Voila_Capture 2014-02-20_08-30-24_AMI’m sure there are two sides to this one, but this side is not a good look.

The Phillies apparently ratted out Oregon State senior lefty Ben Wetzler to the NCAA after Wetzler, drafted by the Phillies last year, decided to stay in college. Aaron Fitt, reporting for Baseball America:

Several sources have confirmed to Baseball America that the Phillies, who drafted Wetzler in the fifth round last June but did not sign him, told the NCAA in November that Wetzler violated the NCAA’s “no agent” rule. That rule is widely disregarded by baseball prospects, whose advisers routinely negotiate with teams on players’ behalf, against NCAA rules—because that is the industry norm. As an American League scouting director told Baseball America in 2008, “Every single player that we deal with—I don’t care what round you’re talking about—has representation, has an agent.”

And every year, some players drafted inside the top 10 rounds elect not to sign pro contracts, often drawing the ire of the clubs that drafted them. But major league teams almost never attempt to contact the NCAA in order to report potential violations. The Phillies, according to sources, did just that with two players they drafted last year: Wetzler and sixth-round pick Jason Monda, who opted to return to Washington State for his senior year. Monda was cleared to play by the NCAA last Thursday, the day before the college season began.

This is some Paul Holmgren shit right here.

To begin with, NCAA rules on this sort of thing are a complete sham (watch the documentary Schooled on Netflix). Players very much need representation in these instances and that’s the exact reason why the rules are often disregarded.

It’s unclear who ratted Wetzler out to the NCAA. Phils director of scouting Marti Woleverererer had no comment for Baseball America.

The Phillies have gone from being perceived as an extremely classy organization to one that signs jackasses, stabs its longtime manager in the back, and rats out college kids. Snitches basically. You know what the cartel does to snitches?

UPDATE: Todd Zolecki on what this could mean for Phillies:

The Baseball America report is receiving attention for a couple reasons. First, high draft picks often decide to stay in school and reenter the draft at a later date. But teams very rarely contact the NCAA for a player having representation. Second, there could be repercussions for the Phillies. If they draft a college junior in the future, he might have reservations about negotiating with the Phillies because of fears about being turned in to the NCAA if he does not sign.

Nice.

via Hardball Talk