State of the Phillies Farm System, Trade Deadline Approaches

Since the Phillies just don't feel like winning lately I decided to talk about how the farm system is doing. With the MLB trade deadline looming ahead and the Phils desperate need for a quality starter I decided to post the Phils top prospects in the organization, some of whom could be moved in a deadline deal. The way things set up right now, some of the teams who many thought would be out of the race right now aren't and as a result haven't become sellers in a tight market for good pitching. The pitchers the Phillies have inquired about (Penny, Cliff Lee, Marquis, Peavy, Bedard, etc.) have not gone as planned. The Sox do not want to move Penny anymore after Matsuzaka went down and Smoltz got off to a rocky start, The Indians want too much for Lee after his one year wonder, Marquis and the Rockies are playing incredibly after firing Clint Hurdle and are very much in the race, and Peavy and Bedard have been hurt. Lastly, I dont see the Blue Jays trading Halladay. The way things are right now it might be best for the Phillies to stand pat and not try to trade their prospects for a pitcher. All the crummy teams right now just don't have the pitching the phillies need down the stretch, meanwhile the farm system has looked strong this year.

With that said here is a look at my top 10 prospects list in no particular order:

At Triple A Lehigh Valley:

Jason Donald, SS, Age 24; Donald almost made the major league club out of spring training but instead the team decided it was best for him to play every day in Triple A. Many were expecting a big season from Donald being one of the top prospects, but instead has struggled mightily at the plate just hitting .230 with a .617 OPS. Red Sox want this guy in a potential trade for Penny

Lou Marson, C, Age 23; Marson also struggled out of the gates this year but after a great month of June is hitting .270 overall for the year. Marson burst onto the scene last year after hitting .315 with a .435 On base % at Double A, so he has a good eye at the plate. Marson is the catcher of the future and has a chance to take over the catching duties next year in Philadelphia.

Carlos Carrasco, SP, Age 22; Carrasco has been the top prospect in the Phils organization for the last 2 years and they are just waiting for him to figure it out. After a rocky start he has picked it up and now is posting a 4.70 era and hitters are hitting .270 against him, he also has 88 k's in 92 innings pitched. Carrasco has great stuff but sometimes is not all there mentally and once he figures out that aspect of the game he should have a steady place in the Phils rotation for a while.

Antonio Bastardo, SP, Age 24; After dominating Double A and Triple A Bastardo got the call when Brett Myers was lost for the season after hip surgery. Bastardo carried a 5.75 era through 5 starts after two good starts against the Padres and Dodgers. Bastardo has great life on his fastball which he throws in the mid 90's, but his changeup and slider need to be refined in order to be more successful in the majors.

At Double A Reading:

Michael Taylor, OF, Age 23; Taylor has completely dominated Double A this year and is now one of the Phils top prospects. The 6'6 250 pound Taylor has been putting up video game type numbers thus far hitting .350 with 15 HR's and 14 SB's. He has been the subject of trade talk if the Phils acquire a good starting pitcher at the deadline which is probably why he hasn't been promoted yet. Taylor looks to have a bright future in the majors when his time comes.

Kyle Drabek, SP, Age 21; Former 1st round pick Drabek has been dominant at Clearwater and now at Reading as well. He has recovered successfully from Tommy John Surgery and now looks to be the Phils top prospect. In 6 starts at Reading he is 5-0 with a 2.72 era. He offers a mid 90's fastball with great movement, a nasty curve, and a changeup. Drabek also looks to have a bright future in the majors and has the potential to be the Ace of the staff. He is untouchable in trade talks.

Joe Savery, SP, Age 23; Savery, who was the phils 1st round pick in '07 stumbled at the start of his minor league career and some people wrote him off. Starting at Double A it looks as though Savery has regained his feel for pitching and now posts a 10-1 record with a 3.08 era while holding hitters to a .227 average against.

At Class A Clearwater:

Dominic Brown, OF, Age 21; Brown is in the conversation for top prospect in the organization along with Drabek and Taylor. He is a 5 tool player who has dominated Clearwater this year but recently broke his finger and is out for a couple weeks. For a while Brown was leading the FSL in Batting Avg, Home Runs, and OPS. He struggled a couple weeks before his injury and now is hitting .300 with 9 HR's and a .920 OPS. He has also been untouchable in trade talks.

At Class A Lakewood:

Anthony Gose, OF, Age 18; The 2nd round pick of the Phillies last year has started out his minor league career well. He is hitting .280 and is leading all minor leaguers with 46 Stolen Bases. He also plays great defense and threw 97mph in high school as a pitcher.

Jason Knapp, SP, Age 18; The 3rd round pick of the Phillies last year has 1st round talent but a strong commitment to play at UNC dropped him a little. This signing has paid off already as Knapp has completely dominated hitters at this level. Knapp has a 3.50 era but is holding hitters to a .198 avg against and has 106 k's in just 79 innings. Knapp throws a 96-97 mph fastball and once he refines his off speed stuff he will shoot up the system ranks.

There you have it, those are my top prospects in the wake of the trade deadline.