Phillies' new player development exec sizes up minor league prospects

OFFSEASON? Not for Joe Jordan. Spring training is approaching and he's had to do some cramming.

Jordan is the Phillies' new director of player development. He got the job in October after his predecessor, Chuck LaMar, abruptly resigned in September. Since then, offseason life has mostly been traveling and fact-finding.

"With a lot of the [players], I'm relying on what I've been told," the affable Jordan said recently. "But I was also familiar with many of them, because they were players that we also scouted."

He's referring to his days as director of amateur scouting with Baltimore, a post he'd held the previous seven seasons (2005-11). He's also been a minor league scout and executive with the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins.

Minor league execs, of course, keep an eye on who's doing what in other organizations. So Jordan was able to offer an educated opinion when quizzed about several of the Phillies' farmhands.

So here goes:

TREVOR MAY

 Armed with a 95-ish fastball and hard curve, May struck out 208 in 151 1/3 innings at advanced Class A Clearwater last season. But the big righthander was given to occasional bouts of inconsistency.

"We think he's a good-looking young pitcher," Jordan said. "It's pretty simple with him. He has great stuff, and we think he has the stuff to be a good major league pitcher. We think it's just a matter of working on his command."

May (6-5, 215) is likely headed to Double A Reading this season after going 10-8 with a 3.63 ERA at Clearwater. The Phillies gave up righty Jarred Cosart and first baseman Jonathan Singleton, two highly touted prospects, to get Hunter Pence from Houston last summer. That means May figures to be the organization's top prospect in a trade-depleted crop.

SEBASTIAN VALLE

The Phils' top catching prospect also is coming off a big season at Clearwater (.284, five homers, 40 RBI in 91 games).

"It's extremely rare to get an 'offensive' catcher, a catcher who can also hit," Jordan said. "He has a chance to be an effective player on both sides. He can handle a pitching staff and he can hit. He has all the ingredients to be a good, solid, everyday catcher. Physically, the ingredients are all there."

Valle (6-1, 170) is on the 40-man roster and likely headed to Reading. Worth noting: Valle played in Mexican Pacific League last fall and hit .175 in 80 at-bats. The 28 strikeouts are a little worrisome.

FREDDY GALVIS