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The off-season is moving along and it’s almost time for "Hot Stove" excitement. With the Phillies not expected to be a major factor in the MLB free agent market, their time to shine at next week’s Winter Meetings will likely come in the annual Rule 5 draft. Last December the Phils selected Odubel Herrera , in the 9th slot, from Texas and the youngster proved to be a talented contributor for the team in a clear rebuild mode. As a 23-year-old big league rookie, Herrera tallied a .297 average with eight home runs and 16 stolen bases. Selecting first this year, the Phillies have a chance to really utilize their professional scouting department and take another player ready to impact a big league roster. Positionally, the spots to target may be the outfield or pitching, with depth or a lineup slot locked up in just about every other place on the roster. With their eyes on finding another Herrera, some players the Phils should be considering are listed below: Jabari Blas...

Throughout the off-season, Phillies Nation be bringing you details on Phils players participating in fall and winter leagues from around the globe. Read ahead for a rundown of how various players have performed to date. Venezuelan Winter League- Carlos Tocci, image- Jay Floyd With the Tigres, outfielder Carlos Tocci is currently sidelined with a broken hand after being hit by a pitch. Prior to the injury, Tocci posted a .333 average with a triple, four RBI and two stolen bases in 11 games. The 20-year-old posted a .287/.339/.363 slash line in 127 combined games with Lakewood and Clearwater this year. Outfielder Herlis Rodriguez is batting .196 with five RBI in 25 games for the Tigres. The 21-year-old lefty batter posted a .284 average with 10 home runs and 61 RBI in 120 games for Class A Lakewood this year. In six starts Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez as a 0-4 record with a 4.88 ERA for the Aguilas. In his most recent appearance, MAG allowed seven runs (six earned) in 1 2/3 ...

The Phillies' new general manager has completed his first trade. A deal announced on Saturday saw Matt Klentak send pitching prospect Sam McWilliams to Arizona for right-hander Jeremy Hellickson . Hellickson will join a Phils pitching staff that included three rookies by season's end and is in need of some established durability. In the last five years, the Iowa native has averaged 150 innings per season. The 28-year-old sports a 49-48 record along with a 3.94 ERA in 142 career MLB outings. Hellickson was a 4th round pick by Tampa Bay in 2005 and was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2011 when he posted a 2.95 ERA in 29 starts in his first big league season. He also won a Gold Glove Award for his defense in 2012. McWilliams, 20, was an 8th round draft selection by the Phillies last year. In his time as a pro, the righty sported a 2-5 record with a 4.19 ERA and a 4.8 K/9 mark in 16 games (12 starts). Klentak took over as the team's GM last month. Durin...

Knapp, image- Jay Floyd One of the biggest events of the off-season league schedule takes place this Saturday when the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game happens at Scottsdale's Salt River Fields. The "Fall Stars" exhibition marks the 10th annual event and will be nationally televised at 8PM Eastern on MLB Network and will stream live online at MLB.com. Representing the Phillies will be righty hurler Edubray Ramos and catcher Andrew Knapp , who were part of the Double-A Reading team that went to the Eastern League Championship Series this year. Ramos, a 22-year-old Venezuelan, was a stand out performer this year, when he tallied a 4-6 record with eight saves, a 2.07 ERA and a .196 batting average against in 47 games in relief for Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading. As a member of the Glendale Desert Dogs in the AFL, Ramos has allowed seven earned runs in 6 2/3 innings (9.45 ERA) while striking out eight and walking none. The switch-hitting Kn...

Mickey Morandini, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies announced on Monday that former infielder Mickey Morandini would be added to their staff next year as the team's first base coach. Morandini spent the last five seasons coaching in the minor leagues in the organization that drafted him in the 5th round in 1988. He began his coaching career as the manager of the Class A short season Williamsport Crosscutters in 2011. He would go on to manage Class A Lakewood the following season, spending two seasons there. He coached at the Triple-A level in 2014 and at Double-A this year. In those roles with Lehigh Valley and Reading, Morandini spent time overseeing base running and assisted with hitting as well. Previously, the 49-year-old was a guest instructor for the big league team in spring training in 2009 and 2010. As a coach in the higher levels, he was utilized in recent seasons during big league spring training as well. During his playing career, Morandini, a second baseman, rep...

Throughout the off-season, we'll be bringing you details on Phillies players participating in fall and winter leagues from around the globe. Read ahead for a rundown of how many players have performed to date. Stats are current through games played on Friday except ABL notes, which include stats for Saturday's games. Australian Baseball League- Cord Sandberg, image- Jay Floyd Outfielder Cord Sandberg is hitting a lofty .444 with a double, four walks and a steal in six games for Canberra. The 20-year-old was one of nine minor league Gold Glove Award winner as a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws this year. Sandberg was a 3rd round draft selection in 2013. Through seven games for the Sydney Blue Sox, first baseman Rhys Hoskins is batting .240 with five doubles, a homer and five RBI. In a double header on Saturday, Hoskins went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run. The 22-year-old was a 5th round draft pick by the Phils last year. He batted .319 with 17 home r...

Top Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford will miss the remainder of the Arizona Fall League season after suffering a small tear in his left thumb, as first reported by CSN's Jim Salisbury . Crawford, who was the Phillies top draft selection in 2013 (16th overall), had gone 3-for-20 (.150 average) in five games with Glendale in the AFL this month. The 20-year-old shortstop missed time early in the 2015 season with an oblique strain. In a season split between Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading, the lefty batting Crawford sported a combined .288 batting average with a .793 OPS in 107 regular season games. He was also named a mid-season All-Star in the Eastern League with Reading and competed in the MLB All-Star Futures Game. The ailment for Crawford does not require surgery and he is expected to be healthy for spring training. Drew Stankiewicz, image- Jay Floyd Replacing Crawford with the Glendale Desert Dogs will be infielder Drew Stankiewicz , who was an 11t...

Dylan Cozens, image- Jay Floyd Recently, I spoke with Phillies outfield prospect Dylan Cozens about an injury keeping him from playing in the highly regarded Arizona Fall League (read that feature by clicking here ). Below are some bonus quotes from my telephone interview with Cozens about his progress, his 2015 season, spending time last winter playing baseball in Australia and more. - The 21-year-old talked about transitioning from the Class A Advanced Florida State League to the Double A Eastern League late in the season this year... I felt like it was easy for me (in Double A). I felt like it was a lot easier up there to get a plan, make a plan against the pitcher. You kind of have an idea of how they are going to attack you. In High A, you don't really see that as much. Everybody's just kind of doing their own thing. I definitely felt like it was easier to get a plan. More pitchers were around the plate, which was good. Umpires were better, made it easier ...

In the coming weeks my wife and I are expecting our first child, a boy. We're just about ready for his arrival, but we haven't locked in a name for him yet. Recently, I've talked with some well-known individuals to ask for some name ideas. Phillies outfield prospect Nick Williams , fresh off being acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade, suggested the name Braden. Comedian, actor and TV host Hal Sparks recommended Logan. Phils lefty pitcher Mario Hollands thinks Mario is a swell option. Lastly, outfield prospect Dylan Cozens offered the name Christian as his top choice. With those choices, it's time for you, readers and friends, to weigh in on what the world's newest baseball fan should be called.  Vote in the poll below. What should I name my son? Braden Logan Mario Christian Other Please Specify: Quiz Maker

News broke on Saturday that the Phillies have decided on their next general manager with Matt Klentak in line to take on the role. First to report the decision was the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo on Twitter. Many considered Klentak as a front runner for the gig as he has previous ties to current team president Andy MacPhail while both were with Baltimore.  Klentak held the title of director of baseball operations with the Orioles and most recently was the assistant GM with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Klentak played baseball in college for Dartmouth University where he was a shortstop and the team's captain as a senior.  Out of college, Klentak worked for the Colorado Rockies in their baseball operations department and later spent four years working for MLB's labor relations department. Varied reports have Klentak as either 34 or 35 years old.  Either way, he's a young man in an evolving pro baseball world, which can certainly play in the Phill...

Dylan Cozens, image- Tug Haines An attempt to show off in front of various team coaches and front office personnel seems to have cost Phillies outfield prospect Dylan Cozens a chance to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. A week prior to heading out to take part in the highly regarded autumn exhibition league that features many of baseball's top minor league talents, the skilled slugger hurt his arm during routine drills in Clearwater, FL, at the organization's spring training facilities. "My first throw I went to make from right field I went to throw it and I was trying to throw it pretty hard, and I was trying to show off a little bit, like maybe show off the arm, and it just like grabbed on me and tightened up real bad," Cozens confessed in a phone interview on Friday. "And then, I overthrew the guy a little bit and they made me do another throw and I went to throw that one and it hurt pretty bad and I was like, 'I'm shutting it down....

Off-season leagues are underway for many Phillies players including some stateside in the Arizona Fall League, but with several players taking the diamond abroad. Read ahead for a complete rundown of how your Phils are doing across the globe. Stats listed are current through Saturday's games. Arizona Fall League- JP Crawford, image- Jay Floyd In two games, shortstop J.P. Crawford is 1-for-8 (.125 avg) with a walk and a strike out. The 20-year-old was the Phillies' first round draft selection in 2013. In 86 games with Double-A Reading this year, Crawford posted a .265 average with five home runs and 34 RBI. Catcher Andrew Knapp is 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in one game played as a designated hitter. The 23-year-old was the Phils' second round draft selection in 2013. With Reading this year, Knapp sported a .360 average with 11 homers and 56 RBI in 55 games. Edubray Ramos allowed an earned run in 1 1/3 innings while allowing a hit and striking out ...