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    Connor Phillips (Photo: Mark Meeks/Todd Norris/Chattanooga Lookouts)
    Photo: Mark Meeks/Todd Norris/Chattanooga Lookouts

    Reds promote Connor Phillips, Noelvi Marte to Triple-A Louisville

    Doug Gray 51

    It would seem that two of the Cincinnati Reds top prospects are getting a promotion for the second half of the season. Barry Larkin noted during the Reds broadcast this afternoon that infielder Noelvi Marte and starting pitcher Connor Phillips both would be moving up to Triple-A Louisville after their club, the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts clinched the first half title in the Southern League on Saturday night. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel also noted that he was told that Marte was being promoted.

    It’s been a strong first half of the season for Noelvi Marte. He missed nearly three weeks in June with a hamstring injury before returning to the lineup in the middle of this past week, going 0-8 with a walk in three games. Overall with the Lookouts he played in 50 games and had 222 plate appearances. In that time he hit .281/.356/.464 with 10 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 10 steals in 12 tries, 22 walks, and 38 strikeouts.

    In any season those would be good numbers in a half of a season in the Southern League. But if we account for the fact that the league used a pre-tacked baseball in the first half of the season and it led to a big advantage for pitchers, then it’s even more impressive. Toss in that Marte is also just 21-years-old… well, you get the point. He was very, very good at the plate and on the bases for Chattanooga.

    After spending last fall trying out third base in the Arizona Fall League, Marte spent 17 games at third with the Lookouts and another 30 at shortstop. After posting an .838 fielding percentage at third with Glendale in the AFL he improved that to .925 this season, making three errors in his 151.1 innings at the position. At shortstop he posted a .946 fielding percentage.

    Connor Phillips had a bit of a different look for his first half with Chattanooga. Unlike Marte, Phillips spent time with the Lookouts last year. The 22-year-old starter made 14 starts this season and posted a 3.34 ERA in 64.2 innings. He cut his walks down a bit this season, handing out 27 free passes. He also added more strikeouts this season as he fanned 111. As noted for Marte’s performance above – the league did use a pre-tacked baseball and it did help out the pitchers in the league this season.

    Phillips overall numbers don’t show how well he’s been pitching of late, though. Over his first seven starts with Chattanooga, Phillips was solid. His ERA was 4.02 and he had 52 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. That’s a lot of strikeouts. But he also had 17 walks, and that’s a lot for 31.1 innings.

    But then he seemed to flip the switch, so to speak. In his next six starts he posted a 2.48 ERA in 32.2 innings while walking just seven batters and striking out 57. The control showed big time improvements, his strikeout rate got a little bit of a bump, and his ERA dropped off in a big way.

    All of that was going in the right direction in a big way until Saturday. Phillips didn’t get out of the first inning as he watched his pitch count climb to 33 after allowing a hit and walking three batters – including the final one that he faced that brought in a run. The Reds organization has generally held a rule that once a guy reaches 35 pitches in an inning that they are pulled, and that’s what happened for Phillips. While it wasn’t a good day for him on a personal level, the Lookouts would clinch the first half title later that night.

    The Louisville Bats will not play on Monday or Tuesday before starting a 6-game home series against Indianapolis on Wednesday that will run through Monday July 3rd. When the two take the field for the first time in Triple-A they will get to deal with something new this year – the automated strikezone and or the challenge system. This year the Triple-A level has automatic balls and strikes called by the Hawkeye tracking system during the first three games of a series and then the final three games the balls and strikes are called by the home plate umpire, but each team can challenge the call (the batter, catcher, or pitcher can challenge – coaches can not). That challenge then reverts to what Hawkeye shows. Each team only gets three challenges per game, but if they challenge and are correct they retain that challenge.

    Doug Gray
    Doug Gray is the owner and operator of this website and has been running it since 2006 in one variation or another.

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    51 Responses

    2. Well deserved promotions. I’m very interested to see how they both do in the international league. We need them both to do well.

    3. It’s going to be a nice problem to have next year when the Reds have India, CES, India, Steer, De La Cruz, McLain Senzel and Marte all fighting for 4 infield spots.

      I assume the Reds would likely do something like this (ages):
      DH India (27)
      1B CES (24)
      2B McLain (24)
      SS EDLC (22)
      3B Marte (22)
      LF Steer (26)
      Ult/trade Senzel (29)

      1. You left off Friedl in CF and Fraley in RF. Steer may well end up inLF but to me he has not looked good at all there, perhaps so time working on it over the winter and in spring training might help. I also don’t know why people are so eager to trade Senzel who hasn’t looked bad over the course of the year, after a horrendous start he has brought his average and OPS up quite a bit.

        4. WOW. Benson has a 1.048 OPS this month and you are regulating him to a 4th OF. I personally don’t see it.

        5. You are right, I accidentally deleted the CF and RF positions.

          Regarding Senzel, he was hitting 0.310 at the beginning of May. At the end of July that is down to 0.243, so he is trending down, not up.

      2. Trade India,Stephenson and or Senzel for pitching. Mclain moves to 2b,CES Dh-3b and Steer can play 3b-dh-lf. All 3 moves will make reds better and pick up some pitching. Not too mention the replacement will be cheaper.I would not turn down a massive haul for Diaz either.

        1. OMG NOOOOOOO.
          India is beyond question the MVP of this team. My vote for him is Captain. As far as Stevenson goes, he should catch period. Either Chuckie or Maile as the backup. And the same NOOOOO for tading Diaz. Come on, when is the last time the Reds had a closer like him. 1990? Yeah maybe.

    4. Boy, by August (or sooner) things could get interesting from a roster standpoint if Phillips and Marte both have success and force their way onto the big club. You’d also have Greene and Lodolo returning.

      As if there’s not already pressure on Senzel from CES, Marte’s arrival would likely force the Reds to trade or demote him.

    6. What are the thoughts on moving Elly to CF?
      The youth movement has changed the attitude of this team/franchise.
      Senzel might be the odd man out?
      Steer is such a good bat, never looks over-matched and needs to play all the time.
      India is the heart of this team in my opinion, tough and gritty.

      1. IMO, Stuart Fairchild was optioned and Senzel stayed with the Reds primarily to try and build some trade value in Senzel.

      2. Elly De La Cruz has never played the outfield. He’s the best shortstop that the team seems to think should be playing shortstop in the big leagues. You completely waste the best arm in baseball by putting it in center. I just don’t think it’s an option they’re considering.

        1. I guess that means the Yankees completely wasted the arm of Mickey Mantle in CF. Didn’t some guy named Votto in a recent interview comment that the only player he could think of comparable to EDLC was Mickey Mantle?

          1. I never saw Mantle play, so I don’t know exactly how good his arm was. I also don’t know if he was capable of playing shortstop. BUT if Mantle was capable of being a quality defensive shortstop, could throw the ball 100 MPH across the infield…. then yes, the Yankees wasted his arm in center. Hope that helps.

        2. I did see Mantle Play, of course that was a long time ago, but he did have a very good arm, probably not as good as De La Cruz, he was also very fast at least for that day but again I think that De La Cruz is faster. I think on a whole today’s players are better athletes than back then. Mantle, Ford and Martin were known for coming to the ballpark after a late night of boozing and carousing. What Mantle could do as well as anyone was hit from both sides of the plate.

        3. I don’t think Votto ever saw The Mick play either.

          Mantle was fast until he blew out his knee in CF.

          I know the John Fogerty / Eric The Red romance of the 8-tool CF is strong for some folks.

          Keep EDLC in the infield. Friedl in CF.

        4. I’m sorry….when did a big arm become a non factor in cf….or become that big of deal at ss?

      3. India is the Tony Perez of this team. His leadership can’t be underestimated…I hope. You saw what happened to the Big Red Machine when they traded Perez.

    7. Got to be some moves coming from Dayton to Chattanooga.

      So will Arroyo move. He hasn’t exactly destroyed A+ Pitching. Of the outfielders Thompson has been good lately. They promoted Hendrick last year when he did not deserve it. But could do it again. There are a few options to replace Phillips.

      1. Arroyo’s had a fantastic month of June, though. In 20 games, he’s .333/.402/.568

    8. Ok now I believe it. But Sadak & Larkin scooped RML. Can’t have that happening too often. Trading on inside information. It’s almost like they’re in Congress.

      1. Lol, I am glad that you are now a believer. It was weird how Larkin and Sadak only casually talked about it, as opposed to announcing it.

        1. On the radio pregame show, they interviewed Krall and he casually mentioned “some of our guys from AA getting promoted now that they’ve won the first half championship” or something to that effect. I assumed he meant Phillips + Boyle, but Marte and Hinds is also cool.

    9. Great news, glad the Reds pushed them up. They both deserved it after stellar first half.

      I wonder what is going to happen to Barrero now? He’s been even more miserable at AAA than in the MLB. I’m thinking Marte will take most starts at SS. Will Barrero officially move to CF for most games?

      Guessing Arroyo will be moving to AA in a parallel move as others have suggested. There are too many solid SS prospects at low A and complex league to hold Arroyo back IMO.

      1. I don’t think many folks have seen Marte as sticking at SS regardless of what Barrero or EDLC or McLain did (or did not) do ahead of him. From what I’ve read, Marte will likely get a look at 3B or perhaps OF. Exactly which could depend on whether CES stays at Louisville or gets called on up which some folks think could be in the wind given he had the day off Sunday with the Bats.

      3. I’d guess that Marte doesn’t play much shortstop.

        I’d be surprised if Arroyo moves up. Jose Torres can play shortstop in Chattanooga.

        2. Why? Because Arroyo didn’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag for the first two months of the season. There is absolutely zero reason to push him up a level. He’s struggled for a majority of the year at the plate, doesn’t play a position the team desperately needs an answer for. Take time with him. He’s 19-years-old.

      1. I agree that Hinds deserves a promotion but who does he take at bats from? Ramos, Fairchild, Siani & Hopkins are all on 40 man and deserve to be playing.

        1. I think Hopkins should be used in a trade. I don’t really see him getting a real everyday shot with this current Reds team, so if you can move him in a deal for a SP, I’d say do it.

        2. Trade siani. He’s done nothing spectular in the minors…and especially in the bigs when called up

      2. Where are people seeing that Hinds was promoted? I did a quick look around and saw nothing.

        1. Thanks Doug – keep looking, a Hinds move would be interesting news. A bit lower in MiLB, will Hector, Jorge, Acuna and/or Aguiar get promoted? Seems the Reds are being agreeably aggressive (of course the MLB staff issues compel much of it), but they also finally have depth and talent to encourage that.

    11. Jake Wong and Salazar being brought up? I get the bullpen has been stretched but both of those guys have been beaten like a drum in AAA. Desperate times it appears. Is Alan Busenitz hurt? He more than the others had shown some results recently in AAA.

      1. As expected. Thought I wrote about it in the last MiLB Notebook, but apparently I didn’t. Did have it over on Patreon on Thursday, though. So, uh, everyone should definitely sign up for that!

        1. You might have. I’ve been away a fair amount from things. I hope he’s a good healer. Those wrist injuries and shoulder injuries are just stubborn. I’d say, if Allen joins in with the pace of development of many of our hitters, I may not be able to take much more.

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