The Phillies have signed the following 10 players to minor league contracts with invitations to attend major league spring training as non-roster invitees:
The Phillies have signed the following 10 players to minor league contracts with invitations to attend major league spring training as non-roster invitees:
Pedro Beato, RHP - The MiLB leader with 33 saves in 2017, Beato became the IronPigs all-time single-season saves leader surpassing Scott Mathieson who recorded 26 in 2010. Beato appeared in one game with Philadelphia in July before being placed on the disabled list and then returning to Lehigh Valley in September. Fittingly, Beato recorded the final out of the regular season to send the IronPigs into the IL Playoffs.
Pedro Florimón, INF - Florimón spent the majority of the 2017 season with Lehigh Valley before being called up to Philadelphia. Appearing 90 games, the 31-year-old played second base, third base, shortstop, all three outfield positions and DH. Florimón batted .265 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs for the IronPigs
Eric Fryer, C -Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 10th round of the June 2007 draft, Fryer has spent five season in the IL with Indianapolis and Rochester. His last IL game came in 2015 and since has appeared in just under 100 MLB games. The 32-year-old is a career .237 hitter in the IL; he has appeared in 271 games and has 193 hits during his tenure in Triple-A.
Steve Geltz, RHP - Last in the IL during the 2016 season with Durham, Geltz made 60 IL appearances during two seasons with the Bulls. In just over 77 innings, he struck out 100 batters and recorded five saves. Geltz made 23 relief appearances with a 2.67 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2017, holding opponents to a .218 average while striking out 27.
Matt McBride, C/1B/OF - A product of Lehigh University, McBride was drafted in the 2nd Round in 2006 by the Indians. Originally from Bethlehem, McBride played two seasons in the IL with Columbus in 2010-2011. In 43 games with the Clippers, McBride tallied 39 hits and five home runs. Appearing in 79 games last season for Nashville (AAA-Oakland), McBride clipped a .231 average with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs.
Heiker Meneses, INF - In 68 games last season for Pawtucket, the 26-year-old Meneses batted .291 with 69 hits. A native pf Venezuelan, Meneses has spent time in both Pawtucket and Rochester during his IL career. He has appeared in 125 games over four seasons and batted .251 with 102 hits during his time in AAA.
Will Middlebrooks, INF - A four year veteran of the IL with Pawtucket, Middlebrooks last played for the Red Sox in 2014. In his four IL seasons, Middlebrooks has appeared in 116 games and has racked up 112 hits and 25 home runs. In 78 games for Triple-A Round Rock last season, Middlebrooks hit .258 with a .327 on-base percentage, .529 slugging percentage, 23 home runs and 64 RBI.
Logan Moore, C - Moore has played in 137 games for Lehigh Valley over the last three seasons. The Scranton native has 110 hits as an IronPig and has a career average of .242 and OBP of .306. In 2017, Moore appeared in 64 games and batted .233 with six home runs. This spring will mark the third time in as many years the Moore has received an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Danny Ortiz, OF - A native of Caguas, PR, Ortiz made his Major League debut last season and appeared in nine games for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ortiz has spent parts of four seasons in the IL with both Rochester and Indianapolis. Overall, Ortiz has appeared in 444 IL games, slugging .434 and batting .252 with 57 home runs. He appeared in 110 games last season for Indianapolis, had a .270 average, slugged 15 home runs and drove in 63 runs.
Mitch Walding, INF - Selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Walding appeared in 99 games for Reading last season. He hit 13 home runs during the month of June and was named to the EL All-Star Team. Walding was added to the IronPigs roster for the 2017 playoffs appearing in all four games.
The Phillies also came to terms on a minor league deal with catcher Nick Rickles. The veteran backstop came over during the 2017 season from the Washington Nationals organization. Rickles appeared in 9 games for the Pigs after being promoted from Double-A Reading.
