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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...

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd It was announced on Thursday that the Phillies added three young hurlers to the big league 40-man roster. Lefties Jesse Biddle and Adam Morgan along with righty Nefi Ogando were that trio. Biddle has been among the Phillies' top prospects since he was selected by them with the 27th overall pick in 2010. This news is a rare positive nugget about the 23-year-old, who had a terribly difficult 2014 after missing a lengthy stretch with a a concussion, sitting out his final start of the regular season with a separate ailment and being shut down with elbow soreness after making two appearance this autumn in off-season ball in Puerto Rico. Since debuting at the Double-A level to begin last year, Biddle hasn't looked too sharp, posting a 10-24 record along with a 4.02 ERA in 46 appearances over the last two seasons. Additionally, his 9.52 K/9 mark is very exciting, but the 5.14 BB/9 average (evidence of control concerns) that goes along with ...

Rosenberg, image- MiLB.com The Phillies continued to trim their 40-man roster on Monday, announcing that B.J. Rosenberg cleared waivers and had been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Rosenberg, who was a 13th round draft pick by the Phillies in 2008, appeared in 13 big league games this past season, sporting a 6.75 ERA with the Phils. Overall, in 57 big league contests during his career, the 29-year-old has a 4-2 record with one save and a 5.72 ERA. In 20 minor league games this year, Rosenberg posted a 2-1 record with a save and a 5.73 ERA. Rosenberg can elect to become a free agent as a result of the move. Following the recent move involving Andres Blanco , the team's roster now stands at 38 players.

Tug and Jay are back with the 47th edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast.  On this episode the guys talk about the Phillies' additions to their 40-man roster as well as the signings of free agents Marlon Byrd and Carlos Ruiz .  They also take some time to cut some silly radio bumpers for BaseballPodcasts.net and share some thoughts about some of the other programs the site offers. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

In order to clear space on their 40-man roster, following the signing of free agent pitcher Chad Durbin this week, the Phillies designated righty hurler J.C. Ramirez for assignment. The 24-year-old was originally acquired by the Phillies in the December, 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle. The Nicaragua native showed some promise at times, but had not been consistent in the Phillies organization, tallying a 21-22 record along with a 4.53 ERA over 95 appearances at three levels. Additionally, Ramirez struggled this off-season, producing a 12.38 ERA in 12 relief outings with La Guaira of the Venezuelan League. During the 2012 season, Ramirez had been moved from the bullpen, after serving as a starter with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading over the previous two seasons. Ramirez, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, long wanted to prove his worth to Phillies fans, after the organization had dealt away a prominent star in a trade to acquire him alo...

Jon Pettibone took great strides in 2012 On Tuesday, several additions to the 40-man roster were announced by the Phillies, as outfielder Zach Collier as well as pitchers Trevor May , Jonathan Pettibone , and Ethan Martin were all added. Collier, was a supplementary round draft choice by the Phillies in 2008. The lefty hitting California native performed extremely well in the recently wrapped up Arizona Fall League. To read my interview with Zach from last weekend, which includes more info on the 22-year-old, click here. May, a righty hurler, had an up-and-down 2012 after entering the regular season ranked by many outlets as the Phillies’ top prospect. May posted a 10-13 overall record along with a 4.87 ERA and a 9.09 K/9 mark with Double-A Reading this year. The 23-year-old was a 4th round draft pick in 2008. Pettibone had a strong 2012 campaign following a troubling start that saw him post a 1-3 record and a 4.78 ERA in his first six outings. In the 13 starts wh...