Diamondbacks' Francisco Morales: Latches on with Diamondbacks
Rotowire
Morales signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Nov. 19.
Morales saw some brief action in the majors in 2022 but spent all of 2023 in the minors, holding a 6.75 ERA at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 24-year-old has a big arm but struggles mightily to throw strikes.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Headed to minor-league camp
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The Phillies reassigned Morales to minor-league camp Sunday.
Morales is expected to open the 2023 campaign at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he'll likely continue his development as a reliever after he had previously worked as a starter prior to last season. After a promising start to the 2022 campaign at Double-A Reading, Morales took a big step back at the Triple-A level, logging a 9.58 ERA, 2.57 WHIP and 16:28 K:BB across 20.2 innings for Lehigh Valley.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Remains in Philly's organization
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The Phillies outrighted Morales to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday.
Heading into the 2022 season, Morales was regarded as one of the Phillies' better pitching prospects, but his stock plummeted after he was unable to build on his impressive start to the campaign at Double-A Reading. Upon moving up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Morales was tagged to the tune of a 9.58 ERA and 2.57 WHIP in 20.2 innings, despite pitching out of the bullpen in all 22 of his appearances. After passing through waivers, the 23-year-old will stick in the Philadelphia organization, but he'll face a tougher path to the big leagues now that he's no longer a member of the 40-man roster.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Cedes 40-man spot to Kimbrel
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The Phillies designated Morales for assignment Wednesday.
Morales made his big-league debut in 2022 and was regarded as one of the Phillies' better arms in the upper levels of the minors, but a poor showing at Triple-A Lehigh Valley to close out the campaign may have been a factor in him being booted off the 40-man roster. He'll cede his spot to closer Craig Kimbrel, whose one-year, $10 million deal with Philadelphia became official Wednesday. The Phillies will hope that Morales goes unclaimed off waivers, but the 23-year-old's pedigree and dominant showing at Double-A Reading (1.48 ERA, 0.86 WHIP in 30.1 innings) during the early portion of the 2022 season could be enough for another organization to put in a claim for him.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Summoned from Double-A
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The Phillies recalled Morales from Double-A Reading on Tuesday, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Morales will be up with the big club for the second time this season after he struck out three over three innings while allowing one unearned run on no hits and four walks between his previous two appearances. The Phillies seem to have pulled the plug on developing Morales as a starter, as he's worked exclusively as a reliever between stops at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A this season while covering no more than 2.2 innings in any of his appearances. He'll provide the Phillies with an extra right-handed arm in what's expected to be a bullpen day in Tuesday's game in Atlanta.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Drops to Double-A
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Morales was demoted to Double-A Reading on Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Morales made his big-league debut in mid-May after opening the season with a 0.55 ERA in 16.1 innings at the Double-A level. After making a pair of major-league appearances, he was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he stumbled to a 9.00 ERA and an awful 29.3 percent walk rate. He'll try to find the zone again back in Reading.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Sent down Sunday
Rotowire
Morales was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday.
Morales made two relief appearances during his time with the major-league club, and he picked up his first career save in Friday's win over the Dodgers. Although he tossed three scoreless frames over his two outings, the 22-year-old will head back to the minors, where he's posted a 0.55 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 16.1 innings over nine appearances this year.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Converts first save
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Morales saved Friday's 12-10 victory over the Dodgers, walking three while allowing an unearned run in the tenth inning.
With closer Corey Knebel unavailable, manager Joe Griardi turned to Morales after Jeurys Familia blew the save chance in the ninth inning. The 22-year-old nearly did the same despite possessing a three-run advantage, walking the bases loaded but inducing a clutch Mookie Betts double play before finally ending the game with Trea Turner at the dish as the go-ahead run. It was quite the tumultuous outing for a player making his second-ever appearance, though Morales likely won't be appearing in many high-leverage situations moving forward due to the dicey performance and Knebel's availability.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Receives first big-league call-up
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The Phillies recalled Morales from Double-A Reading on Sunday.
He'll join the 26-man active roster as a replacement for Zach Eflin, who was placed on the COVID-19-related injured list in a corresponding move. Meanwhile, Cristopher Sanchez is scheduled to start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with Mets in what amounts to a spot start in place of Eflin, but Morales could be needed to provide length out of the bullpen behind Sanchez. The 22-year-old Morales has served as a multi-inning arm out of the Reading bullpen this season, recording more than three outs in seven of his nine relief appearances while logging a 0.55 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 28:6 K:BB across 16.1 frames.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Opening year in minors
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Morales won't be on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The Phillies had enough injury uncertainty this spring that Morales earned a mention as a darkhorse candidate for a spot in the team's expanded April bullpen, but enough of those questions were resolved in a positive way that the 22-year-old won't be needed. Morales has largely failed to impress as a starter throughout his minor-league career, but he has a live arm and could move quickly following his conversion to relief.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Heads to Triple-A
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The Phillies promoted Morales from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday.
Morales is one of several prospects in the Phillies' system who will make the jump to the minors' highest level for the final week of Lehigh Valley's regular season. The 21-year-old righty made 22 starts for Reading in 2021, compiling a 6.94 ERA and a 110:60 K:BB in 83 innings.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Sent to minor-league camp
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Morales was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Morales was added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but he'll still begin the year in the minors. The right-hander hasn't made any Grapefruit League appearances this spring.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Ready for Sally League hitters
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Morales will open the year with Low-A Lakewood, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
Last year in rookie ball Morales flashed the upside that made him the top Venezuelan pitching prospect in the 2016 July 2 international signing class, but he obviously still has a long way to go in his development. Improving his fastball command and the consistency of his secondary offerings will be atop his to-do list this year.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Racking up strikeouts in short-season ball
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Morales has recorded a least a strikeout per inning in each of his last five starts for short-season Williamsport.
A run of three bad starts from July 19 to Aug. 1 in which Morales gave up a combined 16 runs in 9.2 innings has seen the young pitcher's ERA balloon to an ugly 5.36, but his underlying numbers are solid and his recent performances have been encouraging. He pitched a gem back on Aug. 21 as part of his recent streak, striking out 11 while allowing just one run over six innings. Overall, his 13.3 percent walk rate is high, but that's offset by a solid 26.6 percent strikeout rate, giving him a respectable 3.98 FIP. The majors are a long, long way off for the 18-year-old, but he's starting to show a bit of the promise which saw him get a big bonus back in 2016.
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Phillies' Francisco Morales: Opens in extended spring training
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Morales will open the season in extended spring training, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports.
The 6-foot-4 righty's only pro experience came in 41.1 innings last year in the Gulf Coast League, so it's understandable that he was not sent directly to Low-A to start the season, but it is a little disappointing given the hype surrounding the young fireballer. The Phillies will undoubtedly monitor his innings closely this season, but he should have no problem finishing the year in a full-season league. He has everything we look for in a future frontline starter, but there is obviously a ton of risk involved, given his age and lack of experience above the GCL.
