Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller are among the best of a young crop of prospects in the Phillies organization. Neither was expected to make the team out of spring training, so it’s not surprising that they were sent to minor league camp today. Still, it might have been fun to get just a little longer look at them before they were banished to the back fields. Also exiting major league camp are lefty reliever Tristan Garnett, catcher Caleb Ricketts, and corner infielder Carson Taylor. Earlier in the week, the Phillies told former prospect Kelly Dugan that they were ending his tryout with the club.

It is possible that Crawford will reach Philly at some point during the season. In his third professional season, Crawford moved from High-A Jersey Shore to AA Reading. Between the two stops, the 21-year-old played in 110 games, producing a line of 9-61-.313/.360/.444 with 42 stolen bases in 51 attempts. Crawford played center field with a combined .995 fielding percentage with just one error, which came with Jersey Shore. At Reading, Crawford had a perfect fielding percentage with 86 chances and also added the only two outfield assists of his season with the Fightins. It’s likely that Crawford will open the year at Reading with a quick move to Lehigh Valley being possible.

If Crawford does start at Reading, he and Miller will likely be teammates. Miller, the Phillies top pick in the 2023 Draft, played 39 games with Clearwater, 58 at Jersey Shore and 5 with Reading last season making a quick climb up the ladder. In 102 games, the 20-year-old hit 11-60-.261/.366/.446 and swiped 23 bases in 28 attempts. There is some slight concern about Miller’s range at short and he could be shifting over to third base at least on a trial basis. As with Crawford, it is not impossible that Miller could get at least a few games in the City of Brotherly Love.

Then there’s Kelly Dugan. Can you believe he is already 34-years-old? The Phillies took Dugan from Notre Dame HS in Sherman Oaks, California in the second round of the 2009 Draft. Dugan reached AA Reading in 2013 and did not make it to AAA until 2015 after he slashed .316/.391/.393 in 44 games that season. His numbers took a dive – .221/.295/.298 – in 34 games with the IronPigs and he was left to become a minor league free agent after the season. He played one season at AA in both the Cubs and Diamondbacks organizations with decent numbers. Twice in 2017 Dugan was on the IL with the Cubs and missed the entire 2018 season with an injury. Since 2019, Dugan has played in independent ball. He requested and was granted a second chance with the Phillies this spring. The audition lasted about a week before Dugan was told ‘no thanks.’

Garnett, Ricketts, and Taylor are not highly ranked prospects. However, they have the potential to be decent MLB players if they continue to develop. Garnett, soon to be 27, was a combined 1-3, 2.87 in 31 games at Reading last season and pitched a perfect inning for Lehigh Valley in September. Ricketts, who will turn 25 in May, hit 7-31-.219/.331/.339 with Reading last season and caught 71 games. Taylor, 25, was drafted by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2020 Draft and was taken by the Phillies in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in December, 2023. He opened eyes with a 16-75-.277/.389/.465 line with Reading last season and went 6-19 (.316) in six games with Lehigh Valley.