5/23/26 : It’s All Part of It
- Steve Potter
- 1 minute ago
- 6 min read
Professional baseball is a business first and foremost. The goal of every organization is to build a cohesive unit at the major league level that can and ultimately does produce championships. Player development as part of that equation is to provision pieces to the puzzle that can either impact the big league team directly else be used as trade chips to acquire other puzzle parts that can be molded into the equation.
Like every large corporation it’s difficult to get to know everyone on an individual basis. I am not a Phillies employee nor part of the organizational equation however in what I do I have been able to get to know many folks within the organization at least a little bit on a more personal level.
RHP Andrew Baker was traded yesterday to the Colorado Rockies organization for international pool money to be used to sign a different piece to the puzzle. RHP Jaydenn Estanista was released earlier this week. Two young men from entirely different backgrounds yet both with pleasant and friendly demeanors whom I’ve gotten to know a bit over the past few years.
Each of these two young pitchers fall into the “big arm” category - they have the ability to hurl the baseball in the upper nineties even touching triple digits on occasion yet success hasn’t always been found. Pitching is an art, while the ability to throw the baseball with high velocity is a definite advantage it’s not the ultimate key to getting batters out consistently. Pitchers must also learn how to create deception whether that be in their mechanical delivery, arm slot, repertoire or location of offerings it’s a requirement to have consistent success along with the command/control of their pitches. The development process is often frustrating in the collective pursuit of turning “stuff” into pitching art and success.
Andrew Baker has a big heart, I’ve seen it in how he interacts with folks. As an example when a security guard at the complex lost his wife to cancer Andrew reached out and became his friend both during the trying time and later in consolation. I’ve also watched him over the past seven years ride the roller coaster of development, he’s seen the highs of being a non-roster invitee to big league spring training to the lows of having the discussion with management of potential release. Over the years he’s tinkered with his mechanics, introduced “kickstart” nuances to help keep him aligned and experimented with different pitches and grips.
This past spring was a difficult one for him, he struggled to find command/control and was hit hard when he did throw strikes. I remember one day in March getting to meet his mom and dad and seeing their concern in his regard over whether he may be nearing the end of his pro baseball career, their love for their son was evident and heartening - it was easy to see where Andrew has gotten his goodwill from. The Phillies decided to assign him to AA Reading when camp broke where he had struggled in years past. This year however he pitched well once the regular season started - his perseverance to succeed shined thru. In his last appearance for Reading on Thursday he went 1.2 scoreless frames working around a single and walk and striking out two batters. It was a portrait of his time with the organization - the last batter he faced he struck out after walking the batter before that.
I’ve often interacted with Andrew, texting him after games to offer encouragement and feedback on what I watched - I do that with multiple players actually. He’s always been one to look forward, a true relievers outlook, his response often “lets go!” regardless of how he pitched. The “stuff”, in particular the slider/curve has big league quality, there’s still time to fold it into the artistic envelop of pitching success to reach the highest level. He’s a good young man and I truly hope he is afforded that success - last night I wished him well (via text) on behalf of myself and the folks in Clearwater that have gotten to know him over the years and he responded “I’ll miss all of y’all! Special place in my heart. Hope to see you soon.” Colorado is a new opportunity, good people deserve good things to happen - I’ll be rooting for him.
Jaydenn Estanista was part of the 2021 Dominican Summer League Phillies team that won a division title with a 36-20 record at the top of the San Pedro Division. The club had multiple pitching standouts, five (Jean Cabrera, Estibenzon Jimenez, Eiberson Castellano, Jaydenn Estanista, Guissepe Velasquez) I’ve written an article about each summer (this year’s version yet to come) in regard to their progression. When Jaydenn first came stateside I witnessed and wrote about how scouts would gather en masse behind the backstop of home plate at the complex with radar guns to watch him, the fast ball climbed to a regular range of 93 to 96 mph and touched 97 mph. It wasn’t just the velocity that played but the movement - it jumped out of his hand. Secondaries were a work in progress but the heater was given a high grade.
Over the course of his six seasons with the organization he rose to being recognized in the infamous MLB “top 30” prospect list in 2023 and pitched on the World stage for the Netherlands in multiple international tournaments including the World Baseball Classic. However finding the answer to the elusive art of pitching waned and results became more elusive. Jaydenn struggled this spring and an attempt to lower his arm slot so as to introduce more pitch movement and deception was made, he was held back in extended spring training to work on it. Ultimately he was assigned to Jersey Shore however the struggles continued and he was released on 5/17.
When you watch games either in the spring or summer on the backfields of the complex you are afforded the opportunity to get to sit and chat with folks, often times players. I have done that on a few occasions with Jaydenn, I remember the day when he and Cristian Hernandez were so excited with the photo collection I had gathered over the years of writing about player development that they borrowed my phone to show teammates and to transfer the photos of them to their own devices. He’s from Curacao and one day we talked about the places there to visit - his passion and love for his country shined thru. Every time I’ve seen him he has always said hello and given a fist bump or handshake - he’s also one who’ve I’ve corresponded with during his Phillies time after games to offer encouragement, he’s always acknowledged and responded. Jaydenn is good people and still has the “big arm” talent we first witnessed in the Fall of 2021 - hopefully he’s afforded another opportunity somewhere to continue to develop if that’s the path he pursues - we wished him well after his release.
Not every professional baseball player will reach the major leagues, in fact the majority do not. Yet the experience that they gain from even the briefest of times as a professional ballplayer is invaluable. I’ve gotten to know many players during my time covering Phillies player development and have kept in touch with quite a few after their playing days ended. Some are now lawyers, medics, real estate agents, ranchers, small business owners, firemen, insurance salesmen, accountants, financial advisors, etc. - all at one point had the dream of being a Major League Baseball player. Each earned the opportunity to pursue that dream with their skillset, something the majority of us were not blessed with, for that they are grateful.
As professional baseball moves forward I would hope that the decision makers are enlightened that even when folks don’t reach the pinnacle of success in the sport the impact on their life influences the folks they become thru the experience and fellowship of the experience - it spreads into the community. As Cord Sandberg (he’s now a football coach at the IMG academy) used to say when he played “It’s All Part of It”. Organizations provision structure but people make them what they are - pro baseball is a business first and foremost but we should never lose sight of the people within nor the village that supports it - just sayin.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
Note : I've partnered with Fanatics on Phillies Merchandise - if you would like to help support my website and articles here's a link to order merchandise - I get a small commission on any sales - thanks for the support.