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Keoni De Renne played 11 seasons in professional baseball.  Since 2012 he's been a coach with the Pirates organization. In his playing days, the University of Arizona product spent time in the Yankees, Braves, Phillies and Red Sox organizations in addition to playing independent ball.  The Hawaii native was a switch hitter that was listed at five-feet-seven, 170 pounds. This week, De Renne was in Trenton, NJ for the Double-A Eastern League All-Star Game, representing the Altoona Curve as part of the Western Division coaching staff.  I chatted it up with the native of Hawaii about his whirlwind 2010 season when he went through 13 different transactions within the Phillies' system, his path to coaching, relating to his players, facing a highly touted Stephen Strasburg in the minors and plenty more. It's been some time since I posted audio of an interview, and since this discussion is a bit of a throwback, you can check out the recording as well as a handsome image of ...

Last summer, as part of the Hunter Pence trade, the Phillies acquired righty hurler Seth Rosin (Roe-ZEEN). Originally drafted in the 4th round in 2010 by San Francisco, Rosin had mainly been a reliever with the Giants' Class A Advanced affiliate San Jose. Now throwing strictly as a starter, since joining the Phils' organization, the University of Minnesota product, who stands six-foot-six and weights around 250 pounds, has posted a 1-4 record with a 3.17 ERA while striking out 32 and walking seven in 45 1/3 innings. Recently, I spoke with the 24-year-old about his transition to a new organization, his thoughts about Reading, Eastern League competition and plenty more. Read ahead for that full interview. - Last year, at the time of the trade, how were you notified you had been dealt and what was your reaction? I got a call from the Giants front office at about 8 o'clock in the morning, west coast time, letting me know I had to leave tomorrow to go to Florid...

As minor leaguers break camp and three quarters of the teams head north to their full season destinations, I had the opportunity to speak with righty hurler Tyler Knigge . The Phils' 12th round draft selection in 2010, took big strides last year, as he posted a 4-1 record, nine saves and a 0.60 ERA in 34 outings for Class A Advanced Clearwater, en route to becoming a Florida State League All-Star.  The six-foot-three 225-pounder then earned a promotion to Double-A, where he tallied a 2.92 ERA with no decisions and two saves in 21 appearances for Reading.  Additionally, Knigge, who sports a fastball that is regularly clocked in the mid-90's, averaged 9.09 K/9 at the two levels.  He went on to pitcher with Peoria in the Arizona Fall League last year as well. This weekend, Tyler offered some quick thoughts on his preseason, his assignment to begin the regular season with Reading and more.  Read ahead to check out the interview. - How has your spring gon...

Another pair of releases out of Phillies minor league camp today saw the team part ways with righty hurler Jordan Whatcott (pictured) and catcher John Hill . Whatcott, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2010, pitched in 44 games (seven starts) with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading in 2012. The 27-year-old University of Utah product posted a 3-3 record with two saves and a 3.78 ERA. Hill, a lefty batting 24-year-old, was the Phils' 11th round draft selection in 2011. The graduate of Concordia University in California batted .129 with two doubles and eight RBI in 36 games over three levels last season. The Phillies' minor league rosters continue to take shape and should be finalized this coming weekend.

The disassembling of the prospect group known as the Baby Aces continues, as the Phillies have traded once highly regarded righty hurler Julio Rodriguez to Baltimore for outfielder Ronnie Welty . Rodriguez once dominated Class A ball, but looked far more human with Double-A Reading last season. Drafted in the 8th round of the 2008 amateur draft, the Puerto Rican born pitcher finished with an overall record of 7-3 with a 1.89 ERA and a .175 batting average against in 20 outings with Williamsport and Lakewood in 2010. The following season, Rodriguez was named a Florida State League All-Star, as he finished with a league leading 16 wins, a 2.76 ERA that was second best in the league and a .186 batting average against. Over those two seasons, he averaged a 10.71 K/9 mark. Last year in the Eastern League, Rodriguez wrapped up his 2012 regular season campaign with a 7-7 record, a 4.23 ERA and a .243 batting average against, following a difficult eight-game stretch (6.81 ERA) that go...

Phillies third base prospect Cody Asche is back once again to check in directly from spring training in Clearwater, FL. A 4th round draft selection in 2011 out of the University of Nebraska, Asche has been a fast rising prospect since joining the Phillies organization. Last year, the 22-year-old, in his first full professional season, tallied a .324 batting average with 12 home runs, 72 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 130 combined games with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Asche followed that up with a .281/.343/.438 line with Peoria in the Arizona Fall League, then went 5-for-14 (.357 average) with two doubles in eight big league spring games this year. In the latest edition of The Cody Chronicles, Asche speaks about being reassigned to minor league camp, Phils legend Mike Schmidt , what he took from his time with the big league team and plenty more. Sharing his thoughts on being reassigned to minor league camp recently... "It's something that, whe...

Lefty hurler Adam Morgan progressed more than any other Phillies prospect over the past year.  Drafted in the third round in 2011 out of the University of Alabama, Morgan quickly made an impact in the Phils' system upon debuting as a pro, and only sped up his progress last season when he became a force on the pitching mound.  After posting a 3-3 record with a 2.01 ERA in 11 starts in his debut professional season as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, Morgan skipped full season A level Lakewood and began the 2012 season in the Florida State League. With the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, Morgan tallied a 4-10 record with a 3.29 ERA and was named a mid-season All-Star. His win-loss record certainly doesn't accurately convey the true effort that Morgan put forth with the Threshers, as he held opponents to a .227 batting average while averaging 10.24 K/9, posting a 1.10 WHIP and sporting a 2.62 SIERA in 21 games (20 starts). In July, ...

Acquired from the Dodgers in the trade that sent Shane Victorino to LA last summer, Ethan Martin quickly showed why he was regarded as a fast rising pitching prospect, as he helped the Double-A Reading Phillies reach the postseason and posted great numbers in a short period of time.  Originally selected by Los Angeles in the 1st round (15th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft out of Stephens County High School in Georgia, when scouts weren't sure if he would proceed as a pitcher or a third baseman in his career, Martin had not posted great numbers as a professional prior to last season. In his first three years in the minors, Martin tallied a 24-29 record with a 5.42 ERA.  He missed action in 2008 due to a knee injury and officially began his pro career in 2009 with Great Lakes of the Class A Midwest League.  There, with the Loons, he performed well, sporting a 6-8 with a 3.87 ERA and a .232 batting average against in 27 games (19 starts). The following sea...

Third baseman Cody Asche made a major impact in the Phillies developmental ranks in 2012 and became one of the team's fastest rising prospects during his first full season as a professional.  Selected in the fourth round of the 2011 amateur draft out of the University of Nebraska, Asche is among a small group of talented prospects that could be contributing at the big league level in the near future. The 6-foot-1 180-pounder began his professional career playing second base with the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters in 2011.  There he batted .192 with 11 doubles, two homers and 19 RBI in 68 games.  His .537 OPS was considerably low and did not garner Asche much recognition.  The lefty batter then spent time at the Florida Instructional League and worked closely with Phillies hitting coach Steve Henderson , who was the Phils' roving minor league batting instructor at the time, and made some necessary adjustments to improve his approach. Having play...

Tommy Joseph , who was acquired from San Francisco in the Hunter Pence trade last July, quickly landed among the Phillies' top positional prospects upon joining the organization.  Joseph now rounds out a collection of young talent that has the Phils extremely deep at the catcher position in the minors. The 6-foot-1 215-pounder, was the Giants' second round draft selection (55th overall) in 2009.  Upon making his professional debut the following year, Joseph played with Class A Augusta of the South Atlantic League.  That year, with the GreenJackets, Joseph posted a .236 average with 16 homers and 68 RBI in 117 games. In 2011, Joseph batted .270, smashed 22 home runs and drove in 95 runs in 127 games for Class A Advanced San Jose. Over the off-season that followed, he was ranked as San Francisco's 5th best prospect by MLB.com. An All-Star in the Double-A Eastern League in 2012, the righty hitting Joseph tallied a .257 average with 11 home runs and 48 RBI in ...

Outfielder Tyson Gillies has struggled to stay on the field since he was acquired by the Phillies in the December, 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle. With a series of ailments and setbacks, the lefty batter has not been able to prove himself worthy of the high praise that led to his inclusion in that deal and earned him a spot among the well regarded players in the 2009 MLB All-Star Futures Game. Growing up in Canada, Gillies played both hockey and baseball. However, in his teenage years, Gillies felt that it was best to choose one sport to focus on and, as determined by his size at the time, he selected baseball. As Gillies progressed as a player, his love and passion for that great game developed along with his talents and he has never looked back. Gillies began his professional playing career in 2007, as a member of the Arizona League Mariners and later with Everett of the Class A Northwest League. Combined at the two levels that season, Gillies posted a .255...

In recent years, righty hurler Julio Rodriguez has quietly become one of the Phillies ’ most promising prospects. Without the hype and buzz that has surrounded other well-regarded youngsters within the Phils’ organization, the Puerto Rican born hurler has proven himself worthy of being ranked among the team's prospects with the greatest potential. Selected in the 8th round of the 2008 amateur draft as a 17-year-old, Rodriguez made his professional debut that same year, throwing in seven games with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. However, the 6-foot-4-inch 200-pounder struggled, as he posted a 12.19 ERA and a .383 batting average against. He followed that up with a return to the GCL the following year.  Rodriguez added some strength and made some serious improvements, posting a 1-2 record with a 3.08 ERA and a .197 batting average against in 11 games (eight starts). In 2010, as a 19-year-old, Rodriguez began the season in extended spring training, but joined the...

Right-hander Tyler Knigge (pronounced kuh-NIG-ee) proved himself to be a fast rising pitching prospect last year, as he dominated with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers and later earned a promotion to Double-A Reading. Drafted in the 12th round of the 2010 draft out of Lewis-Clark State College, Knigge made his pro debut that year, pitching with the Gulf Coast League Phillies and the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, sporting a 0-4 record along with a 5.28 ERA in 11 outings (four starts). He would pitch in the Florida Instructional League that year as well. The following season, Knigge was a strong performer with Class A Lakewood, pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, where he looked tougher on opposing batters, tallying a 4-3 record, four saves and a 3.32 ERA. In an effort to increase his own stamina, Knigge lost approximately 15 pounds over the 2011-2012 off-season. With improved conditioning, Knigge was amazing with Clearwater last year, posting a 0...

Widely recognized as the Phillies' top prospect, lefty hurler Jesse Biddle can't wait to get his 2013 season going. In attendance for the Phillies winter charity banquet at Lakewood's Woodlake Country Club last week, Biddle looked forward to the event for weeks, as he feels rubbing elbows with Phils brass like assistant general manager Benny Looper, director of player development Joe Jordan, and manager Charlie Manuel , as well as seeing the fans, kicks things into baseball mode after a lengthy stretch of winter weather all throughout his home region in western Pennsylvania and New Jersey. "I love coming back for events like this," Biddle said with a smile. "This is my Lakewood family. Being around the whole environment here, everybody is just so excited to be talking baseball again right now. It's January, so there's not a lot of baseball stories right now and to be able to come to something like this, it just gets me ready for the seaso...

Right-handed pitcher Kyle Simon was acquired last June by the Phillies in the trade that sent Jim Thome to the Baltimore Orioles.  His side-angled delivery, sweet mustache and excellent numbers made him stand out after joining the Phils organization. The 22-year-old sports a repertoire that features a low-90's fastball with sinking movement, a split and a plus slider. Simon is as automatic of a ground ball out in key situations as the Phillies have in their developmental ranks. Simon, who stands 6-foot-5 and is listed at 225 pounds, was moved to the bullpen upon joining the Phillies organization, tallying a 3-0 record with a 1.26 ERA in seven outings for Class A Advanced Clearwater.  Soon after, he was promoted to Double-A Reading, where he went 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 13 regular season outings.  Overall with the Threshers and R-Phils, Simon held opponents to a .165 batting average against.  Additionally, Simon starred in a playoff outing for Reading in Sept...

Righty pitcher Brody Colvin has ridden the biggest of career roller coasters during his time as a pro with the Phillies. From signing his first contract, to an off-season arrest in 2010, to looking like a future ace as he mowed down Class A opposition in his first full professional season, to being demoted from the top spot in that year’s post-season rotation after a mental lapse in the field, to ranking among the Phils' best prospects, to tallying an 11.02 ERA in seven Double-A outings in 2012, the team's seventh round draft pick from 2009 has experienced a large amount of highs and lows in a few short years. Once regarded as one of the Phillies' Baby Aces, Colvin hasn't displayed the command, velocity or the dominance that earned him the considerable praise that had many fans and experts so excited just a couple years back. In his own words, during an exclusive interview last summer , mechanics and panic consumed Colvin as he hit a rough patch during his time...

We’re just under a month until pitchers and catcher are due to report to Clearwater for spring training. That means it’s time to kick off our annual countdown of the top 25 prospects in the Phillies organization. Gradually, in the coming weeks, leading to the kickoff of the 2013 regular season, I will be unveiling player reviews for each of the top developmental talent that you, as Phillies fans, should be familiar with. Taken into consideration when reviewing these young talents will be age, minor league performance relative to levels played, value to the organization as well as future potential. These rankings will not include players over 25-years-old or individuals that have spents lengthy and multiple stretches in the big leagues. Thus, players such as Austin Hyatt , Darin Ruf , Justin De Fratus , Phillippe Aumont and Jake Diekman will not appear on this year’s list. Some very talented youngsters did not make the cut simply because other individuals ranked higher...

Throughout the off-season, we'll be checking in with various players from around the Phillies organization to see how they're staying in shape and how they're keeping busy during the colder months. To kick things off, righty pitching prospect David Buchanan , the Phils' 7th round draft selection in 2010, took some time to answer questions for the PhilliesNation. Buchanan was an All-Star with Lakewood in 2011, when he tallied an 11-5 record with a 3.38 ERA in 20 starts before he earned a promotion to Class A Advanced Clearwater. In six starts with the Threshers, Buchanan had a 3-2 record with a 3.90 ERA. The Georgia native, who is playfully referred to by teammates as "Buck Nasty", spent 2012 with Double-A Reading and posted a 3-5 record with a 3.86 ERA and a 4.98 K/9 mark in 12 starts. Unfortunately, the 6-foot-3 190-pounder had his season cut short, when a recurring ailment in the middle finger on his pitching hand became too bothersome and surgery wa...

We're back with another edition of the weekly off-season league rundown.  Check it out, as we take a tour around the globe for a look at Phillies talents participating in various autumn and winter league action. Venezuelan League- With La Guaira, righty-handed hurler J.C. Ramirez (pictured, left) has posted a 2-1 record with a 10.80 ERA through 10 outings while walking seven and striking out six in 6 2/3 innings.  The 24-year-old, who was acquired as part of the 2009 Cliff Lee trade with Seattle, pitched exclusively as a reliever in the Phillies system in 2012, sporting a 3-4 record with a 4.01 ERA and a .230 batting average against in 45 games at Double-A and Triple A. Freddy Galvis is batting .291 with six doubles, two triples and five homers in 40 games with Zulia.  Galvis, a 23-year-old shortstop, batted .226 with three home runs and 24 RBI in 58 games with the big league Phillies in 2012. Second baseman Cesar Hernandez has posted a .286 avera...