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On the 73rd edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast Tug and Jay are joined by lefty pitching prospect Matt Imhof , who was the Phillies' 2nd round draft choice this year. Additionally, the guys talk about the Phils' rebuild mode kicked off by the team trading former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins and what Rollins', as well as other core team members', places in team history should be. Wondering if Cole Hamels is next to go and the organization's cranky fan base are also a topics of discussion. 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 .

Aaron Nola, image- Tug Haines The Phillies' top pick from this year's draft, righty hurler Aaron Nola , has looked very good in the early stages of his pro career. In nine games combined in the minors, the 21-year-old LSU product sports a 3-3 record with a 3.35 ERA while striking out 36 batters and walking seven in 40 1/3 innings. Over the weekend, I spoke with Nola, who was recently promoted to Double-A Reading, about his draft experience, the possibility of being shut down before season's end, the transition from college to the pro's, looking up to his brother Austin and more. Read ahead for that full interview. -What was your draft experience like? How did you celebrate? We had a party over at LSU in our lounge and it was a bunch of family and some friends over there. We had about 100 people actually, so it was pretty big. It was fun. It was a fun time and it's definitely something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life. The draft and ...

The Phillies continued their new approach on the second day of the MLB amateur draft, taking college players with their opening three selections of the day. Taken in the 3rd round (81st overall) was outfielder Aaron Brown, out of Pepperdine.  In his junior season this year, the California native posted a .310/.349/.539 slash line with team highs in homers (12) and RBI (47) for the Waves.  Also a lefty hurler, Brown tallied a 12-1 record with a 2.07 ERA and an 8.28 K/9 mark in 16 games.  Brown, a left-handed batter, was drafted by Cleveland last year and by Pittsburgh out of high school, but did not sign. The Phils' 4th round selection (112th overall) was Chris Oliver, a right-handed pitcher out of Arkansas.  In his junior season, the six-foot-four 180-pounder posted a 9-4 record with a 2.51 ERA and a 5.69 K/9 mark in 16 starts.  Oliver was in the news recently, as he was charged with DWI just a couple days ago.  A 20-year-old, Oliver is likely in sto...

The Phillies altered their typical early round approach this year, going with college hurlers for their top two selections. Choosing 7th overall, their highest pick in 13 years, the Phils chose LSU junior righty Aaron Nola. Additionally, in the 2nd round, the team picked lefty Matt Imhof out of Cal Poly with the 47th overall pick. Nola, a First Team All-American, posted an 11-1 record along with a 1.47 ERA and a 10.37 K/9 mark in 16 starts. The Louisiana native enjoyed a tremendous college career, twice winning SEC Player of the Year honors while compiling a 30-6 overall record with a 2.09 ERA in three seasons. Nola, 21, stands six-foot-one and weighs 196 pounds. He is often praised for his precision control and is projected as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Nola was previously selected out of high school in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft by Toronto, but did not sign. His college coach, Paul Mainieri, also coached Brad Lidge at Notre dame. Recent players selected with t...