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Prior to the MLB trade deadline, the Phillies sent minor league pitcher Tyler Burch to Baltimore for infielder Freddy Galvis.  Within just a few days of the swap, Burch was facing the Class A Jersey Shore roster that was made up of his former teammates. An undrafted free agent signing out of Lewis-Clark State in Idaho in 2019, Burch had begun to excel this year in his young professional career.  In 23 relief outings combined between Class A Clearwater and Class A Advanced Jersey Shore, the 23-year-old right-hander notched a 4-3 record with seven saves, a 3.98 ERA and a 15.0 K/9 mark. Following the trade, Burch was assigned to the Orioles High A affiliate the Aberdeen IronBirds.  In his debut there, facing the BlueClaws, Burch surrendered an earned run on two hits in one inning of work. This week I talked with Tyler about the transition to the new club, facing his BlueClaws teammates and more.  Read ahead for those quotes.   -Did you know any guys on the Ir...

The Phillies initiated steps to begin a necessary makeover of their troubling bullpen on Friday as the team made two trades to help improve the relief corps that had posted MLB's worst ERA (8.07) heading into action that day. In a pair of trades, the Phillies acquired right-hander David Hale from the Yankees as well as righties Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree from the Red Sox.  Originally a 3rd round draft pick out of Princeton University by the Braves in 2009, Hale has posted a 4.23 ERA with a 6.0 K/9 mark and a 1.43 WHIP in 95 career big league appearances.  Hale had been designated for assignment recently by the Yankees. In 195 big league games dating back to 2013 Workman has notched a 24-16 record with 20 saves, a 3.75 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Workman ranked first in MLB last year in opponents' xSLG (.238), which measures exit velocity and launch angle of each batted ball in an effort to remove defense and ballpark factors from the equation.   Hembree sports a 3.6...

Ahead of the deadline to update the big league 40-man roster in advance of the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Phillies made some additions on Wednesday. Jojo Romero, image- Jay Floyd In moves that did not catch very many people by surprise, right-handed hurler Mauricio Llovera and left-hander JoJo Romero were added to the 40-man roster.  Righty Garrett Cleavinger was also protected. Llovera, 23, a Venezuela native, notched a 3-4 record with a 4.55 ERA and a 9.9 K/9 mark in 14 games with Double-A Reading this year.   Romero, a 4th round draft pick from 2016, posted a 7-9 record with a 5.82 ERA with a 7.4 K/9 mark in 24 games split between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading this year.  In eight appearances in the Arizona Fall League this off-season the 23-year-old recorded a 0.84 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. Cleavinger, who was acquired by the Phils in the trade that sent Jeremy Helickson to Baltimore in 2017, posted a 3-2 record with a 3.66 ERA and a .172 ba...

Righty batting infielder Hunter Stovall joined the Phillies organization earlier this season in a trade with the Rockies for lefty hurler James Pazos.  Following the deal, Stovall, who was a 21st round draft pick last year, joined the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 61 games for the 'Claws, the 22-year-old Mississippi State product has tallied a .216 average with eight doubles, three triples and 19 RBI. Last week I talked with Hunter about the trade, not being an everyday player at times, his faith and tons more.  Read ahead for that interview. -You start out the year elsewhere.  What can you tell me about your season and the trade to come over to the Phillies? The trade was a surprise, of course. I mean I hadn’t even been in pro ball a year and I’m already getting traded, so it was kind of a shock. But, it is what it is, but the season this year, I haven’t got to get in there as much as I’d like, but I guess it’s just the way the Phillies work. It is what i...

Jake Scheiner, image- Jay Floyd Following hours of speculation about what the Phillies would be sending to Seattle in a reported impending trade, news broke on Sunday that the team would send righty batting prospect Jake Scheiner in exchange for Jay Bruce . Scheiner, a versatile fielder, had played left field, center field, third base and first base this year for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers.  In 45 games in the Florida State League, the 23-year-old sported a .256 average with a pair of home runs and 20 RBI. Bruce, 32, is a three-time All-Star.  In 37 games with the Mariners this season, the lefty slugger possesses a .212/.282/.533 offensive slash line. The Phillies will use Bruce to fill the void left by Odubel Herrera, who was placed on administrative leave last week following an arrest for a domestic violence related accusation. According to Phillies.com's Todd Zolecki, the Phillies are to be responsible for just $2.75 million of Bruce's remainin...

Sanchez with Lakewood in 2017, image- Jay Floyd We interrupt this Phillies prospect countdown to offer up some breaking news.  Reports have surfaced on Thursday that the Phils have agreed to a trade that would send highly touted pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez , big league catcher Jorge Alfaro along with hurler Will Stewart and international bonus slot to Miami for backstop J.T. Realmuto . Sanchez, a much-raved-about 20-year-old right-hander that reaches triples digits with his fastball, was the key to the deal and had long been mentioned in trade talks. A native of the Dominican Republic, Sanchez has missed time in each of the past two seasons with injuries and sat out of the prestigious Arizona Fall League this off-season due to an ailment. Last season in eight starts with Class A Advanced Clearwater, Sanchez posted a 4-3 record with a 2.51 ERA and an 8.7 K.9 mark. Alfaro, a 25-year-old righty batter, posted a .262 average with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 108 g...

The Philadelphia Phillies came into the season with low expectations because the team is undergoing a rebuilding process, which means they won’t be in contention anytime soon. At the start of the season, the Phillies played hard and out-performed expectations, but the team finally came down to earth and is trying to get back to playing .500 ball. Due to their rebuilding, the Phillies have one of the worst online MLB sports betting odds , but the team is still competitive and capable of big wins every now and then. With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies can try to get rid of the few remaining bad contracts that they have, and also get some young talent that can be important to the team’s success in the future. By trading some players away, the Phillies will also have to figure out which young players to call up to the majors, so they can get some experience heading into the offseason. Currently, Philadelphia’s most valuable trading chip is Jeremy Hellicks...

On Wednesday, the Phillies acquired infielder Taylor Featherston from the Angels for a player to be named later or cash. The six-foot-one 185-pounder did not perform well as a big league rookie last season, posting a .162/.212/.247 slash line in 101 games. Featherston, 26, had done considerably better since turning pro, notching a .274/.343/.453 in four minor league seasons. He has primarily been a shortstop and second baseman during his professional career, but has also played third base. Featherston was recently designated for assignment by the Angels. He was a 5th round draft selection out of Texas Christian in 2011. This off-season, Featherston played with Licey in the Dominican Winter League, where he tallied a .216 average five RBI in 10 games. This addition will add depth for the Triple-A level. Expect Featherston to get some playing time in big league camp this spring.

Jesse Biddle, image- Jay Floyd Multiple reports confirm that the Phillies have traded left-handed pitcher Jesse Biddle to Pittssburgh in a deal with an undisclosed return at the time of this writing. Biddle, 24, underwent off-season Tommy John surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2016 season. The move seemed to be something that has been in the works from the Phillies side since they designated him for assignment, removing him from their 40-man roster last week. With his extended injury time, placing him on the 60-day disabled list would have allowed the Phils to keep Biddle on their roster without having him take up valuable space there, as there are exceptions for ailing players. The Philadelphia native has missed considerable time with injuries in recent years, including a concussion, elbow soreness as well as a knee issue and dealing with whooping cough for an extended stretch. Pittsburgh could be an ideal place for Biddle to rebound, once healthy. It's bec...

As a busy week continued for the 99-loss Phillies, news was released confirming another swap as the team sent minor league hurler David Whitehead to Pittsburgh for starting pitcher Charlie Morton . The 32-year-old Morton is best known for his mechanics which resemble Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay . In 158 career big league games, the righty sports a 34-70 record along with a 4.54 ERA. Whitehead, a pitcher not particularly close to the Phillies' top 25 prospects, posted a 9-11 record with a 4.44 ERA and a .291 batting average against for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers last season. The addition of Morton likely locks him into a rotation spot as the team's veteran, although he isn't a workhorse, having never thrown 30 or more starts in a season and making more than 26 starts in a year only one time. Morton will join newly acquired pitcher Jeremy Hellickson as the only locks to be Phils starters. Rookies Aaron Nola (the Phils' 1st round pick fr...

Kenny Giles, image- Jay Floyd After a day full of hot stove rumors indicating the Phillies were in talks with Houston about a deal for righty closer Kenny Giles , several reports have the deal in place, pending physicals. A reporter from a Fox affiliate in Houston tweeted incorrect facts about the trade multiple time, but it seems the return coming back for the 25-year-old Giles are right-handed hurler Vincent Velasquez , left-handed pitcher Brett Oberholtzer and outfielder Derek Fisher . Velsaquez, a 23-year-old, was a 2nd round pick by Houston in 2010.  With terrific upside, the youngster sported a 4-0 record with a 1.91 ERA and a 12.3 K/9 mark in nine games at the Double-A level last season prior to a promotion to the big league.  With the Astros, in 19 games (seven starts) Velasquez tallied a 4.37 ERA and a .240 batting average against. Oberholtzer, 26, has an 11-20 record in 3.94 ERA in 45 career big league outings.  He was an 8th round draft sele...

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...

Tom Windle, image- Jay Floyd Left-handed pitcher Tom Windle was a key acquisition last off-season for the Phillies. Part of the return from Los Angeles for Jimmy Rollins , the six-foot-four 215-pounder came into the season as a promising starter, but after some concerning results through half of the season, he was moved to the bullpen, where he has shined brightly. Through 14 starts this season with the Double-A Reading Fightins, the 23-year-old sported a 2-5 record along with a 5.35 ERA, a .297 batting average against and a 5.48 K/9 mark. In 12 relief appearances, Windle has tallied a 2-0 record with a 1.59 ERA, a .194 batting and a 7.41 K/9 mark. Recently, I spoke Windle, who was drafted in the 2nd round out of Minnesota in 2013, about his adjustment to the new role, coming over in the big trade last off-season and much more. Read ahead for the full interview. -When I saw you last you were still in the rotation and since then, you've has a lot of success as a reliever....

On Friday, in the midst of the official announcement of the Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to Texas news, another deal was made by the Phillies.  OF Ben Revere will be swapped to Toronto for two minor leaguers.  Revere, 27, was batting .292 and had a homer along with 26 RBI and 24 steals in 96 games this season. To fill the void on the big league roster, veteran OF Jordan Danks has been promoted to the Phils. The 28-year-old lefty batter is a career .227 hitter in 180 major league contests. CSN's Jim Salisbury reported that the two players coming to the Phils organization are righty hurlers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado . Cordero, a 23-year-old Dominican, tallied a save and a 2.92 ERA along with 22 strike outs and 14 walks over 24 2/3 innings in 17 games for Double-A New Hampshire. Prior to his promotion to the Eastern League, Cordero notched a 0-1 record a save and a 2.49 ERA while striking out 24 and walking six over 25 1/3 innings in 15 relief outing for Clas...

On this week's edition of Phillies Nation Ian Riccaboni joined hosts Rachel Micali and Corey Seidman to talk about the Phillies dealing ace hurler Cole Hamels and All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon . Minor league insider Jay Floyd also joins the panel to talk about the organization's rising prospects like Aaron Altherr , Andrew Knapp and Roman Quinn as well as members of this year's draft class such as Cornelius Randolph and Kyle Martin . Also, Timothy Parker joins the show with a profile piece on the local youth baseball RBI program. Check out this week's episode in the media player below. Look for new episodes each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network with replays throughout the week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet.

This afternoon Phillies Nation's minor league insider Jay Floyd joined Matt Leon on KYW 1060 AM to speak about the widely reported trade of Cole Hamels to Texas as well as the crop of guys the Phillies are slated to receive in return, mainly OF Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro . Also discussed is the current state of the Phils' minor league system and how the organization has bounced back in regards to possessing a collection of great young talents. Check out the media player below to listen to the segment.

The Cole Hamels to Texas trade is a six-for-two ( plus money ) deal with lefty reliever Jake Diekman joining the Phillies' former ace on his way to the Rangers in return for big league starting pitcher Matt Harrison as well as the following prospects- pitchers Jerad Eickhoff , Alec Asher and Jake Thompson , outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro . Eickhoff, a 25-year-old righty, tallied a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in two starts at the Triple-A level this year and had a 4.25 ERA and an 8.24 K/9 mark in 18 games at Double-A this season. The six-foot-four 240-pounder was a 15th round draft pick in 2011. Eickhoff throws a mid-90's fastball as well as a curve ball and a change up. It's possible his future is out of the bullpen. Asher, a righty, tallied a 3-6 record with a 4.73 ERA in 12 games at Triple-A after posting a 1-4 record with a 3.98 ERA in eight Double-A games this season. The six-foot-four 230-pounder was a 4th round draft selection in 2012. With ...

The Phillies got into the action approaching the non-waiver trading deadline on Tuesday, dealing closer Jonathan Papelbon and cash considerations to the Washington Nationals for righty pitching prospect Nick Pivetta. Pivetta was the Nats' 4th round draft selection in 2013 out of New Mexico Junior College. The British Columbia native stands 6'5" and is listed at 220 pounds.  He is described as an innings eater and has clean arm action. This season, the 22-year-old tallied a 7-6 record with a 3.02 ERA and a 6.9 K/9 mark in 18 games (17 starts) at Class A Advanced and Double-A. The youngster's repertoire features a sinking fastball that ranges from 92 to 95 MPH, a decent curve ball and a developing change up that he's building consistency with.  The Phillies often make adjustments to their pitchers' grips and deliveries, so expect the organization's coaches to take on Pivetta's offerings and mechanics as a new challenge.  Papelbon, who posted a ...

LAKEWOOD, NJ- It was no surprise when the Phillies announced a trade on Sunday, but the players that we dealt weren't ones that fans were expecting to hear. In a swap that saw two of Class A Lakewood's six starting pitchers leaving the organization, the Phils acquired the number 1 overall international signing slot for the 2015-16 signing period in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal helped the Phils gain a load of funds for future international signings. Coming to the Phillies is Arizona's top slot, a budget of $3,590,400 for the 2015-16 international signing period. Going to the Diamondbacks are right-hander Chris Oliver and lefty Josh Taylor as well as the team's number 9 overall signing slot ($1,352,100). The deal would allow the Phillies to ink 16-year-old Dominican slugger Jhailyn Ortiz and avoid any penalties that would prohibit the club from signing other international players for more than $300,000 until for the next two years, according to ...

The Phillies have acquired minor league backstop Blake Forsythe from the Athletics in a trade announced on Wednesday . Oakland received cash considerations in the deal. Forsythe, 25, was originally a 3rd round draft selection of the Mets in 2010. The righty batting Tennessee product was batting .267 through five games with Triple-A Nashville this season. In 391 career games, Forsythe, who has played five games at first base and five in the outfield as a pro, sports a .226/.314/.377 slash line. He'll reportedly be assigned to Double-A Reading. The deal was necessary following an injury to Lehigh Valley catcher Tommy Joseph this week. In a corresponding move, the Phillies announced the release of righty reliever Mike Nesseth . The 27-year-old had a 0-2 record with a 5.02 ERA in eight appearances with Reading this season. Nesseth was a 17th round draft selection in 2010. This piece originally appeared on PhilliesNation.com .