 21st against the Tampa Bay Rays. Drafted 7th overall last year out of LSU, Nola has been on the fast track to the big league. He is the first opening round draft pick to make his major league debut with the Phillies the year after he was drafted since Pat Combs in 1989. In 18 combined starts with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, the right-hander sported a 10-4 record with a 2.39 ERA and a .241 batting average against. Nola's second start for Lehigh Valley on Thursday night wasn't a gleaming one. In three innings of work against the Rochester Red Wings, the 22-year-old gave up seven hits and six runs (five earned) in three innings of work en route to the taking the loss. Twice this year, Phillies Nation's television program has profiled Nola's progress in the developmental ran

Pointer following a home run this year, Photo- Tug Haines With a unique format in place to decide a regulation tie, the Eastern League's All-Star Game was decided when Reading outfielder Brian Pointer slammed a deciding home run to clinch a victory for the Eastern Division. The Double-A league's All-Star exhibition wrapped up nine innings of play with a 4-4 tie in Wednesday's annual event held in Portland, Maine. Extra innings were not how the game would be decided and, without a way to display the method that was actually used to decide the winner, the contest's box score displays the final score as a tie. Instead of a traditional overtime format, the league used a home run derby to determine the winning club, with the two teams taking turns with one swing each time up, to try and launch a ball over the outfield wall in fair territory. Following eleven failed attempts by the Western division All-Stars and ten missed opportunities by Pointer and his Eastern di

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation, Corey and Rachel are joined by Phillies beat writer Kevin Cooney. The trio chats about the Phils' extremely poor record though the opening half of the season, Maikel Franco being the team's bright spot and possible upcoming trades. PN's minor league insider Jay Floyd caught up with Reading hurler Mark Leiter Jr. and also joins the panel to discuss some rising prospects such as Aaron Nola , J.P. Crawford , Andrew Knapp and Rhys Hoskins . The episode, featured in the media player below, also includes a segment with hitting instructor Kevin Wilson, fantasy baseball tips and more. New episodes of Phillies Nation premiere each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network and replay throughout each week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet.

JP Crawford, image- Jay Floyd In Cincinatti on Sunday afternoon, top Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford contributed to the offensive barrage for the United States Team in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, going 1-for-3 with a run-scoring single while scoring a run himself. The US Team was up 5-1 when Crawford exited the game following the 5th inning. Led by key hits from Rockies prospect Trevor Story and Mets prospect Brandon Nimmo , the club would double their score and increase their lead to 10-1 over the World Team in the 6th inning. Crawford also impressed on defense, nabbing a liner on a leaping catch and turning a slick double play in the 5th frame. This was the 20-year-old lefty batter's second trip to the Futures Game. He went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in last year's contest, just 13 months after he was drafted 16th overall in the 2013 draft. Another Phillies prospect honored to be on the US roster in this year's annual exhibition was starting pitcher Aar

Kyle Martin, image- Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD, NJ- Drafted by the team he grew up rooting for, first baseman Kyle Martin has found the transition to professional baseball to be an easy one, in the midst of living a dream. Through 15 games with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, the left-handed hitting Martin has had early success, sporting a .322 average with seven doubles, a triple and a homer with eight RBI. A lifelong southerner, the six-foot-two 225-pounder followed in his father's footsteps, cheering for the Phillies from far away. "South Carolina born and raised, but my dad's family and my dad was born up around the Philly area, so I kind of grew up following in his steps since there's nobody to pull for down in South Carolina," Martin shared in the FirstEnergy Park home dugout this week. Martin happily described the moment in which his family's favorite team drafted him 114th overall just last month. "I was with my whole family, my mom, my dad

This week I chatted with Class A Lakewood manager Shawn Williams and pitching coach Aaron Fultz about several young players currently in the thick of things with the BlueClaws. Williams, in his first season with Lakewood, spoke about new additions and 2015 Phillies draft picks Scott Kingery and Kyle Martin along with June's Sally League player of the month Herlis Rodriguez . Fultz took time to comment on hurlers Elniery Garcia , Ranfi Casimiro , Alexis Rivero plus more. Read ahead for comments from both coaches. Shawn Williams: -Speaking on 2nd round draft choice Scott Kingery and his impressions of the youngster thus far... He's an exciting player. He's a baseball player. He fits in with the rest of us here and he's an exciting player out there, especially defensively. He's outstanding at second, turning double plays. He can run. He puts together great at bats every game. He's had some tough luck where he's had a lot of hard outs. Jut lo

Scott Kingery, image- Jay Floyd With their second round pick (48th overall) this year, the Phillies drafted second baseman Scott Kingery out of the University of Arizona. The 21-year-old quickly signed his first professional contract and was assigned to the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In college this year, Kingery sported a .392 average while being named Pac-12 player of the year. In 13 games since making his professional debut, the righty batting speedster has posted a .200 average with a double, a triple and four RBI. This week I spoke with the Arizona native about his draft experience, how college ball prepared him for the minor leagues, his impressions of the Phillies and much more. Read ahead for that interview. -What was your draft experience like? How did you track it and how did you celebrate? It was a pretty crazy experience, a lot of stuff going on, seeing what pre-draft workouts you're going to go to, all the scouts are calling you seeing what you're

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd One of the Phillies top pitching prospects will make his Triple-A debut on Wednesday, as it was announced on Tuesday night that left-hander Jesse Biddle has been promoted to Lehigh Valley. This season with the Double-A Reading Fightins, the 23-year-old sported a 7-2 record with a 4.34 ERA and a .288 batting average against in 15 starts. Biddle was selected 27th overall by the Phillies in the 2010 MLB first year player draft. He'll make his IronPigs debut when the team hosts Pawtucket (Red Sox) at 7:05 PM on hump day Right-hander David Buchanan threw three innings for Lehigh Valley Tuesday night and will be called upon to start for the Phillies on Saturday. The 26-year-old posted a 0-5 record along with an 8.76 ERA in five starts with the big league club earlier this year. He missed time recently with a severe ankle sprain, but has tallied a 2.96 ERA in five starts for the IronPigs.

On Sunday, Phillies director of player development Joe Jordan took time to answer questions about many topics throughout the minors, including injured players Jonathan Pettibone , Roman Quinn , Zach Green and Aaron Brown . He also provided feedback on the rise of pitching prospects Aaron Nola and Franklyn Kilome , the return of 2012 top draft pick Shane Watson and the release of lefty pitcher Yoel Mecias . Read ahead for the full interview with Joe... Quinn, image- Jay Floyd -Outfielder Roman Quinn was having a great season in Double-A prior to missing time to due a hip tear. He's been named an Eastern League All-Star. Will he have to stay in Florida and continue rehabbing during the All-Star festivities? He's staying in Florida to continue his rehab. Very disappointing that it happened, 'cause he, I mean everything was coming together for Roman. He was starting to figure himself out as a player. But, you know, he's getting better. It's going to take a f

Shane Watson, image- Jay Floyd In a return two years in the making, right-hander Shane Watson returned to the mound for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws on Sunday night. Going 3 2/3 innings, the 21-year-old gave up seven runs (one earned) while striking out seven, walking none and surrendering seven hits. He was also charged with an error in the field. Watson has been sidelined since he went down with a shoulder injury on July 4th, 2013. He has undergone two shoulder surgeries since that time. The visiting Hagerstown Suns (Nationals affiliate) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame and held off a BlueClaws rally, locking down a 7-5 victory at FirstEnergy Park. Despite being tagged with a loss, Watson impressed BlueClaws manager Shawn Williams, who had not seen the youngster pitch before. "This was the first time I've seen him pitch and I was very impressed with what I saw," Williams stated. "I thought he threw the ball very well. If you look at

LAKEWOOD, NJ- It was no surprise when the Phillies announced a trade on Sunday, but the players that we dealt weren't ones that fans were expecting to hear. In a swap that saw two of Class A Lakewood's six starting pitchers leaving the organization, the Phils acquired the number 1 overall international signing slot for the 2015-16 signing period in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal helped the Phils gain a load of funds for future international signings. Coming to the Phillies is Arizona's top slot, a budget of $3,590,400 for the 2015-16 international signing period. Going to the Diamondbacks are right-hander Chris Oliver and lefty Josh Taylor as well as the team's number 9 overall signing slot ($1,352,100). The deal would allow the Phillies to ink 16-year-old Dominican slugger Jhailyn Ortiz and avoid any penalties that would prohibit the club from signing other international players for more than $300,000 until for the next two years, according to

Brock Stassi chats with a teammate, image- Jay Floyd First baseman Brock Stassi has been a top offensive performer all season long for the Double-A Reading Fightins. While helping to keep his team in the Eastern League playoff hunt, the 25-year-old lefty batter has posted a .317 average with seven home runs while leading the league in RBI with 52. Stassi,the Phillies' 33rd round draft pick in 2011, entered the 2015 season as a .246 career hitter with 15 homers in four professional seasons. Recently, I spoke with Stassi about his solid success at the plate this year and plenty more. Read ahead for that interview. -You've had quite a season to date and have really increased your offensive numbers compared to previous seasons. What do you attribute to the improvements you've made? This off-season it all started with breaking down my swing from the ground up. Me and my brother Max, who's with the Astros, live together and the way last year ended, and the wa

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation, Pat and Corey talked about the resignation of Ryne Sandberg as the Phils' manager, movement in the team's front office, Chase Utley 's injury and the hot bat of rookie third baseman Maikel Franco . The episode also features a profile on top prospect J.P. Crawford with remarks from Reading coach Mickey Morandini as well as a segment from the Hamels Foundations' Diamonds and Denim charity event featuring comments from Ryan Howard , Cody Asche and Cole Hamels . Check out the full episode in the media player below. New episodes premiere each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network.

Brock Stassi, image- Jay Floyd The Reading Fightins will be well represented at the 2015 Eastern League All-Star Game later this month in Portland, Maine when five members of the team head to the annual exhibition. Shortstop J.P. Crawford , outfielders Cam Perkins and Roman Quinn along with starting pitcher Zach Eflin as well as first baseman Brock Stassi have been named to the Eastern Division roster for the game set to be played on July 15th. Crawford, the Phillies' top prospect, joined Reading just over a month ago and has posted a .267/.377/.405 slash line in 31 games with the Fightins. The lefty batting 20-year-0ld was the 16th overall draft pick in 2013. Perkins, who is currently on the disabled list with a back issue, has a .252 average with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 61 games. The 24-year-old was the Phillies' 6th round draft choice in 2012. Quinn, also on the disabled list, sported a .306 average with four homers and 15 RBI along with a league-leadi