CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Phillies’ clubhouse was a little roomier Sunday morning after 10 players were shipped off to the minor-league complex on Saturday. For several of the players, the move was hardly a demotion. Some of the organization’s top prospects got a month-long taste of the big leagues and now must prepare for their respective minor-league seasons and the climb toward Philadelphia.
 
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. mentioned that he was particularly impressed with third baseman Cody Asche, catcher Tommy Joseph and pitchers Adam Morgan, Ethan Martin and Jonathan Pettibone.
 
“I think our future is very bright with these players,” Amaro said.

Manager Charlie Manuel liked what he saw of Asche, 22, and Joseph, 21.
 
“They’re advanced players,” he said.
 
The Phils could have openings at third base and catcher next season as Michael Young and Carlos Ruiz are both in the final year of their contracts. Could Asche and Joseph be ready for prime time in 2014?
 
“Maybe,” Amaro said. “It’s hard to tell. It depends on how they advance. Neither has played Triple A ball yet.”
 
Here are a few notes, quotes and anecdotes about the time that Asche, Joseph, Morgan, Martin and Pettibone spent in big-league camp.
 
Cody Asche
He showed why nearly everyone believes he can become the Phillies’ first homegrown third baseman since Scott Rolen. The left-handed hitting Asche went 5 for 14 with two doubles.
 
“I like the way he swings the bat,” Manuel said.
 
Asche hit .324 with 72 RBIs at Single A Clearwater and Double A Reading last season. Team officials are unsure whether he will open at Double A or Triple A.
 
“We feel he’s going to spend the whole year in the minor leagues and both levels are very competitive,” said Joe Jordan, the team’s director of player development. “Both will be a good challenge. He may get them both at some point this summer.
 
“Cody has a chance to be a long-term solution [at third base]. I think his bat is going to be an everyday bat in the big leagues. I feel pretty confident about that. And I think he does too, which is more important than my opinion. Defensively he’s going to be solid.”
 
Tommy Joseph
He impressed with all phases of his game. He hit well -- 6 for 13 with 2 doubles and a homer -- threw well, and took control behind the plate. Roy Halladay was impressed with Joseph’s commitment to game-calling. Joseph had no hesitation in talking strategy with the super-intense Halladay between innings.
 
“That takes some guts,” pitching coach Rich Dubee said with a laugh.
 
Joseph, acquired from the Giants for Hunter Pence last summer, should be ready to lead the Triple A staff.
 
“Whether in the draft, or trades, or free agent signings, it’s hard to get a guy that you feel has a chance to be an everyday catcher that’s going to be a run producer, and that’s what we feel we have here,” Jordan said.
 
“What really impresses me is he’s so inquisitive. He’s got good interjection. He’s really invested in working with the pitchers, which for me is very exciting. He wants to be a good catcher. And we feel like he has a chance to be a good two-way guy who will contribute at the plate and behind it.”
 
Ethan Martin
The Phillies acquired the 23-year-old righthander last summer from the Dodgers for Shane Victorino. Martin is a rugged kid with a legitimate power arm. His fastball hits a catcher’s mitt with a loud and bruising thud. It’s not difficult to envision him as a closer someday, but team officials believe his four-pitch mix can make him a good starter. Control has been an issue for Martin, but he made strides with it last season. He will open in the Triple A rotation.
 
“He’s got power to four pitches, as good of power as any pitcher we have,” Jordan said. “With his stuff, he has a chance to overmatch guys if he can stay in the strike zone. It’s all about execution and consistency. His arsenal is good enough. It’s just a matter of building consistency.
 
“I think it’s time for him to go face the challenge of triple A and see what happens.”
 
Adam Morgan
A year out of the University of Alabama, Morgan made it to Double A last season. The lefty recorded a 3.35 ERA in 26 starts at Single A Clearwater and Double A Reading. He could start right back at Double A this season and could be a fast comer if he continues to progress.
 
“It was amazing,” Morgan said of his time in big-league camp.
 
He spent time picking Cole Hamels’ brain on the changeup.
 
Morgan, 23, has what they call “pitchability.” Jordan has seen him beat lineups with a fastball-slider combination and a curveball-changeup combo.
 
“That’s a tough quality to find in a young pitcher,” Jordan said.
 
“Adam is a pitcher who has a lot better stuff than he did at Alabama. He can go get a plus fastball, 93, 94 (mph) pretty much whenever he wants. He has a really good air about him and he’s very confident.”
 
Jordan signed Cliff Lee when he was a scout for Montreal. Morgan’s repertoire and pitchability reminds some of a young Lee.
 
“I can see that,” Jordan said. “I saw Cliff at the same age and Adam is farther along as far as pitchability at the same point in his career. Whether or not he turns into that, we’ll see. But there are similar qualities. The guy is under control a lot. He has a really good temperament.”
 
Jonathan Pettibone
The 22-year-old righthander got hit around in a couple of Grapefruit League games, but that didn’t dampen the team’s opinion of him. Pettibone moved nicely in the system last season, recording a 3.10 ERA in 26 starts at Double A and Triple A. He’ll likely be part of the Triple A rotation and could figure in the picture in Philadelphia before long.
 
Scouts like Pettibone’s pitching IQ. He added to that by observing and speaking with Hamels and Halladay in camp. In fact, Pettibone played in a foursome with Hamels, Halladay and Kyle Kendrick in the team’s annual spring golf tournament.
 
“I was on Cloud 9 all day,” he said.
 
The older pitchers had some fun with the young prospect. The day before the tournament, Pettibone was “ordered” to arrive at the golf course with snacks for the other members of his foursome. Hamels wanted an iced tea, Halladay a Slurpee, and Kendrick a Snickers bar and a Gatorade. Jonathan Papelbon, who attended the outing as a spectator/heckler, heard about the shopping list and put in for an air horn.
 
Pettibone picked up the snacks for Hamels, Halladay and Kendrick in one stop. He had to make three more stops before finding an airhorn at Walmart.
 
“I wasn’t going to come up empty-handed,” Pettibone said with a laugh.
 
That doggedness could serve him well on the mound.