Cody Asche may have gotten the biggest surprise last week when the Philadelphia Phillies sent him to Triple-A to work on playing left field.
But the erstwhile third baseman didn’t have the worst week among the group of younger, trying-to-earn-a-spot-in-the-core Phillies.
That honor has to go to Domonic Brown.
Brown, the 27-year-old outfielder, one-time top prospect and former All-Star, suddenly looks to be a man without a position in Philadelphia.
The domino effect of third baseman Maikel Franco’s promotion, Asche’s eventual insertion in left field and the anticipated move of Ben Revere from left to right seemingly has knocked Brown right out of the Phillies’ plans.
Obviously, no one has said as much. They wouldn’t.
“Those are decisions we still have to make, and as always, those things have a way of working themselves out,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.
Perhaps. But Brown’s stock with the organization never has been lower. Even when he struggled last season – he arguably was the worst everyday player in the majors in hitting .235 with 10 homers and 63 RBIs – there wasn’t any talk about sending him to the minors. He played in 144 games.
Circumstances have changed in 2015. Brown, slated to move back to his more natural position of right field, opened this season on the disabled list due to Achilles’ tendinitis. He then hit just .139 during his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He thought he’d join the Phillies when that rehab stint was over; instead he was optioned to the minors.
At a time when the Phillies clearly are rebuilding, they opted to have veterans Grady Sizemore and Jeff Francoeur split time in right field rather than see what Brown can do.
Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com wrote at the time of the demotion that team officials still believe “there’s upside there,” which played into the decision to have Brown work on getting right with the IronPigs.
Now the promotion of Franco and the move of Asche to the outfield complicates things even more.
Franco, 22, made his much-anticipated 2015 debut with the Phillies Friday. He is going to play third base, and he is going to play nearly everyday. He wasn’t brought up to sit. Amaro said last week that when Franco was promoted the team wanted it to be for good.
The team also likes Asche very much. The move to left field is a way to keep him in the lineup and see if he can be a major part of the future. He’s eligible to return to the majors late this week, and it’s only a matter of time until he comes up.
Revere, rumored to be available via trade, has come out following a slow start. He’s hit .282 over his last 26 games, mainly out of the leadoff spot. The big negative with him is his weak throwing arm, something that only would be amplified at a position normally played by the outfielder with the strongest arm.
Still, if he’s on the Phillies, he’ll see a lot of playing time.
Brown, for his part, still looks as if he needs work. He went 3-for-4 Friday to raise his average with Lehigh Valley to .243 and his OPS to .596. He had no homers in his 25 Triple-A games going into Saturday.
It’s just hard to see where he fits in.
Maybe Amaro is right. Maybe there will be trades or injuries and things will work themselves out.
Or maybe that’s just talk, and the only thing being out will be Brown in Philadelphia.
Hard to believe
Cody Asche Wiffle ball and bat sets are being given to children 14 and under today at Citizens Bank Park.
Asche, of course, won’t be in Philadelphia, but in Rochester, N.Y., with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The demotion of Asche to work on playing left field makes perfect sense.
What doesn’t make much sense, however, is how the Phillies could let Asche be blindsided by the move.
It’s hard to believe such a significant transaction wasn’t previously discussed with a player the Phils hope is a big part of their future.
It was no secret that Maikel Franco was going to be called up on or soon after May 15, and was going to play third. It also was no secret that Asche would be the one who would have to move.
The team had him work out some in the outfield early in spring training, then renewed his introduction to left field late last month. Clearly, the higher-ups were thinking of how to get Asche and Franco on the field together.
It’s hard to fathom that someone couldn’t have given Asche a heads-up that he might need to spend some time in the minors.
Unless the decision was made rather quickly, but that’s a whole other issue.
Contact Brian Smith: 610-371-5073 or bmsmith@readingeagle.com.
