Phillies Prospect Watch: Depleted System Obvious After Two Months

Sustained big league success often comes with the trade-off of a depleted farm system, teams like the Phillies — who have four pussies and appearances in four years and held legitimate championship aspirations during each run — pick later in the draft and trade prospects who could help them win later for players who will help them win now. Entering the season, MLB Pipeline ranked the organization’s farm system No. 20 of 30.

Saturday provided another example of that in what has been a brutal year for the Phillies’ affiliates, who hold a combined 110-119 record; Single-A Clearwater, at 35-21, is single-handedly keeping that margin within reach of .500. June 6’s slate of games proved more of the same as the affiliates went 1-3.

Triple-A Lehigh Valley won 3-2, starting pitcher Alan Rangel fanning eight batters across six innings of two-run ball. Shortstop Christian Cairo went 2-for-3 with a double, while former big leaguer Bryan De La Cruz doubled and homered in the rain-shortened affair.

Double-A Reading managed just one run on five hits, falling 4-1 to Binghamton. Aroon Escobar went 1-for-2 with two free passes, Cade Fergus doubled and Erick Brito added two singles.

High-A Jersey Shore lost 12-4, Penn alumnus Ryan Dromboski shelled for eight runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings. Nick Biddison (2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk) and Joel Dragoo (1-for-4 with a triple) logged the BlueClaws’ only hits as they tried helplessly to crawl out of an 8-0 hole.

The hitting woes continued down in Single-A, where the Clearwater Threshers managed just three singles in a 5-1 loss. Shortstop Matt Ferrara singled and walked; starter Brad Pacheco struck out six in five innings, allowing two runs.