Phillies Invite More Players to Clearwater

The Phillies have invited five additional players to major league spring training as non-roster invitees, the club announced today.

· Jesse Biddle, LHP – In 27 starts with double-A Reading last season, Biddle went 5-14 with a 3.64 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 138.1 innings. Despite battling whooping cough for the majority of the 2013 season, the Philadelphia native finished tied for first in the Eastern League in starts (27), tied for second in complete games (2), third in strikeouts and ninth in ERA. He was also selected as an Eastern League midseason All-Star and earned the win for the U.S. Team in the MLB Futures Game at Citi Field in July. On April 22 at Harrisburg, the 22-year-old took a perfect game into the 7th inning and struck out a career-high 16 batters. After the season, he was named the second-best prospect in the Phillies minor league system by Baseball America. Biddle was originally selected by the Phillies in the first round (27th overall) of the June 2010 draft from Germantown Friends School (Pa.).

· Maikel Franco, 3B – The 2013 Paul Owens Award winner as the best player in the Phillies minor league system, Franco batted a combined .320 with 31 home runs and 103 RBI in 134 games between single-A Clearwater and double-A Reading last season. He led all of Minor League Baseball with 308 total bases last year while finishing tied for second in extra-base hits (70), fourth in hits (173), tied for seventh in home runs and tied for eighth in RBI. In 2013, the 21-year-old infielder was selected to the World roster for the MLB Futures Game, as well as the Florida State League midseason All-Star team, and was named Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for June and Player of the Week twice. Following the season, he was named the top prospect in the Phillies minor league system by Baseball America. In 388 career minor league games, Franco has batted .281 with 98 doubles, 50 home runs and 260 RBI. He was originally signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent out of Azua, Dominican Republic, in January of 2010.

· Ken Giles, RHP – Limited to just 24 games due to injury last season, Giles, 23, went 2-2 with six saves and a 6.31 ERA with single-A Clearwater. The Albuquerque, N.M., native also pitched for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League, where he was selected as an AFL All-Star after holding opponents scoreless in nine of his 10 relief appearances and striking out 16 in 10.1 innings. Armed with a fastball which touches 100 mph, Giles has compiled 152 strikeouts in 112.1 career innings (12.18 SO/9.0 IP) over three minor league seasons between the Gulf Coast League Phillies, Lakewood BlueClaws and Clearwater. Giles was originally selected by the Phillies in the seventh round of the June 2011 draft out of Yavapai College in Arizona.

· Mario Hollands, LHP – In 2013, Hollands went 7-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 27 games (20 starts) between single-A Clearwater and double-A Reading. He struck out 114 batters while walking just 32 in 132.0 innings. The 25-year-old was named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month in June after going 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA in four starts. In four minor league seasons with the Phillies organization, Hollands has compiled a 24-22 record and 3.93 ERA in 96 games (67 starts). The Oakland, Calif., native was originally selected by the Phillies in the 10th round of the June 2010 draft out of UC Santa Barbara.

· Sebastian Valle, C – Valle began 2013 playing for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic before spending the regular season with double-A Reading, where he hit .203 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 98 games. Following the season, he also appeared in 46 games with Caneros de los Mochis in the Mexican Winter League where he batted .304 with 11 extra-base hits and 15 RBI. In parts of seven seasons in the Phillies minor league system, the 23-year-old has a .258 career average with 132 doubles, 61 home runs and 311 RBI in 608 games. He was originally signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent in October of 2006.

To date, the Phillies have invited a total of 16 players to major league spring training in 2014 as non-roster invitees:

Pitchers (7): Jesse Biddle, Shawn Camp, Ken Giles, Mario Hollands, Cesar Jimenez, Jeff Manship, Sean O’Sullivan

·         Catchers (2): Lou Marson, Sebastian Valle

·         Infielders (3): Andres Blanco, Reid Brignac, Maikel Franco

·         Outfielders (4): Leandro Castro, Tony Gwynn Jr., Dave Sappelt, Clete Thomas