PhoulBallz.com

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd Multiple reports confirm that the Phillies have traded left-handed pitcher Jesse Biddle to Pittssburgh in a deal with an undisclosed return at the time of this writing. Biddle, 24, underwent off-season Tommy John surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2016 season. The move seemed to be something that has been in the works from the Phillies side since they designated him for assignment, removing him from their 40-man roster last week. With his extended injury time, placing him on the 60-day disabled list would have allowed the Phils to keep Biddle on their roster without having him take up valuable space there, as there are exceptions for ailing players. The Philadelphia native has missed considerable time with injuries in recent years, including a concussion, elbow soreness as well as a knee issue and dealing with whooping cough for an extended stretch. Pittsburgh could be an ideal place for Biddle to rebound, once healthy. It's bec...

Biddle, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies made a move on Friday removing 2010 top draft choice Jesse Biddle from the team's 40-man roster in favor of lefty pitcher Bobby LaFromboise , who was claimed off waivers from the Angels. It's not a stunning move that the Phils designated the 24-year-old for assignment, as he underwent Tommy John surgery this off-season and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2016 campaign. With that down time in mind, it isn't very likely that another team will claim him. Biddle, a lefty, had a fair season last year, splitting time with Double-A Reading the Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In 24 starts, he posted a 9-8 record with a 4.95 ERA and a .295 batting average against. Control had been an issue for Biddle in recent seasons, issuing 4.6 free passes per nine innings for his 2014 and 2015 campaigns. Injuries have become a concern for the Philadelphia native as well. Aside from the elbow issue he is currently dealing with, Biddle has als...

The dawn of a near year brings along with it our annual “Prospect Nation” rankings, which counts down the Phillies organization’s top 25 up and coming young players. Over the next several weeks, with the organization in rebuild mode, I’ll be bringing you reviews for each of the top developmental talents that appear to have the brightest futures for the Phillies. Always taken into consideration when compiling this list is age, minor league performance relative to levels played, value to the organization as well as future potential and proximity to the big leagues. These rankings do not include players over 25 years old or individuals that have spent lengthy stretches in the big leagues. For instance, a talented youngster such as Darnell Sweeney , who wrapped up the regular season on the Major League roster after having played in 37 games for the Phils last year, will not be on this list. Hurlers Alec Asher and Severino Gonzalez , who each made seven starts in the majors last s...

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies announced on Sunday that lefty pitching prospect Jesse Biddle will require Tommy John surgery after suffering damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm. The 23-year-old has been plagued with injuries in recent seasons after missing considerable time with a concussion last year with Double-A Reading, he was shut down with elbow soreness during the off-season while playing in Puerto Rico and was shelved with what was said to be a shoulder strain this year while with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In split time with Reading and Lehigh Valley this season, Biddle tallied a 9-6 record with a 4.95 ERA and a 6.4 K/9 mark over 24 starts. The Philadelphia native was the Phillies' top draft selection (27th overall) in 2010. He'll turn 24 years old later this month. Another Phillies left-hander underwent UCL reconstruction this year. Reliever Mario Hollands is progressing well after going under the knife in April. Reh...

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.

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.

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.

During the Double-A Reading Fightins' recent road series in Trenton, I sat down with the team's pitching coach Dave Lundquist to chat about his pitching staff. "Lundy", who pitched in the big leagues with the White Sox and the Padres, is in his eight season coaching in the Phillies' organization after spending three years in the Pirates' system. Lundquist spoke about his group of well-touted starting pitchers including specific comments on Zach Eflin , Jesse Biddle and recently promoted righty Aaron Nola . He also shared some thoughts on his bullpen hurlers and how a player like Tyler Knigge , who gets moved up and down between levels could be impacted by the movement, among other things. Read ahead for that full interview... Lively, image- Jay Floyd -We talked back in April about the group of five starters you entered the season with that included Tom Windle , Jesse Biddle, Zach Eflin and Ben Lively . Almost halfway into the season, what can you sh...

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd TRENTON, NJ- Jesse Biddle thrived in his home away from home to turn in a strong outing and help the Reading Fightins (34-29) lock down an 8-2 win in their series opener against the Trenton Thunder (35-29) on Tuesday night. The left-hander threw 7 2/3 innings, allowed two runs, one of those earned, while striking out four and walking one to notch a win and help move his team within a half game of the second place Thunder and 1 1/2 games behind the division leading New Britain Rock Cats in the Double-A Eastern League Eastern division. Biddle, the Phillies' first round draft choice from 2010, is from nearby Philadelphia and has a following of loved ones whenever he takes the mound at Trenton's Arm & Hammer Park. "Every time I come here, the first thing I do is write names down on the pass list," Biddle said with a smile. "It's a lot of fun to have people come to the game and cheer me on, especially when we're o...

On the 76th edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast, Jay and Tug chat about the brand new baseball season, running down the hot starts of prospects such as Brock Stassi , Jesse Biddle , Roman Quinn , Zach Eflin , Carlos Tocci , Rhys Hoskins and others. The show also features two exclusive interviews as "El Sangre" Jake Fox talks about leaving the Phillies organization and Temple University product Matt Hockenberry participates in the fun segment Nine Silly-ass Questions. 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 .

After roughly a week and a half of the minor league schedule has past, so here's a quick run down of the top performers from the Phillies' developmental ranks thus far in the young baseball season. Triple-A Lehigh Valley... 3B/1B Maikel Franco - The righty hitting slugger sports a .386 average with a homer and eight RBI through 10 games. After going 0-for-3 on opening day, the 22-year-old has put together a nine-game hitting streak with at least one extra-base hit in eight of those games. RHP Phillippe Aumont - In three appearances, the 26-year-old has allowed one earned run in eight innings (1.13 ERA) while striking out 10 and walking four. Aumont has a career 6.13 ERA in 45 big league outings. Double-A Reading... RHP Zach Eflin - In two starts, the 21-year-old right has a 2-0 record while throwing 14 scoreless frames, having struck out seven and walked two. Eflin was acquired over the off-season from the Dodgers in the Jimmy Rollins trade. LHP Jesse Biddle - T...

The minor league regular season gets under way on Thursday with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs hosting the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Double-A Reading Fightins hitting the road to take on the Portland SeaDogs. This week, I spoke with IronPigs pitching coach Ray Burris as well as Fightins pitching coach Dave Lundquist, who each commented on several of their respective teams' hurlers. Read ahead for these exclusive quotes about the Phillies' top pitching prospects at the upper levels of the developmental ranks. Burris, image- Jay Floyd Ray Burris- -On LHP Adam Morgan , who missed the entire 2014 season following surgery to repair his throwing shoulder, and his potential to live up to being an early round draft pick... I'm confident (that he can). I think he feels that way now, because he understands and knows how his delivery is supposed to work. When you have that knowledge inside of you and when you throw the ball incorrectly, you know that didn't f...

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd When a CSNPhilly piece by Jim Salisbury featured quotes from Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. discrediting prospect Jesse Biddle 's assertion of suffering from a concussion last season, the uproar that should accompany such contradiction was missing. The Phils' 2010 opening round draft choice (27th overall), Biddle, missed considerable time last year after the Phillies told the media that the German Town Friends School graduate needed a mental break. Biddle struggled with his production after he was struck in the head with an ice pellet during a hail storm in May.  Prior to the ailment, which forced him to miss one start initially, the Philadelphia native posted a 3.18 ERA with 61 strike outs and 24 walks in 10 starts for Double-A Reading.  In the five starts that followed he had a 9.81 ERA with 15 strike outs and 16 walks issued. At the time of the injury, Biddle was diagnosed by a doctor as having a concussion and, accordi...

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd Lefty pitching prospect Jesse Biddle had a difficult season last year, but injuries and shaky stats aside, he's still a prospect the Phillies will count on to take strides toward helping the big club in the near future. Selected in the opening round of the 2010 draft, Biddle, who grew up as a Phillies fan, quickly made his minor league debut, beginning his journey toward donning the uniform of the team he cheered on from the seats of Citizens Bank Park all throughout his childhood and teenage years. The graduate of Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia combined to post a 4-1 record with a 3.92 ERA and a .241 batting average against in 12 starts with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies and short-season A level Williamsport in 2010. The following season, Biddle became an All-Star in the Class A South Atlantic League as a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws. As the team’s most dependable starter through much of the year, Biddle posted a...

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 ...

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced to reporters on Tuesday that top pitching prospect Jesse Biddle had experienced elbow soreness and would be headed to Philadelphia for evaluation. The six-foot-five 220-pound lefty allowed seven earned runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings in his most recent outing for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican/ Roberto Clemente League on Saturday. In his only other outing in the fall/winter league, Biddle was charged with two earned runs in three innings of work on October 31st. Biddle, a Philadelphia native, missed considerable time during the regular season this year, as he was sidelined with a concussion while pitching for Double-A Reading. This year Biddle sported a 5-10 record along with a 4.58 ERA and an 8.75 K/9 mark in 19 minor league starts (16 with Reading). He struck out seven and walked four in 5 1/2 total innings. The concern surrounding Biddle's progress shouldn't be too high, while the injuries have piled up. Rece...

This week's rundown includes details on some Phillies players making their off-season league debuts including Ethan Martin , Cesar Hernandez as well as outfield prospect Dylan Cozens along with updates on key names such as Jesse Biddle , Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr . Read ahead for all your fall/winter league updates from around the globe. Puerto Rico/ Roberto Clemente League Lefty pitcher Jesse Biddle had an alarming outing with Mayaguez on Saturday, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings while striking out four and walking two. The 23-year-old sports a 15.19 ERA in two outings in Puerto Rico. Biddle, the Phils' top draft pick in 2010, posted a 5-10 record with a 4.58 ERA in 19 starts in the minors this year. Also with Mayaguez, Jesmuel Valentin , who was acquired from the Dodgers by the Phils in the Roberto Hernandez trade this year, is 2-for-7 with an RBI in five games. The 20-year-old infielder posted a .273/.341/.412 slash line in 120 min...

Throughout the autumn and winter months, we'll be bringing you weekly roundups of how various Phillies players are performing in off-season leagues around the globe. This edition includes details on top pitching prospect Jesse Biddle 's Puerto Rico debut, OF Roman Quinn , who shined in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game on Saturday as well as plenty more. Read ahead for all the details. Puerto Rico/ Roberto Clemente League- Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd Lefty pitcher Jesse Biddle allowed two earned runs, striking out three and walking two in three innings of work in a start for Mayaguez in his season debut on Friday. The 23-year-old was the Phils' top draft choice in 2010. Biddle posted a 5-10 record with a 4.58 ERA in 19 starts in the minors this year. Also with Mayaguez, Jesmuel Valentin , who was acquired from the Dodgers by the Phils in the Roberto Hernandez trade this year, is hitless with a walk in two at bats in two games. The 20-year-old infie...

Lefty pitching prospect Jesse Biddle missed considerable time this season after suffering a concussion, but the Philadelphia native returned to action late in the season and is now back to full health. The Phillies' top draft pick from 2010 has long been a highly regarded prospect, but due to his lack of output in recent years and the portrayal of his time off this year as a mental break, rather than necessary due to his health, Biddle has slipped on some player rankings. Biddle, who posted a 5-10 record along with a 4.58 ERA in 19 minor league games this season, took the mound for the Phillies in the closing game of the Fall Instructional League and is slated to pitch in the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico this off-season to make up for missed time. The ailment for the youngster was a result of being pelted in the head with hail during a storm in Reading this past May. Prior to his injury this season, along with the guys at 20/20 Visual Media, I produced a profile...

The big league postseason is still in full swing, but many Phillies prospects have begun to get extra playing time in off-season leagues. As the weeks roll on, more players will debut as more leagues get going. Throughout the fall and winter months we'll be providing updates and reviews of how those players and others are performing around the globe. Read ahead for all the latest from the Arizona Fall League, the Venezuelan Winter League and beyond. Playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the AFL... Roman Quinn, image- Jay Floyd OF Roman Quinn is 2-for-15 (.133 avg) with three runs, three walks and three stolen bases in four games. The switch-hitting Quinn was the Phils' second round draft selection in 2011. The 21-year-old bounced back from surgery to repair a ruptures Achilles tendon this year, posting a .257/.343/.370 line in 88 games for Class A Advanced Clearwater. Catcher Logan Moore is 1-for-6 (.167 avg) in two games thus far. The 24-year-old was a nint...