MLB Trade Deadline: Philadelphia Phillies Going for It All, Acquire Hunter Pence

Just days after the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants make a trade for Carlos Beltran, the Philadelphia Phillies pushed hard to acquire Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros.  

To get Pence from the Astros, the Phillies gave up a good chunk of their top prospects: top pitcher Jarred Cosart and top fielder Jonathan Singleton, along with Josh Zeid and one more player to be named later.

On the year Pence is batting .308 to go along with 11 home runs and 62 RBI. Or in other words, Pence produces. He is producing huge numbers in a place where the franchise is struggling to get wins. Adding a bat like Pence to the Phillies lineup makes them even more deadly when they arrive at a ballpark.

This is huge news for Phillies fans, no matter which way you look at it. The team picks up an exceptional outfielder and hitter in Pence, adding huge stability to their outfield and another powerful production bat to their lineup.

Did the Phillies give up too much?

Absolutely not. The Phillies were in a position where they were good, but needed one more piece to put them over the top.  

Losing top prospects can be a huge blow to small-market teams. The Phillies are not a small market, it is just the type of trade the team needed to solidify their postseason run and increasing the chance for a World Series run.

A great aspect about getting a player like Pence is that he is under contract through 2011 and cannot become a free agent until after the 2013 season. So unlike the Giants giving up a top prospect for a two-month rental in Beltran, the Phillies have Pence for at least two more years.

Not only did the Phillies shore up their offense and defense for the rest of this year, but also for years to come.

Phillies fans should be happy you got Hunter Pence over Carlos Beltran. Beltran is injury plagued and may not make it through the season. If he does get injured, the Giants are out a top prospect and do not even get a draft pick in return. With Pence locked up, the Phillies have a chance for the next three years if something were to go wrong.  

Playoffs

The Phillies now set themselves up for a phenomenal playoff run. They have one of the most, if not the most dominant pitching rotation in all of baseball, to go along with a lineup that is a threat from top to bottom. That can never be fun to go up against as an opposing team when your season is on the line.

If you did not have the Phillies as World Series favorites before, I think you have something to look at. If you do not have the Phillies as World Series favorites now, I would check your pulse because the Phillies are for real.   

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Hunter Pence Hunted, Caught by Philadelphia Phillies

July 29 has been a significant day in recent Phillies history. On July 29, 2009, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee. That same day in 2010, they picked up Roy Oswalt. And this year, Hunter Pence is the big prize.

A report from Phillies Beat Writer Todd Zolecki states that Pence will be sent from the Astros to the Phillies in exchange for Class-A first baseman Jonathan Singleton, Class-A pitcher Jarred Cosart and two yet unnamed prospects.

The best news of the night is that neither pitcher Vance Worley or outfielder Domonic Brown were included in the deal. While the two named prospects are highly touted, the Phillies really pulled off an amazing deal without having to give up any Major-League talent.

This is another huge score for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

Pence, 28,  is a lifetime .290 hitter and two-time All-Star who combines both power and speed.  Pence hit 25 home runs each year from 2008 to 2010 and had a career-high 91 RBI last season. In addition, Pence cannot become a free agent until the 2014 season, putting the Phillies in control for years to come.

With the addition of Pence and also Placido Polanco returning from the DL this weekend, two moves will have to be made. My best guess is that Brown will be sent back to Triple-A to work on his game.  The second casualty could be John Mayberry Jr.

While the playoffs and the World Series are promised to no one, the addition of Pence certainly does improve the Phillies’ chances.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Trade Deadline: Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Hunter Pence from Astros

According to the Philadelphia Phillies website, they have just acquired All-Star right fielder Hunter Pence from Houston. A deal has not been announced yet.

Pence was pulled from a game in Milwaukee during the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Phils website says that they will be sending four prospects in return for Pence. Two of these players are Class A prospects Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart. Singleton is a first baseman, and Cosart is a pitcher. Cosart and Singleton are rated the 37 and 38 best prospects respectively in the MLB. They were also the top two in the Phillies farm system.

Cosart is a 21-year-old who has a very good fastball and solid curve as well. Singleton is 19 and has a career .287 average, with 25 home runs and 136 RBI in 227 games. The Phillies tried to have Singleton play outfield, but it didn’t turn out well.

Hunter Pence is 28 years old, hitting .309 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI. He’ll help a lineup that’s been struggling against left-handed pitching this season.

Pence will most likely replace Domonic Brown over in right field and add some more power to the Phils lineup. The Phillies will be able to hold onto Pence for at least two more seasons after this, and he’ll be making $6.9 million this season.

Now with their outfield completed, the Phillies will look to get back to the World Series after missing it last year. Pence should be a big part of the Philadelphia lineup.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Hunter Pence Phillies: Philly Now Has Everything It Needs to Win World Series

If ever there was a day to be Philadelphia sports fan, let the record show that it was Friday, July 29, 2011.

On this day in sports history, the Philadelphia Eagles shocked the world by signing Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who was widely considered the gem of the 2011 free agent class.

A few hours later, the Philadelphia Phillies completed a trade for Houston Astros right fielder Hunter Pence. And as if that wasn’t good enough, the Phillies got him for their price.

According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Phillies were able to acquire Pence in exchange for top first base prospect Jonathan Singleton, top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and two players to be named later.

Thus, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro was able to do the seemingly impossible by holding on to Domonic Brown, the Phillies’ ultra-talented 23-year-old outfielder. He was the player everyone wanted, but he’s staying in Philly until further notice.

But never mind the youngsters. This trade is all about Pence. After much speculation, he is finally coming to the City of Brotherly Love. And not a moment too soon.

As we should all be well aware by now, the Phillies lineup is not the same offensive force it used to be. It still boasts names like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez, but the thump that these names have provided in the past couple seasons just hasn’t been there in 2011. The Phillies are currently seventh in the National League in runs scored, and their .248 team batting average is 11th.

Assuming he doesn’t forget how to hit on the flight from Houston to Philadelphia, Pence will provide a much-needed boost to Philly’s sagging offensive production. He’s hitting .308 on the season, with 11 homers and 62 RBI. He will automatically become the Phillies’ leading hitter, and he will also take over the team lead in doubles (26) and total bases (188).

As far as Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is concerned, however, the best part about Pence is that he swings it strictly from the right side. A good right-handed bat is something the Phillies have been lacking ever since Jayson Werth split for Washington this offseason, and it is a shortcoming that has come back to bite the Phillies time and again this year.

Well, that problem is gone now. In fact, it’s safe to say that that particular problem has become a strength. And now that it has, the Phillies have fewer true weaknesses than any team in baseball.

Indeed, we’ve known all along that the Phillies can pitch. They are second in the major leagues with a team ERA of 3.11, and they are tied with the San Francisco Giants for the major league-lead with a grand total of 69 quality starts.

That naturally speaks volumes about Philly’s stacked rotation, which is of course led by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. The news only gets better when you hear that Roy Oswalt is on the comeback trail.

If you wanted to, you could gripe about the Phillies bullpen being less than spectacular. That’s because it is, which could very well be the Phillies’ undoing before all is said and done. At the same time, it’s not like Philly’s pen is awful, as it has a 3.37 ERA. Believe it or not, that’s good for seventh in the NL.

All told, the Phillies are pretty well set when you go down the checklist of what it takes to win in baseball. They have an outstanding starting rotation, a solid bullpen and the Pence trade makes their lineup actually quite formidable.

Not bad for a team that many people already had pegged as the favorite to win the World Series. In fact, there should be no doubt whatsoever that the Phillies are the favorite to win it all.

And make no mistake, now the Phillies won’t have any excuses if they don’t win it all.

No pressure.

–Zachary D. Rymer

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Trade Deadline: Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Hunter Pence from Astros

(Updated at 7:09 p.m. PT.)

The city of Philadelphia is having a pretty good Friday. Just a few hours after the Eagles signed prized free agent Nnamdi Asomugha, the Phillies are getting in on the headline act, acquiring Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros.

The trade was first reported by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal via Twitter, and it has since been confirmed. The Phillies will send a package of four players—top prospects Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton, along with two players to be named—to Houston (Bob Nightengale of USA Today says Josh Zeid is one of the players).

It is a deal that makes a lot of sense for both franchises, who are currently on polar opposite ends of the competitive spectrum.

The Phillies are going for it. The 2008 World Series champions have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, featuring arguably the best rotation in baseball, and a lineup that features several current and former All-Stars.

If there is a need on the roster, it is a right-handed bat, and there were few available better than Pence. The outfielder is ninth in the National League in batting average, and tied for 13th with 62 RBI.

It was just six years ago the Astros were in the World Series. Since then it has been a rough go, and they haven’t been able to compete. The team has long been reluctant to trade the Fort Worth native.

Currently a major-league worst 35-70, Houston finally made the decision to sell high on Pence. In return the Astros get four players, including Cosart and Singleton, Philadelphia’s best pitching and hitting prospects respectively. 

The next step for Houston will be sorting through trade offers for the speedy Michael Bourn, and starters Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros

After much talk and speculation, the Philadelphia Phillies have made a deal for Hunter Pence. The deal has been confirmed by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.

The Houston Astros outfielder was removed from the dugout during the game against the Brewers according to Brian Taggert of MLB.com. He was seen giving his teammates hugs.

Jon Morosi has reported that both Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart were included in the deal. The Astros are also going to be getting two players to be named later according to Ken Rosenthal.

Coming into the season, Singleton was the Phillies’ second-best prospect according to Baseball America, and Cosart was the team’s fourth-best prospect.

Singelton is a powerful first baseman who is one of the best prospects in baseball. He was ranked as the 39th best prospect in the game before the season by Baseball America. This year, he has hit .282/.386/.411 as a 19-year-old in High-A. He has nine home runs and 47 RBI.

Cosart was also a top-100 prospect coming into the year. As a 20-year-old in High-A, he has gone 9-8 with a 3.92 ERA.

The Astros have also pulled J.D. Martinez from his game at Double-A, so it appears that he may be the player replacing Pence on the Astros’ roster.

You can keep up with the latest trade rumors right here on Bleacher Report.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Hunting a Championship: Phillies Sign Pence for Minor Leaguers

With all of the action of the day seemingly happening in the Philadelphia Eagles front office, the Phillies have quietly moved in on one of the top players available right now.

Reports have the Phillies very close to a deal to have Houston All-Star right fielder Hunter Pence to Philadelphia for a set of prospects, which do not include breakout rookie pitcher Vance Worley or outfielder Domonic Brown.

This should bring delight to Phillies fans.

Pence, a 28-year-old right fielder for the Houston Astros has been named an All-Star twice in his five-year career, amassing an average of 25 home runs and 90 RBI per season.

This season he’s started out on a tear, with a batting average of .309 and having already brought home 62 runs.

Reports have the Astros receiving Phillies hitting prospect Jonathan Singleton and pitching prospect Jarred Cosart in the transaction as well as two other, not yet named minor league players.

The Atlanta Braves were also trying to work out a deal to try to land Pence, but it seems things have fallen through as they weren’t willing to give up their top prospects in hopes of signing the two-time All-Star.

Pence will likely begin work immediately, giving the Phillies another right-handed bat they’ve needed to help complete their lineup.

The Phillies have been missing a right-hander since Jayson Werth was released to the Washington Nationals.

This move comes after Carlos Beltran was traded to the San Francisco Giants, a team that had just beaten the Phillies twice in a recent series.

The Astros knew there was one less player available for the Phillies to try to acquire and ended up getting some good value out of Pence.

Pence was pulled from a Friday night Astros game in the fifth inning likely because of the imminent trade scenario.

He will arrive in Philadelphia to join a 65-39 Phillies team that has had no problems winning in recent months.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Trade Deadline: Hunter Pence to Philadelphia Phillies Imminent

It appears as though the Phillies have won the race for Hunter Pence‘s abilities.

Multiple reports are surfacing that a deal seems imminent. The trade likely involves two of the Phillies top 10 prospects: right-handed pitcher Jarred Cosart and first baseman Jonathan Singleton.

There’s no official word on this yet, but Zachary Levine of the Houston Tribune tweeted that Hunter Pence was removed from the game.

The Phillies slugging first baseman prospect, Singleton, was also removed from his minor league game.

While the Phillies have improved their chances of winning the World Series this season, it comes at a great cost. Hunter Pence is simply a good player, but he’s not overwhelmingly good at anything he does.

It begs the question: Why did the Phillies pay such a huge price and not get elite talent in return?

At least the Phillies didn’t part with Domonic Brown, whose name was tossed around briefly. Ex-Phillies general manager Ed Wade has certainly fleeced Ruben Amaro, Jr. in this one.

Pence’s value will never be this high again, and the Phillies may very well regret the move down the road. I can’t say that Pence really pushes Philly over the edge as the clear-cut favorite to win the World Series. Their chances were already pretty high with their outstanding pitching staff, so the deal only marginally improves their chances.

The real question will be whether or not Pence steals playing time from Domonic Brown instead of Raul Ibanez (with his -1.2 WAR). If it’s Brown, then the trade would almost mean nothing.

Hopefully Manuel does the right thing.

You can e-mail me suggestions or questions at jtmcadams@aol.com. Follow me on Twitter @JoeSportswriter, and you can also find me on WordPress.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Trade Deadline: Will Phillies’ Series Loss to Giants Push Hunter Pence Deal?

The San Francisco Giants seem to have the Philadelphia Phillies‘ number.

After taking two of three games in this week’s highly-anticipated NLCS rematch between San Francisco and Philadelphia, the defending world champions head for their next series against the Cincinnati Reds feeling pretty good about themselves.

Not only did they defeat the team with the best record in baseball, but they also picked up the coveted trade-deadline prize that is Carlos Beltran along the way.

Despite an 0-for-4 performance by the newest Giant in the series finale against the Phillies, San Francisco made defeating the mighty Phillies look too easy, not yielding a single earned run over the last two games of the series.

The Phillies still don’t have an answer for San Francisco’s pitching staff, particularly the specialized relievers that come out of the Giants’ formidable bullpen (Lopez, Affeldt, Romo, etc.).

Philadelphia’s offense managed a meager .156 batting average (10-for-64) over those two games, stranding 15 men on base.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley combined for a 1-for-16 performance, and collectively Phillies hitters went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position (.111 BA).

The last time these two clubs met, in the 2010 NLCS, the Phillies hit just .216 against the Giants, averaging only 3.3 runs per game. Philadelphia hitters struck out 56 times (roughly 9 strikeouts per game).

A big reason for San Francisco’s dominance of Phillies hitters is the lack of a right-handed bat in a Philadelphia lineup whose left-handed hitters have been neutralized by Giants relievers.

The Phillies have been aggressively pursuing hitters on the trade market as we approach Sunday’s non-waiver MLB trade deadline, but the Giants won Carlos Beltran, leaving the Phillies with what feels like a big hole to fill to keep up with the defending champs.

Hunter Pence is heavily rumored to be Philadelphia’s main target, and based on reports from Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman and Fox’s Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies are willing to do whatever they have to, including trading top prospect Dominic Brown, to get Pence from the Astros.

Has the recent series loss to the Giants created more of an urgency for the Phillies?

Quite possibly.

And the fact that the Phillies are very likely to see those Giants come October, it would indeed be a surprise if Hunter Pence is not wearing a Philadelphia jersey come Monday.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

MLB Trade Rumors: Which Trade Is Best for the Philadelphia Phillies?

Before I begin let me just say that I was one of the people who believed the Philadelphia Phillies didn’t have to make a move in order to win a World Series this year.

But after watching Philadelphia face San Francisco Giants starters Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, against whom the Phillies only put up 2 runs combined, I’m ready to say I was wrong.

With Carlos Beltran in a Giants uniform, the chances of getting a bat for this line up seem to be down to two choices.

Choice number one is Hunter Pence.

If this trade is to go through, it seems as though it would have to involve top Phillies prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, and Domonic Brown AND another team.

That seems like a lot of trouble, but if you have to give up Domonic Brown, I would like for it to be for Hunter Pence. Plus, you get to keep Vance Worley and are getting a 28-year-old, .300 hitter.

However, there is another likely option out there.

Choice number two is to trade those same players to San Diego for Mike Adams, Heath Bell, and Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick, like Pence, has 11 home runs and 62 RBI.

But there are two major differences: One, Ludwick is five years older than Pence, and two, he is batting only .238 this year.

However, it is hard to ignore the idea of having Bastado, Madson, Bell, Adams, and possibly Jose Contreras and Brad Lidge in our bullpen. If the Astros are not willing to part with Pence, this is a great choice.

The other choices that seemed to be out there (such as Carlos Quentin) don’t seem to be possibilities anymore.

But the question is, which is the better trade?

We are in an age in which the Phillies are about right now. There isn’t a need to prepare for the future, and that bat out of right field is what we are missing.

But at the same time, adding two quality relievers to your bullpen is something you can’t sneeze at.

Regardless, it has become obvious that if the Phillies do not want to waste the great pitching performances they have gotten out of Hamels, Lee, Halladay, and Worley, they have to make a move before the deadline.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »