As tweeted by Matt Provence, (@pigsradio)
“Yesterday, the Phillies signed veterans 1B/OF Robb Quinlan and INF/OF Delwyn Young to minor league contracts.”
Rob Quinlan is listed on Baseball-reference.com as a 1st baseman, 3rd baseman and left fielder. He was drafted by the Angels in the 10th round of the 1999 draft. Quinlan has played in 458 games over 8 seasons with the Angels, the high mark of 86 games coming in 2006. His Major League batting average over that time is .276.
Quinlin doesn’t look to have great speed or power, with a quick glance at his career stats, but can play the corners in the infield and outfield. In 2010, he made his first trip back to the minors for AAA Salt Lake hitting .258 in 34 games. The most intriguing information I found about Quinlan is that he bats and throws right-handed. It leads me to believe he could be a Duct Tape fix for the right field spot on the Phillies if Domonic Brown starts the season here in the Lehigh Valley. He could also serve as a right handed bat off the bench, something the Phillies have been looking for. Quinlan will be 34 by the beginning of the 2011 season.
Delwyn Young is a 28 yr old switch hitting left fielder and 2nd baseman. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 4th round of the 2002 draft, Young spent 3 seasons with the Dodgers and the past 2 years in Pittsburgh. Like Quinlan, Young appears to be another utility player who can play the infield and outfield. Being a 2nd baseman won’t come in handy to the Phillies, but he is an extra outfielder who can swing from the North side of the plate. One fun fact about Young is that he hit a 2 run home run against Steven Strasburg in Strasburg’s first major league start.
So my opinion time…
One of these guys is going to be on the Phillies bench. It’s very well known that the Phillies want a right handed bat on the bench. I find it highly unlikely that BOTH of these utility players will remain on the Phillies roster by opening day. I feel that Young holds a slight edge at the moment. All could change with a poor/good performance in spring training by either player but as I read more and more about Young, he seems to have the pinch hitter role in his portfolio more so than Quinlan does. Granted, neither players had an outstanding 2010 season and Young is 5 years younger than Quinlan, but one of these guys, if they hold together this spring, should make the Phillies roster and the other (if not released) will be standing tall at the Coke on April 7th.
89 Days! OinK!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
It’s going to come down to what exactly the Phillies are looking for. Wanting a right handed bat is synonymous with wanting someone who can hit left handed pitchers. Do they want a platoon player or do they want a guy on the bench to pinch hit?
Delwyn Young has 710 career big league at bats. 170 of them are as a pinch hitter. That’s 24% of all his big league plate appearances. The majority of the games he has started have been in the outfield.
His career stats vs. LHP: 48-191 .251. with 7 HR. OBP: .316 SLG: .393
Robb Quinlan has 1,112 career at bats and only 39 of them are as a pinch hitter. That pretty much means that when he plays, he’s in the lineup. Most of his big league starts have come at first base or third base.
His career stats vs. LHP: 178-598 .298. with 19 HR OBP: .339 SLG: .453
If it was my decision I’d be sure to also take a good close look at Tagg Bozied and Matt Miller.
Bozied had 98 at bats against lefties at AA Reading last year and hit .327 with 12 homeruns. That’s 1 homerun every 8 at bats.
Miller doesn’t have the power but he hit .336 with a .396 OBP vs. LHP last year in the PCL.
What Bozied and Miller lack is big league experience.
All four of these guys will be in spring training with the Phillies so may the best man win.