Phillies fans have been clamoring to see one of the best prospects in all of baseball in the every day major league line up. Unfortunately, they may have to wait until 2017 to get their wish.
It won’t be that J.P. Crawford is not ready to play at the next level. The roster status of Crawford creates a trickle-down effect in the Phillies organization, which general manager Matt Klentak may not be willing to deal with.
Because Crawford was drafted out of high school and is still extremely young, the Phillies do not have to place him on their 40-man roster and protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this winter.