Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Former Land O'Lakes star pitcher will sign a minor-league deal.
By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 16, 2003
Former Land O'Lakes standout Brad Baisley, placed on waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies last week to make room on the 40-man roster, will sign a minor-league contract today to stay with the team.
"This is still the best place for me to be," said Baisley, a 1998 second-round pick who has spent the past six months in rehabilitation after shoulder surgery. "They still had an interest in me, but this was just something they had to do."
As a minor-league free agent, the 6-foot-9 Baisley considered offers from the Yankees, Cubs, Royals and Indians but ultimately stuck with the team that drafted him because of his familiarity with the farm system he has played in for the past five seasons. And while the Phillies' decision to remove him from their 40-man roster was "sudden and unexpected," what could have been a difficult week was made easier by their interest in keeping him in their program.
"I knew that whatever happened, I had an opportunity to go back to the Phillies," said the 23-year-old right-hander, whose top priority is getting back to full strength.
He had shoulder surgery Oct. 14 to repair a damaged rotator cuff and swelled labrum, and his rehabilitation took a big step Friday when he threw off the mound for the first time at the Phillies' minor-league complex in Clearwater. He'll do so again this Friday and said his recovery, while gradual, has been encouraging.
"The main thing is getting comfortable, and it's definitely getting better each time," said Baisley, who likely will return to Double-A Reading (Pa.) when he is healthy.
In five seasons with the Phillies, Baisley has a 30-35 minor-league record with a 3.75 ERA. He has struck out 328 and walked 176, but was 7-9 with a 4.17 ERA in 21 starts at Reading last season.
Baseball America identified him as the Phillies' No. 18 prospect this season, though that ranking is down from 13th a year ago and third in 2001. The same publication ranked Baisley the No. 52 prospect in baseball in 2000 and No. 78 in 2001.
For now, he'll focus on getting his shoulder ready to pitch again, knowing that is the first step to finding his way back onto the Phillies' 40-man roster, a key to making it to the major leagues in Philadelphia.
"That's definitely my goal, but I have to get back healthy first," he said.