With the trade deadline over, the Phillies had some spots to fill on minor
league rosters. Then, a minor league deal to send Brian Bocock to the Pirates
Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis was made and there was suddenly another spot
to fill. With moves to be made, the Phillies took the opportunity to move some
players up a level and bring in some new, but recognizable faces.
The biggest post trade deadline move has shortstop Freddy Galvis going from
his familiar spot with the Reading Phillies to the world of Triple-A ball,
effectively taking Bocock's place with Lehigh Valley. After 258 games at the
Double-A level, you couldn't blame Galvis if he thought it was about time that
he moved just below the major league level. Speaking with him earlier this
season, Galvis had all the right answers to a possible move. "I think I'm
ready, but right now, I'm here [Reading] and I'm going to continue to work on
things and help my team until they're ready to move me and then I'll do the same
thing at the next level," replied Galvis. At the time he was moved, Galvis
was hitting .273, the highest he's hit in any full-season league and a number
that is only eclipsed in his career by the time he spent with the Gulf Coast
League Phillies in 2009 when he hit .276 in 7 games. Galvis, 21, wasted little
time getting his first Triple-A hit and finished his first night with the
IronPigs 1-for-4.
Just in case Galvis felt out of place with Lehigh Valley, the Phillies moved
Reading teammate Carlos Rivero along with him. Both Galvis and Rivero are on the
Phillies 40-man roster. The 23 year-old Rivero came to the Phillies during the
off-season after playing five seasons in the Cleveland Indians organization,
spending 242 games at Double-A Akron in 2009 and 2010 and another 105 games at
Double-A Reading this season. You could call him Cleveland's version of Freddy
Galvis.
Rivero was having his best professional season since 2008 when he hit .282 at
High-A Kinston. With Reading, Rivero was hitting .285 with 11 home runs and 53
RBI. While primarily a shortstop with the Indians, Rivero's been playing at
third this season and will find most of his time at third with Lehigh Valley as
well. Rivero's addition gives Lehigh Valley a little more pop in their lineup
and a suitable replacement for Jeff Larish, who broke his right leg in a play at
the plate last month. The addition of Galvis and Rivero also means that the left
side of the field has a new look for Lehigh Valley, with Domonic Brown coming
down from Philadelphia and taking over in left field as he works to improve his
skills on that side of the outfield.
To clear a spot on the Lehigh Valley roster, Tagg Bozied conveniently came up
with a shin contusion and landed on the DL.
At Reading, Steve Singleton arrived to fill a roster spot. Singleton was
hitting a combined .262 this season and had played for three other teams before
moving up to Reading. Singleton, 25, was released by the Minnesota Twins last
month and signed with the Phillies, who assigned him to Low-A Lakewood due to
the lack of roster room at the higher levels of the organization that he was
used to playing at in the Minnesota organization. Now, with plenty of movement,
Reading had an opening for Singleton and he wasted little time making a name for
himself with the R-Phils. While he arrived too late to be in the starting lineup
on Tuesday, he did get to pinch-hit and hit his eighth home run of the season -
first pitch grand slam of all things - and helped Reading to an 8-4 win over
Harrisburg to move the R-Phils into second in the Eastern Division of the
Eastern League.
The Phillies also signed former Phillies minor leaguer Ozzie Chavez and
assigned him to Reading. Chavez was hitting just .175 with Lancaster of the
independent Atlantic League, but the Phillies are familiar with him and he fit
the role that they needed filled. Chavez played with Reading in 2009 and 2010.
Reading placed designated hitter Terry Evans on the DL Wednesday with a
fractured left hand, while they were already a player short on their roster.
Once again, the Phillies found replacements outside the organization in
outfielders Chris Lubanski and Brent Clevlen. Lubanski, a product of nearby
Lansdale, was the fifth overall pick in the 2003 Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Lubanski played just over 200 games at the Triple-A level with Kansas
City and another 100 with Las Vegas, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lubanski was released by Toronto and signed with the Phillies.
Clevlen was a second round pick of Detroit in 2002 and has played parts of
four of the last five seasons in the majors, compiling a .234 average in 55
games with Detroit and four with Atlanta. The 27 year-old hit 3-10-.247 with
Louisville this season before being released in June and went unsigned until the
Phillies summoned him this week.
And finally, Lakewood's David Buchanan, who led the South Atlantic League
with 11 wins, was promoted to High-A Clearwater on Monday. The 22 year-old
right-hander was 11-5, 3.38 in 20 starts with the BlueClaws prior to his
promotion. Buchanan picked up a win in his first start for Clearwater, throwing
six innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits and two walks. Buchanan's
real claim to fame with Lakewood was a nine-inning complete game win over
Charleston earlier in the season. In a corresponding move, lefty Austin Wright
joined Lakewood from the Williamsport Crosscutters roster and also had an
impressive outing for the 'Claws. Wright also picked up a win and also threw six
innings, but allowed just one earned run and struck out five. The 21 year-old
was 3-1, 3.38 in eight games - seven starts - with Williamsport and is pitching
in his first professional season.