The Philadelphia Phillies reached the World Series in 2022 with a roster largely built from players added externally. It makes you wonder what the franchise could do if they developed impact talents more often on top of consistently flexing their financial muscle.
There’s quite a bit of intrigue about the role that the pitching trio of Andrew Painter, Mick Abel and Griff McGarry could play for the 2023 squad, and the Phillies may have added a piece Sunday that could be part of the next wave of minor league talent for the defending National League Champions.
According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies have inked shortstop Jesus Caba to a $3 million deal. MLB Pipeline had ranked the 17-year-old shortstop out of the Dominican Republic as the No. 13 overall prospect in this international signing period:
“Caba reminds some scouts of a young Francisco Lindor.
The teen has a chance to be an above-average player defensively because of his instincts at shortstop and strong arm. He makes all of the routine plays and shows a good internal clock in games. He shows the type of footwork and soft hands that will keep him at the position as he makes his way through the Minor Leagues.
The switch-hitter displays sound mechanics and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He makes consistent hard contact, and more raw power could come as he develops and matures. He also has a chance to be an above-average runner.”
Shortstop, of course, is not a position that the Phillies are currently lacking at. Bryson Stott, a former first-round pick, had some impressive moments during his rookie season. Stott will now shift to second base after the Phillies signed two-time All-Star Trea Turner to an 11-year/$300 million deal this winter.
So why make another significant investment at the shortstop position? Well, it’s essentially a cross-that-bridge-if-and-when-you-get-there strategy. Caba is only 17 years old. Perhaps he won’t turn into the impact player he’s projected to. Even if he does, it will be years before he’s ready to join the Phillies and make an impact. If Turner and Stott still have the middle infield locked down at that time, the Phillies could move Caba to another position. Maybe he’ll become a trade chip. Again, having too many good players is a nice problem to have.
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