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The Phillies announced on Tuesday that right-handed pitcher Scott Mathieson has been released, freeing him to pursue a contract with a team in Asia. The 27-year-old was 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 big league games in his career. He held opponents scoreless in four relief outings this year for the Phillies. Mathieson is secretive about his destination, stating exclusively to PhoulBallz.com that he has an agreement with the team he’ll be pitching for to not announce the signing before Friday, when that club expects to make the news public. A source close to PhoulBallz.com has stated that the Yomiuri Giants in Japan will be the team that Mathieson is set to sign with. The change is something that Mathieson is ready for and he expects to pitch outside of North America for the foreseeable future. “I’m very excited for this. I am hoping to play with this team for a while and maybe come back to finish my career in the States, but, right now, I’m hoping to play overseas for a while,” Mathieson s...

A three-run homerun by Brandon Moss in the opening frame was more than enough offense for the IronPigs pitching staff, as four pitchers combined to hold the Columbus Clippers to 2 runs on 7 hits earning Lehigh Valley a victory in game 1 of the Triple-A International League Championship Series. The long ball by Moss, his 3rd of the postseason, came off of Columbus All-Star Zach McAllister , who spent some time with the parent club, Cleveland, this year. The right-handed McAllister lasted 8 innings, but took the loss. The lefty batting Moss, who has seen Major League action as a member of the Red Sox, had the table set for his big blast in the top of the 1st inning by 1-out singles from Scott Podsednik and Kevin Frandsen . Moss, the IronPigs' clean up hitter who turns 28-years-old later this week, then mashed a deep drive to straight away center that put Lehigh Valley ahead for good. Lehigh Valley added another run an inning later. An RBI ground out by the left fielder Podse...

PAWTUCKET, RI- Phillies minor league hurler Scott Mathieson has dealt with a lot of obstacles in his career. Three times a patient on the operating table, to undergo elbow surgery, Mathieson was originally a 17th round draft choice by the Phillies in 2002. The Vancouver, BC native made his Major League debut with the Phillies as a starting pitcher in June, 2006. However, by September that season, Mathieson was sidelined with a torn elbow ligament and required Tommy John surgery. As he rehabbed the following year, it was discovered that Mathieson had lingering issues that would force him to undergo an ulnar nerve transposition procedure. Bouncing back from that surgery proved difficult in 2008, when Mathieson was forced to have a second Tommy John surgery. Prior to the surgical procedures, Mathieson had pitched mainly as a starter. However, since returning from that third stint on the disabled list, and working his way back up through the Phillies developmental system, the 6-foot-3...

The following tale, originally posted on June 21st, 2011 at 2:30 AM, is not accurate. Read the update at the end of this post for more details. However, I know multiple sources linked to this piece, so I shall let it live. Occasionally, a sensation will take the Nation of Phils tweeters by storm. This past weekend, it was the move by Phillies right-handed reliever Mike Stutes to join the online Tweetfest. Interestingly, Stutes had a bit of a wager going when he decided to create his own Twitter account last Friday. Scott Mathieson, who has pitched in relief for the Phillies this season but is currently settling into the role of starter for the first time in four years with the Triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, felt that Stutes could not collect 1,000 followers on the social networking site within the first 24 hours. Not only did Stutes exceed the 1,000 mark, but he more than doubled that goal after a single day. Mathieson, who last week had to watch his hometown Vancouver Canucks...

CLEARWATER, FL- Somehow, despite the recent news that Brad Lidge is set to begin the season on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury, the Phillies didn't see fit to keep fire-balling righty hurler Scott Mathieson around. Mathieson, who has had a long road back to the big leagues following three elbow procedures (two of which were Tommy John surgeries), appeared in 7 games with the Phillies in spring training this year, posting a 2.00 ERA with 9 strike outs and 6 walks over 9 innings. The Vancouver, British Columbia native made his Major League debut with the Phils in 2006 as a starter, going 1-4 with a 7.47 ERA, but had his career sidetracked due to arm trouble. This spring, Mathieson was back where he wanted to be and felt that he was primed to return to a regular gig in the big leagues. However, on Saturday, the Phillies sent Mathieson back down to minor league camp. Mathieson's goal throughout his recovery has been to get back into the Phillies' red pinstripes...

Spring training officially began for Phillies minor leaguers last Friday, but several prospects have been in camp with the big club since last month and have seen game action along side established red pinstripe rocking stars. While their minor league peers won't begin their own exhibition games until next Monday, prospects such as Justin De Fratus , Mike Stutes , Vance Worley and Scott Mathieson have been tackling relief innings with the Phillies on the parent club's preseason schedule. Also, position players like Matt Rizzotti , Josh Barfield , and Michael Martinez have gotten some time to show off their offensive and defensive abilities. De Fratus, is a righty hurler that has been on the rise in the Phillies organization since he was drafted in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft. Recently ranked as the Phillies' number 5 prospect , De Fratus has had a bit of a tough spring, getting hit around somewhat in his outings. In 3 games, De Fratus has a 0-1 record, with ...

Down in Ft. Myers, FL on Thursday, led by their pitchers, the Phillies won their third Grapefruit League contest of the year. 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels started the game, then gave way to some hungry young relievers that are trying to make a solid impression on the Phillies' brass this spring. Four pitchers combined to hold the Boston Red Sox to just one hit over 9 innings to help the Phillies claim a 2-0 victory. Read ahead for some key notes on today's Phils' victory and some exclusive quotes from right-hander Scott Mathieson . - Cole Hamels allowed a lone hit in his four innings of work. Hamels also walked one batter and struck out three. -In relief, Scott Mathieson and Mike Stutes each threw a pair of innings. Mathieson walked one batter, while striking out two. Stutes allowed no runners and struck out two batters as well. -Lefty Juan Perez worked out of a bases loaded jam in the 9th inning, following a walk and two errors, to earn the save. - Jeff Larish sta...

On Thursday, the Phillies opened their exhibition schedule as they do every year with a match up against the Florida State Seminoles. The ACC's top squad wasn't quite a tough challenge for the defending NL East division champions, as the Phillies won by a decisive score of 8-0. Not surprisingly, the Phillies took control early against hurler Tyler Everett when they jumped on the youngster for four runs in the first inning. The key blow in that frame was a two-run double by Ryan Howard . Additionally, other Phillies that drove in runs on Thursday were Carlos Ruiz , Brian Schneider , Pete Orr , Freddy Galvis and Michael Martinez . Aussie pitcher Drew Naylor started the game for the Phillies and struck out 2 while allowing just 1 hit and no runs. Eddie Bonine also pitched 2 scoreless innings. Lefty Juan Perez along with right-handers Mike Stutes, Michael Schwimer , Justin De Fratus and Scott Mathieson each added a scoreless inning of work. Following the win and retiring all ...

As a new season, that Philadelphia players and executives alike feel is "World Series or Bust", approaches, all Phillies pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater, FL for their entry physical examinations on Sunday, prior to the start of workouts. The biggest story in all of Major League Baseball this off-season, the Phillies' pitching rotation, will jointly be on the field and answer questions from the media for the very first time on Monday. The return of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia completed what many say could be the greatest pitching rotation in modern baseball history, adding him to last year's group of starters, Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton. With the rotation filled to the brim, the Phillies' bullpen has some potential vacancies. Reports out of camp on Sunday had closer Brad Lidge actively campaigning for the return of his close friend, pitcher Chad Durbin, whose contract with the Phillie...

Scott Mathieson is a long-time Phillies pitching prospect that fans have grown familiar with for the wrong reasons, unfortunately. The right-handed Canadian, who was drafted by Philadelphia in the 17th round of the 2002 amateur draft, had his Major League career sidetracked due to serious injuries and is still battling his way back to the big time. It took Mathieson, who went on the operating table three separate times for his pitching elbow, roughly four years to get back to being a true contender to earn a spot on the Phillies' Major League roster. As a starting pitcher, Mathieson broke into the Majors with the Phillies, at age 22, in 2006. However, his season was cut short when he required Tommy John surgery to repair ligament damage in his elbow. The following season, as Mathieson began rehab work, it was discovered he also needed an ulnar nerve transposition procedure. Then, in 2008, Mathieson had a second Tommy John surgery. In 2009, Mathieson rehabbed and pitched a combined ...

I spoke with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. this week, prior to the Phillies Winter Tour stop in Lakewood. I asked Amaro about several things including his thoughts on how relievers like Scott Mathieson and Justin De Fratus might contribute to the big club in the coming season, about JC Ramirez's recovery from off-season hip surgery, Charlie Manuel's contract situation, about new BlueClaws manager Chris Truby and more. Amaro also answers questions from Trenton newspaper reporter Josh Norris about Jon Singleton's switch to the outfield from first base and his overall opinion on the state of the Phillies' minor league system. Check out the media player below to listen to excerpts of my time with Ruben Amaro Jr. _______________________________________________________________________ You can follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter by clicking HERE . Connect with PhoulBallz.com on Facebook by clicking HERE .

Scott Mathieson has been a name that has intrigued Phillies fans for several years. A 17th round draft pick in the 2002 amateur draft, out of Vancouver, BC, the right-handed Mathieson rose through the Phillies minor league ranks as a starting pitcher and made his Major League debut with Philadelphia in June, 2006. That season, Mathieson was on the opening day roster for the Double A Reading Phillies. In 19 starts, Mathieson posted a 10-3 record with a 3.40 ERA and 99 strike outs in 92 2/3 innings pitched. Those efforts earned him a promotion to Triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre where he went 3-1 with a 3.93 ERA and 36 strike outs in 34 1/3 innings. With such solid stats, the Phillies rewarded Mathieson with another promotion. The 6-feet-3, 200-pounder stepped up another level but didn't have the same results, allowing opponents to hit .312 and going 1-4 with a 7.47 ERA in 9 games, 8 of which were starts, with Philadelphia. By September that season, however, he was sidelined with a tor...

On Tuesday, I took part in a roundtable discussion with PhilliesNation.com. The subject at hand was "Of the currently available free agent relief pitchers, who should the Phillies attempt to sign?" While some folks feel that names like Scott Downs, Dan Meyer and others are suitable fits for the Phillies bullpen, I disagree. Read what I had to say below, and click HERE to check out what the other PhilliesNation contributors had to say about this matter. Which free agent relievers should the Phillies target? NONE OF THEM. Free agent relievers are too hit or miss, as the Phillies and their phans saw last season when Jose Contreras and his statistics were a pleasant surprise, while Danys Baez and his weak production proved to be money virtually wasted. With the Phillies’ current crop of solid pitching prospects, I don’t feel it is necessary to sign a potentially costly free agent. Sure, there seems to be a need for an additional lefty reliever, but is Scott Downs and the draft p...

This week I took part in a media survey, conducted by The Reading Eagle's Mike Drago, that was designed to rank the top 20 prospects in the Phillies system. Twelve individuals who are very close to the Phillies minor league system were asked to rank their own personal top 20, which Drago tabulated and averaged to determine the list of 20. Normally, these sorts of lists are done by one source, who is not necessarily close to a solitary organization (IE- a national outlet that has correspondents who occasionally view the analyzed players). In this instance, surveying a dozen analysts, who have seen these players on a regular basis, makes this catalog of Philadelphia prospects the most accurate and reliable one available. Here are the rankings, including brief reviews for the top half: Jonathan Singleton 1. Jonathan Singleton : Just 18 and in his first full professional season, the eighth-round pick out of Long Beach, Calif., got off to a sizzling start with Lakewood, hitting over .40...

A report from Yahoo! Sports states that Astros hurler Roy Oswalt has named 3 different teams he'd like to land with if Houston decides to trade him this season. On Oswalt's short list were the Phillies, the Cardinals and the Yankees. Oswalt, who has a career 140-77 record with a 3.21 ERA and is in his 10th Major League season with Houston, could join "Mr. Perfect" Roy Halladay in the Phillies' starting rotation. This sort of news should make the hardcore guys over at The 701 Level very happy, as they declared their desire to have TWO ROY'S in the Phillies' starting rotation a couple weeks back. Keep in mind that Ed Wade, general manager of the Astros, is very familiar with the entire Phillies organization. Wade has put together a collection of ex-Phillies during his time there, including guys like Brett Myers, Pedro Feliz, Jason Michaels and Mike Bourn. So, perhaps working out a deal to send Houston some more Phillies cast-offs might not be very difficult...

Scott Mathieson, the one time Phillies pitcher who has been recovering from elbow surgeries for over three years, is finally close to a return to the Majors. Mathieson, a 17th round selection in the 2002 amateur draft, appeared in 9 games, 8 of which were starts, for the Phillies in 2006. Late that season, Mathieson suffered an elbow tear, for which he needed Tommy John surgery. In the recovery process, he felt more arm trouble. A second Tommy John surgery was required, in addition to another arm procedure. Mathieson spent the 2009 season working his way back through the minors and is now in camp with the big club. When I spoke to Mathieson last August , while he was pitching with the Double A level Reading Phillies, Mathieson talked about the things he learned during his rehab process- patience, mental toughness and learning how to pitch...the mechanics & finesse of things, not just throwing. Scott also improved his change up, which he now feels is one of his better pitches. All ...

On Thursday, the last regular scheduled games were played in the Arizona Fall League. Eight players from the Phillies organization played for the Scottsdale Scorpions, along with prospects from the Giants, Pirates, Rockies and D-Backs. Scottsdale finished 15-16 in the six team league. Pirates minor league coach Jeff Banister managed the team, while Lakewood BlueClaws pitching coach Bob Milacki, who coached in the Pirates system last year, acted as the pitching coach. Listed below are AFL stats for each of the Phillies organization's 8 players... Michael Schwimer, relief pitcher- 10 games, 0-0 record, 0 saves, 4.26 ERA, 12 2/3 IP, 8 K, 8 BB. Scott Mathieson, relief pitcher- 11 games, 0-0 record, 0 saves, 2.84 ERA, 12 2/3 IP, 15 K, 8 BB. Michael Cisco, starting pitcher- 6 starts, 1-2 record, 0 saves, 3.38 ERA, 18 2/3 IP, 13 K, 8 BB. Edgar Garcia, relief pitcher- 10 games, 1 start, 2-2 record, 0 saves, 5.29 ERA, 17 innings, 10 K, 4 BB. Troy Hanzawa, shortstop- 2-for-25 (.080 avg.), ...

Former Major League Phillie Scott Mathieson is still on the road back, following two arm surgeries. Currently pitching with the double A Reading Phillies, Mathieson needed Tommy John Surgery twice, after appearing in 9 games with the big league team in 2006. This year, Mathieson has a combined 0.86 ERA at 3 minor league levels in 15 games. I had a chance to speak with Scott this week. Here is a look at how that went... Can I get your thoughts on your rehab thus far, this year, and the long process? It was real frustrating up until lately, when I've been pitching. It's a nice relief to be out there pitching. Giving up runs is-- to think about it now, it's nice that I'm not even thinking about my arm anymore. It's all about pitching and about baseball, not rehabbing. I feel like I'm almost over rehab now. The next stage is just pitch back-to-back (days). Just trying to put (rehab) in the past and worry about pitching. What was the biggest thing you learned from yo...

Mike Zagurski, a lefty reliever with the Phillies in 2007, had Tommy John surgery last year, missing the entire season. He is now on his way back up through the minors as he builds arm strength and gets back to form. Mike is currently pitching with the double A Reading Phillies. I spoke with Mike during Reading's visit to Trenton recently. Here's how that went down. Mike, can you tell me what it was like the first time you were called up to the big club? It was nice. It was something that, everyone that plays this game, the ultimate goal is to get there. So it was nice, a good experience. Now I'm just trying to get back. Talk about the rehab process and how tough that has been for you. It's been okay. It's better now that I'm finally on a team and playing a little bit. It had its moments in Florida where days got pretty monotonous, ya know, days were it got kind of frustrating where you wouldn't want to do your rehab part of it. But it's all part of the ...

Welcome to the Phillies baseball blog brought to you by Fox Sports 1260. Some entries here might be thoroughly organized, and based on one topic. Others, today’s for example, will feature details on various Phillies related matters. To kick things off on the best note possible, don’t expect the Phillies to make the post season this year. In case you missed it, last week the Phillies announced that they were bringing Mike Lieberthal back for one day, so he can retire as a Phillie. Many of you are aware that every season since 1992 that the Phillies did not have Mike Lieberthal on their roster, that won the division title. Sure, it was only 2 years out of 14, but obviously it’s a certainty that Liebey is a jynx. June 1st, the day Lieberthal returns, will be D-Day for the Phightin’ Phils. Gavin Floyd: Ace Starter?! Twice in under a month, the phormer Phillies top draft pick has flirted with a no hitter for the Chicago White Sox. His strike out to walk ratio (19:18) is not gleaming at all,...