Oct. 12 -- MINOR MATTERS

Let's take a momentary break from the hot-stove talk (I guarantee it'll only be momentary) to address a few Phillies minor-league issues.

As I wrote in the 50-center the other day, Pat Gillick said the Phils don't have any prospects, except maybe catcher Jason Jaramillo, who will be ready for the majors by opening day. There are a few pitchers -- Carlos Carrasco, Drew Carpenter, Josh Outman, Joe Savery (pictured), J.A. Happ, Joe Bisenius -- who may be in line to contribute later in 2008 or in 2009. With that in mind, I turn your attention to the Arizona Fall League. Six Phillies prospects (Outman, Savery, Bisenius, pitcher Pat Overholt, third baseman Mike Costanzo and center fielder Greg Golson) are playing for the Peoria Saguaros, who aren't to be confused with the Peoria Javelinas. Games just began this week, and you can get some coverage of the league here. I'll try to keep you updated throughout the next six weeks.

Also, this tidbit got lost amid the Phillies' late-September surge to the playoffs. C.J. Henry, the top "prospect" the Phils got from the Yankees in the Bobby Abreu trade, was released after batting .184 with nine homers and 38 RBIs in 102 games for single-A Lakewood. According to this article in the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, Henry is considering ditching baseball to play college basketball at Kansas. Kind of makes you wonder what the Phils ever saw in him, doesn't it?

*
The Phils decision yesterday to not exercise Rod Barajas' $5 million option brings to mind this play in a mistake-filled ninth inning May 23 in Florida, when I think Barajas sealed his fate with the Phils. I'll never forget his quote after the Phillies beat the Marlins: "The fact that we won, we can look back and laugh at some of these plays."

Yeah, well, Brett Myers probably didn't find it very funny. Barajas' inability to block the plate allowed Hanley Ramirez to score and prolonged the inning for Myers to injure his right shoulder. He missed the next nine weeks.

*
The Rockies won again last night (will they ever lose?). But did anybody watch? I thought it was a pretty good game, actually. Can't wait to see Ubaldo Jimenez tonight. He looked great against the Phils last Saturday night in Denver. His three-pitch strikeout of Aaron Rowand (on a 73-mph curveball, a 97-mph fastball and an 81-mph slider) was nasty.