Inbox: Window of opportunity with Hamels?

For more than two years, righty hurler J.C. Ramirez has been primed to become an impact prospect in the Phillies system, but inconsistency seems to be preventing the Nicaragua native from truly proving himself as a dependable talent.Last season, Ramirez spent the entire season in the Double-A Reading Phillies’ starting rotation, where he got off to a scorching hot start in April...

The Phillies bench in 2012 will have one less familiar face: utility infielder Wilson Valdez has been traded to the Reds for lefty pitcher Jeremy Horst. Valdez spent two seasons with the Phillies and was a mediocre injury replacement for Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco. While his bat was pretty awful, Valdez was at least a good-to-great fielder that was somewhat...

The Philadelphia Phillies traded infielder Wilson Valdez to the Cincinnati Reds for left handed pitcher Jeremy Horst. Valdez, 33, had been the team’s utility infielder and saw considerable playing time with the recent injuries to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. Horst, a 26 year old 21st round pick in the 2007 draft, made his debut in 2011 and pitched in 12 games. In a very small...

The Philadelphia Phillies have three prospects in Major League Baseball’s top 100 list. Trevor May leads the group at No. 54, followed by Jesse Biddle at No. 78 and Brody Colvin at 80. May is a single-A pitcher who excelled for the Clearwater Threshers last season, going 10-8 with a 3.63 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched. May has three good pitches, and used them...

In an odd move this week, the Phillies traded my favorite utility man, Wilson Valdez, to the Reds for a minor-league pitcher. 26-year old Jeremy Horst spent most of last season with triple-A Louisville, where he posted a 1-4 record and had a 2.81 ERA in 36 games. He did make 12 relief appearances for the Reds and posted a 2.93 ERA. Horst will get an invite to Spring Training. But...

Key Stats: Jimmy Rollins has been ranked in the top 90 five out of the last six years. Only Hanley Ramirez has been a more steady force at that position during that time. Rollins has averaged 18 home runs, 96 runs scored, 70 RBI, 34 steals, and a .271 average during that time. He’s also managed to stay healthy over that time with almost 4,000 plate appearances during that stretch...

Someone emailed me asking my thoughts on Yoenis Cespedes, the 26 year old internet sensation who has now established residency in the Dominican Republic and will soon be granted MLB free agency. The Phillies worked out Cespedes in November, with Pat Gillick making the trip to see him. In every subsequent article written about Cespedes, the Phillies are mentioned. At the end of December...

Chase Utley (credits below) These 5 second baseman should be forgotten about in 2012...As stated last week, the position of second base is one of the scarcest in the entire game. It isn’t easy to come by once you get past the big named players, and when trying to put together your team it often times becomes a very difficult position to fill. It is very important to grab one...

The Boston Red Sox have set their sights on veteran righthander Roy Oswalt. The team made an offer to the Philadelphia Phillies hurler on Wednesday night, ESPNBoston.com reported on Thursday. Oswalt was plagued by a balky back last season and settled for a 9-10 mark with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts. The 34-year-old Oswalt is a three-time All-Star selection and was a National League...

Austin Wright and Cesar Hernandez finished within 2 votes of each other, and because of this, we’ll do a run-off vote. The winner will be #17, the runner up will be #18, and I’m also going to attach the poll for #19 here as well. Cody Overbeck and Tyler Cloyd will enter the ballot for #19. As a reminder on eligibility for the list, to be eligible the player must have...