Phillies GM: Top prospect Nola could reach big leagues this year

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. isn't ready to give into temptation just yet.

As the organization continues to go through the paces of a rebuild, Amaro admitted he doesn't plan to rush top pitching prospect Aaron Nola's path to the majors.

"There are some things he needs to work on still," Amaro told Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News. "There's some areas he's continuing to work on. We continue to discuss and put together a plan for him. We're in the middle of formulating that plan."

Selected seventh in the 2014 draft, the 21-year-old is 6-2 with a 1.54 ERA through eight starts with Double-A Reading. Nola's exceptional results haven't gone unnoticed by the GM, and while he's not in the Phillies' immediate plans, Amaro hasn't ruled out having the right-hander make his major-league debut at some point in 2015.

"While there are some things to work on, he's very advanced, and we talk about all of those things," Amaro said. "It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could come to the big leagues (this season). But we're not going to do that until it's time."

Though he has yet to pull the trigger on dealing any of the team's veterans, Amaro is still shaking up the Phillies' roster. Cody Asche was sent down to the minors in order to convert him as an outfielder, and to open the door at third base for 22-year-old Maikel Franco.