The Monday Mailbag is back open again, and we are addressing your questions submitted on Twitter. Feel free to send a Tweet to @FrankKlose973 at any time to be included in the next Monday Mailbag!
Can Cody Asche play second base?
~ @WiffleBall1 on Twitter
The Phillies actually devoted one season to Cody Asche playing second base already, and they were not too fond of the results. When Asche was drafted out of Nebraska, he profiled to be a first baseman or outfielder. The position he played in college, third base, was occupied at Short-Season Williamsport by Harold Martinez and then by someone named Maikel Franco, who were both in the organization first. So, Asche played second base for Williamsport for that 2011 season. At second base, Asche committed 15 errors in just 64 games.
Asche headed to Spring Training in 2012 expecting to be at first base and in left field. Asche himself was surprised when the Phillies told him to pick up a third base mitt again:
"Coming into spring training, I thought I was going to either be a leftfielder or a first baseman, and then I got told to go take some balls at third and see what happens," Asche said. "That's where I played in college, so I jumped right into that. It's a position I played for three years."
Asche quickly rose through the Phillies system, and because he was older than Martinez and Franco got some playing time at third base the rest of the way through the minor leagues.
By the time Franco caught up to Asche in the Major Leagues, it was apparent that Franco was the superior defender. Asche moved to the outfield and had mixed results with the bat last season. Asche's .245 batting average was not really affected by either position; Asche actually batted better (.250) as a left fielder than a third baseman (.235).
When Asche closed out the 2015 season at third base, it appeared the Phillies were ready to give up on Asche as a starting outfielder, too. Going into 2016 Asche is still on the roster, but probably profiles at best a platoon in left field with Tyler Goeddel if all goes well. Ultimately, Asche's value may be as a Greg Dobbs-type player who can play some third base, some first base, and help in the corner outfield positions when necessary.
Will the Phillies be in on Yulieski Gourriel and Lourdes Gourriel Jr.?
~Laura
So far the Phillies have not been particularly linked to either player. The reason may be a matter of timing.
Yulieski Gourriel, may have been the best player in Cuba up until the day he defected. However, he is now 31 years old. Since the Phillies are rebuilding and a few years a way from contention, they would not be a good match. A Major League team with a hole at third base or designated hitter might be more likely to scoop him up for the right-now.
Lourdes Gourriel Jr., his brother, is significantly younger at age 22. Lourdes could play shortstop or center field in the Major Leagues and remains a top prospect. Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com sees Lourdes Gourriel as comparable to a top-15 pick Buddy Reed. Whether the Phillies go in on Lourdes could depend on when he signs.
The cutoff for a player to be subject to a team's international signing pool or outright free agency is age 23. Lourdes Gourriel already has five years experience, which means that if he holds off until age 23, he would be available to any and all bidders without restriction. If Lourdes signs before then, look for a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers to bid heavy. They've already exceeded their budget and will be cutoff from signing international free agents next year. If Lourdes Gourriel waits until age 23, the Phillies might be in play.
However, the Phillies will not have competition from the Dodgers the next two signing periods, which could aid the Phillies if 16 year-old Cuban phenom Lazarito Armenteros, a cousin of the Hairston brothers. The Phillies will have money to spend next year and without the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, and Royals, all blocked from signing a player over $300,000 the next two seasons, they will be in good shape. The Phillies have been pretty calculated in their international spending to make sure that they have positioned themselves for long-term success.
Does Pete Mackanin have a future with the Phillies?
~Tony
This is a tough question to answer. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had the "interim" tag removed and will get a shot to manage the Phillies in 2016. Beyond that – it's almost anyone's guess.
Mackanin was once a candidate for managerial jobs with the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox in managerial searches that ultimately went to Dale Sveum and Bobby Valentine, respectively. But that same offseason Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided he did not want to have a bench coach at all and Mackanin ended up a scout for the New York Yankees. Mackanin is back, and that was the direct result of then-GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.
Mackanin's relationship with the Amaros goes back almost 30 years. Ruben Amaro, Sr. was the general manager of Aguilas del Zulia, a Venezuelan Winter League team. The elder Amaro hired Mackanin to be his manager, and he had success in the league. The younger Amaro played for the team under Mackanin, too. So, in 2009 when Jimy Williams decided to leave the Phillies organization, Amaro brought in his former skipper to be the Phillies bench coach. Amaro was the one who rehired Mackanin in 2013 and who appointed Mackanin interim manager in 2015.
With Amaro gone, so is Mackanin's biggest fan in baseball. Most tend to agree that Mackanin did an admirable job in 2015, and in 2016 he has no guarantees whatsoever. A veteran baseball man further along in his career that most would-be managers, Mackanin's options were likely to be the Phillies manager, serve on a coaching staff (if he could find a job), or probably return to scouting. This was the best bet for Mackanin, though it may be temporary.
In 2016 Mackanin will help manage young players in the midst of a rebuild and probably will do a fine job at it. Mackanin is known to be a players' manager and that will be good for a roster full of young players. But, baseball is a cruel world. As we saw in Chicago last season, when it's time to win, the right manager for that situation will come in. Even though Rick Renteria did a fine job according to all reports, Joe Maddon was what they felt would take the Cubs to the next level. And out Renteria went.
