Nate Schierholtz hit two home runs against the Phillies on July 22. He will join the Phillies roster today after being acquired in the Hunter Pence trade yesterday.
If the Phillies were going to be sellers, then a lot of new faces were expected to come to Philadelphia. With five new faces coming in two trades, I've decided to put together an introduction piece to meet the newest Phillies.
Here's the five new Phillies and what you can expect from each of them.
Josh Lindblom RHP - The reliever instantly is an upgrade to the current Phillies bullpen. With the Dodgers this season, he went 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA. A second-round pick in the 2008 Draft, this tall (6'5") bullpen arm has an interesting repertoire of pitches for a reliever. His fastball is excellent according to scouting reports and he mixes in a nice variety of changeup, splitter and slider. The 25-year-old has the potential to start, but could really fit the Phillies needs as being a great relief option.
Ethan Martin RHP - Primarily a starter to this point in his career, Martin posted an 8-6 record and 3.58 ERA in 20 starts with Double-A Chattanooga. Control may be an issue as walks have been high in all years of his minor-league career, but he's also been compared to Giants' right-hander Tim Lincecum for his powerful fastball and devastating slider. He's a good fit for the Phillies because, believe it or not, he can play third base, even though he was groomed to be a pitcher when with the Dodgers. Still, his future likely lies there, but he's a good distance away from reaching the majors. But at 23, he's got a couple of years to develop too.
Nate Schierholtz OF - The six-year veteran has played his entire career with the Giants, and just last week took Joe Blanton, now his new teammate, deep twice in a game at Citizens Bank Park. That's a sight many Phillies fans could get used to. But Schierholtz is not much of a home run hitter. Those were two of just five home runs for him this season and 23 in his career. However, keep in mind that Schierholtz has never played more than 137 games in a season and had more than 335 at-bats in a season. Schierholtz has also never started more than 77 games in a single season. With some regular playing time, the career .270 hitter could turn out to be a more than formidable starter for the Phillies' outfield.
Tommy Joseph C/1B - Joseph gets the perks of changing clubhouses immediately. With the Phillies affiliate Double-A Reading playing Richmond, San Francisco's Double-A affiliate, Joseph moves to Reading to start. The second-ranked prospect in the Giants' system has moved quickly through the system. In 2011, he hit .270 while belting 22 home runs and driving in 95 runs with Single-A San Jose. This season with Richmond, he hit .260 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 80 games. The Phillies could either choose Joseph of newly promoted Sebastian Valle as their future catcher, but Joseph seems to have the higher ceiling and great potential being just 21 years old.
Seth Rosin RHP - Rosin is another Giants' prospect making a name for himself in Single-A San Jose. His command is excellent, particularly on his fastball which is among the best in the Giants' system according to reports. He needs to improve his command on breaking pitches and work on cutting down on "mistake pitches" proven by a high home run rate, but also is still trying to identify himself as a pitcher. Rosin has a 2-1 record with a 4.31 ERA in 34 games, only five of them starts. He has also saved 10 games this season. He could go either way, starter or reliever, but judging by the Phillies needs, he could become a late-inning option if he advances far enough in the Phillies' system. But he still has a long way to go.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Philliedelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
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