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Ahead of the deadline to update the big league 40-man roster in advance of the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Phillies made some additions on Wednesday. Jojo Romero, image- Jay Floyd In moves that did not catch very many people by surprise, right-handed hurler Mauricio Llovera and left-hander JoJo Romero were added to the 40-man roster.  Righty Garrett Cleavinger was also protected. Llovera, 23, a Venezuela native, notched a 3-4 record with a 4.55 ERA and a 9.9 K/9 mark in 14 games with Double-A Reading this year.   Romero, a 4th round draft pick from 2016, posted a 7-9 record with a 5.82 ERA with a 7.4 K/9 mark in 24 games split between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading this year.  In eight appearances in the Arizona Fall League this off-season the 23-year-old recorded a 0.84 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. Cleavinger, who was acquired by the Phils in the trade that sent Jeremy Helickson to Baltimore in 2017, posted a 3-2 record with a 3.66 ERA and a .172 ba...

So you've been wondering about off-season baseball leagues and how Phillies players are doing. Well, except for the Arizona Fall League , which started and ended its schedule earlier than normal this year, there has been very limited action thus far. Deivy Grullon, image- Jay Floyd The Dominican Winter League features Deivy Grullon competing for the Aguilas. In just four games, the catcher has posted a .143 average with two RBI. Roughly 10 days into its schedule, the Venezuelan Winter League hasn't seen any Phillies impact. Catcher Gregori Rivero, who played in the Phils system last year, is 0-for-1 with a walk for Zulia. The other leagues in Australia and Puerto Rico are set to open their schedules soon. On Friday night, the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico will get underway. Lefty pitcher Gabriel Cotto is expected to be featured on the Carolina roster while catcher Willie Estrada is included on the Mayaguez roster. Cotto pitched in the Gulf Coast L...

Connor Hinchliffe, photo- GoExplorers.com Right-handed pitcher Connor Hinchliffe performed well after signing with the Phillies as an undrafted free agent this summer. The La Salle University product debuted with the Phillies' Gulf Coast League West team in late June and notched a 1-1 record, a save, a 1.82 ERA, a .163 batting average against as well as a 1.26 WHIP in 16 appearances (one start). The six-foot-two 195-pounder began college as a position player, but later switched strictly to working on the mound. Recently, I talked with the 23-year-old Hinchliffe about that change, not getting drafted, his background playing in Phils affiliate facilities, his time in the GCL and plenty more. Read ahead for that interview. -What can you share about the process of signing with the Phillies? Had they been in touch ahead of the draft? Yes, the Phillies had been in touch before the draft. I was seen by the scout from my area, Connor Betbeze, and he invited me to a pre-...

For just the third time ever a Phillies catcher has been honored with the Rawlings Gold Glove Award as J.T. Realmuto was named as the National League's top defensive backstop on Sunday. The award was the first of Realmuto's career.  He joins two-time winner Bob Boone (1978, 1979) and Mike Lieberthal (1999) as Phillies catchers to earn the Gold Glove nod. The 28-year-old Realmuto caught 43% of base runners trying to steal and sported a .992 fielding percentage during the 2019 campaign. Originally a 3rd round pick by Miami in 2010, Realmuto was acquired from the Marlins last off-season in a trade that sent pitching prospects Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart as well as catcher Jorge Alfaro last offseason. His first season as a Phillie was remarkable, as Realmuto was named an All-Star and posted an .820 OPS in 145 games.  Many members of the media and those around the game expect the Phillies to sign the righty hitter to a contract extension this off-season. This marks t...