Philadelphia Phillies Name who will be Playing for Reading Phillies in 2007 - AA, Eastern League

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MLN Newswire - mlntherawfeed.com - Reading, PA – The Philadelphia Phillies have announced the 24 players that will start the season with their Double-A club in Reading. A dozen players have played in Reading before and only three have not played above Class A. They are Mike Costanzo, Kyle Kendrick and Matt Maloney. (Player bios @ readingphillies.com)

The R-Phils five starting pitchers are likely (in alphabetical order) Landon Jacobsen, Kendrick, Maloney, Tim McClaskey and Heath Totten. Jacobsen was 14-9 with a 3.21 ERA in an All-Star season for the Altoona Curve last year. Kendrick is the Phillies 15th best prospect according to Baseball America. He went 12-9 with a 3.17 ERA between Lakewood (Lo-A) and Clearwater (Hi-A) last year. Maloney is the Phillies 9th best prospect according to Baseball America. He will skip Clearwater after earning South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year honors with Lakewood in 2006 when he went 16-9 with a 2.03 ERA to help the BlueClaws to the league title. He’s the first Phillies starting pitcher to skip Clearwater since Brett Myers in 2001. McClaskey pitched as a starter and in relief for Reading last year. He ranked 2nd among Eastern League starters in BB/9IP, 1.36 (16BB/106.0 IP). Totten, who also has 48 games of Triple-A experience, was 8-5 with a 3.29 ERA for AA Jacksonville with the Dodgers last year. Maloney is the only lefty in the rotation.

The bullpen features Ryan Cameron, Julio De La Cruz, Shoemakersville native Nick Evangelista, Anderson Garcia, Nate Johnson, Chris Key and Bubba Nelson. Cameron has gone to Major League spring training the last two years. He was 6-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 59.1 innings at Triple-A last year. He went 6-5 with a 2.55 ERA and 19 saves in 58 games for Reading in 2005. De La Cruz is a converted starter who threw a no-hitter at Clearwater last year. Evangelista, a Hamburg Area High School graduate, was 3-0 with 2.93 ERA at Reading in 2006 and held AA hitters to a .215 average. Garcia is the club’s only player on the Phillies 40-man roster, largely because of rule changes that give teams an extra year to protect players. In 15 games for Binghamton and Bowie in the EL last year he had a 1.53 ERA (5 ER/29.1IP). Johnson was 8-3 with a 2.57 ERA in 45 games at Clearwater in 2006. He pitched for Reading once, a scoreless inning. Key won the “Broadway” Charlie Wagner Unsung Hero Award when he saved 20 games for the R-Phils last year; second most by a lefty in team history (Don Carman, 23, 1983). Nelson is a former second round pick of the Braves. He had a 3.80 ERA in 83 games for AA Mobile last year (Padres). Key is the lone lefty in the bullpen.

Tim Gradoville and Jason Hill will handle the catching. Both went to Major League spring training as non-roster invitees. Gradoville played in Reading parts of the last two seasons and was a September call-up by the Phillies last year. He led the EL in throwing out base stealers a year ago (52.9%) and is considered the best defensive catcher in the Phillies system by Baseball America. Hill, a nine-year pro, has been catching at the AA and AAA levels since 2001.

Mike Costanzo, Joey Hammond, Jesus Merchan, Matt Padgett, Juan Tejeda and Joe Thurston are the team’s infielders. Hammond, Padgett and Thurston also appeared in the outfield last year. Costanzo, a third baseman, is the Phillies 12th best prospect according to Baseball America. The Philadelphia native hit 33 doubles and 14 homers for Clearwater last year. Hammond played everywhere but pitcher and catcher for Reading in 2006 and won the teams’ Iron Man Award. Merchan can play shortstop, second and third. Padgett, a first baseman, was named to the EL All-Star team before a broken arm ended his season in Reading last year. Tejeda played two seasons in the EL with Erie and the first baseman averaged 87 RBI for the SeaWolves. Thurston was an All-Star second baseman in the International League for the Red Barons last year (.282, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 20 SB) and hit .222 in 18 games for the big Phils.

Brian Burgamy, Branden Florence, Greg Jacobs and Javon Moran are the team’s outfielders. Burgamy spent most of last season at Clearwater where he scored 110 runs to lead the Florida State League even though he spent the last two weeks of the season in Reading. Florence also led the FSL in a major offensive category (162 hits) even though he finished the season in Reading. Jacobs has already been to Reading. He was part of the Phillies Winter Tour’s stop in Baseballtown this past January. A former pitcher turned outfielder, he’s a .324 hitter in the pros and hit five home runs this spring. He’s also played first base. Moran was traded to the Reds for the late Cory Lidle in 2004 and came back for Jeff Conine this winter. He hit .332 in two-and-a-half years with the Reds at A and AA.