Phillies and the Draft: What Could Have Been

Sep 11, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2007: Joe Savery

It’s tough to know why Savery was drafted. Did they want him to get to the bigs quickly? Why did they draft him as a pitcher, when many teams preferred him as a hitter? What happened? Bleacher Report did a pretty good in depth look at Savery, who tried to restart his career in the minors as a hitter, but eventually went back to the mound where he has only thrown 51 innings of unimpressive ball for the Phillies and Athletics. Though it might have worked out as a hitter were he given more at bats, this is easily considered another bust.

Notable players drafted after Phillies’ pick: Rick Porcello, Ben Revere, Todd Frazier, Josh Donaldson. This is probably the hardest group to swallow of all the “could have had’s” the team has. It should be noted Porcello was never coming here. At the time, he wanted a large bonus and a major league deal, so he fell deep in the draft, despite being a top 5 talent. Frazier is a local boy and would have been great to acquire. Donaldson was originally drafted as a catcher before converting to third base. Even the team that drafted him (Cubs) traded him a year after selecting him, so they didn’t know he’d be an MVP candidate either.

Next: Phillies Draft 2008: What Was and Could Have Been