Threshers in The Winter

While baseball is in the offseason in the United States, there are winter leagues around the world that allow younger players to get extra opportunities on the diamond and get ready for the upcoming season. Many international players go back and play for their hometown teams in their respective country’s professional leagues, and others get selected or added to rosters because their major league organization wants to get another look at their play after a strong minor league season. From Venezuela to the Dominican Republic to Australia, some of the top prospects in minor league baseball and some notable former major leaguers are still in action in the thick of Winter League seasons across the globe. Here is a look at a few of the former Threshers who have played great during their winter league experience:

INF/OF Felix Reyes (2021-23)-

The Dominican International and reigning Eastern League (AA) MVP with the Reading Fightin Phils is gaining invaluable experience as a member of los Toros del Este in his home country of the Dominican Republic after spending last year in the Colombian Winter League. Reyes has played all over the infield and outfield in Winter Ball this season and even has played more games than players like Jeimer Candelario and Jhonkensy Noel, who have both played multiple big-league seasons. Following his breakout season in AA, Reyes has continued to demonstrate his power potential, with three doubles, two triples, and two home runs for los Toros in 24 games. His numbers may not match the impressive .937 OPS he posted in Double-A this past summer, but Reyes continues to prove that he can hit high-level pitching after setting career highs across the board with the Fightin Phils. Felix went 6-23 in the final six games of the season for Triple-A Lehigh Valley but was left unprotected by the Phillies in the Rule Five Draft. If he survives both phases of the Rule Five Draft, Reyes is a candidate who could play the corner outfield and infield positions with the Iron and possibly make a major league jump in 2026.

LHP Erubiel Armenta (‘22, ‘25)-

After missing the 2023 and 2024 minor league seasons, Erubiel Armenta began this past season on a rehab assignment with the Threshers. His first outing since 2022 with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws was short, but his next three were nothing short of dominant. He allowed one hit and walked three in his season debut but did not allow a baserunner over his next 3.2 innings and three relief appearances with the Threshers, amassing 11 strikeouts over that span before his promotion to High-A Jersey Shore. Back in his home country of Mexico, Armenta has already pitched in five of the first twelve games of the Pacific League season for los Cañeros de los Mochis. Back in Mexico after his 0.87 ERA in 2022 helped earn him a spot on the Mexican World Baseball Classic team, Erubiel is picking right where he left off with 3.1 shutout frames in five winter ball relief appearances. With three hits and one walk allowed in those first five games, Armenta has allowed as many baserunners as he has strikeouts thus far and has allowed one run over his last 13.2 innings in the Mexican Winter League, dating back to his last season in 2022. Even though he sustained an injury in the 2023 WBC, Armenta is certainly in the mix to return to Mexico’s bullpen in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. If he stays healthy, this strong lefty reliever could be a boost for a dark-horse in the WBC and, potentially, a rapid riser in the Phillies' minor league system in the 2026 season.

OF/INF Devin Saltiban (‘24-25)-

One of five players who played on the Clearwater Threshers and now Adelaide Giants in 2025, former third-round pick Devin Saltiban is tearing it up down under in the Australian Baseball League. The 20-year-old, who played second base in all but one of his nearly 100 games as a Thresher, has started in centerfield for the Giants in each of their first 14 games without making an error. Saltiban has switched between the middle infield and the outfield since turning pro in 2023, but his bat has been consistently solid at either position after switching from outfield in high school to infield in his first two professional seasons. Devin belted two homers in his rehab game with the Threshers this past July and is third on Adelaide in hits (18), RBIs (8), and total bases (24) through the first three weeks of the ABL season. Saltiban has also stole five bases and recorded an .810 OPS while having more at-bats than all but one other Adelaide Giants player. In their first series of December, against the current league leaders, Saltiban recorded six hits in four games, and has posted at least one hit in 12 of 14 games so far this winter. An injury-plagued 2025 held Saltiban to five homers and 22 RBIs in High-A Jersey Shore this past season after finishing among the Florida State League Leaders with 17 homers and 53 RBIs for Clearwater in 2024, his first full season as a professional. Saltiban is showing an aptitude for the outfield after playing second base for the entirety of the 2024 season with no sign of rust on defense. His athleticism allows him to provide solid power and contact from the plate while playing plus defense in the middle of the infield and in the outfield, typically in centerfield. Wherever the Phillies put Saltiban in 2026, he is sure to make an impact as the 2023 third-rounder continues to showcase his skills and his five-tool potential.

RHP Andrew Baker (2021)-

In a bullpen with three former Threshers (Baker, Jose Peña Jr., and Tristan Garnett), righty reliever Andrew Baker has turned into a key reliever for los Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico. Baker has bounced between Double-A Reading and High-A Jersey Shore since his debut season with the Threshers in 2021. He hasn’t played fall or winter league ball since his 2023 stint in the Arizona Fall League, but he is rising to the challenge of the Roberto Clemente League in 2025. He entered nine games for Santurce, allowing just three earned runs in 9.2 innings with eleven strikeouts. He made seven saves between High-A and Double-A in 2025, but has finished one game in Puerto Rico without recording a save. Baker can throw anywhere in the bullpen and is someone who could be eyed for a late-reliever role. Aside from being a veteran leader to the Phillies prospect contingent in Puerto Rico, Baker is one of the most experienced minor league players on a roster that includes four players with major league experience. He has split time with the BlueClaws and Fightin Phils every year since 2022, and is on the cusp of permanently turning the corner to the upper minors. If Baker continues the success he has had during this offseason, it could be the driving force that pushes him over the edge to stay in Double-A and maybe even make the jump to Triple-A in 2025.

One of the best parts of Single-A baseball is watching the players who get called up from Clearwater continue their careers and improve their skills at the higher levels of the minor leagues. With more leagues popping up in the months when American baseball is in the offseason and even the Spring Breakout games in March, there are more ways than ever to track minor league prospects and admire their journeys to the show from the stands and from afar. Check back here for more updates on current and former Threshers during the offseason and make sure to check in at BayCare Ballpark in February to see more Phillies stars of today and tomorrow.

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