MLB Trade Deadline: Philadelphia Phillies Trade Possibilities

As the trade deadline approaches and the trade headlines proliferate, I find myself really pondering what deals I think would be acceptable.  

There’s obviously a lot of talk going around, and sometimes it’s hard to look at all the candidates out there. This is a player by player look at a few of the likely (and one unlikely) candidates.

To start, let me say that there are a few Phillies I will rule as untouchable.  They include Dominic Brown and Vance Worley.  Given that they are financially controllable for the next five years, if I were in charge, I wouldn’t let either out of my hands if you offered me practically anybody (Jose Bautista notwithstanding).

The financial aspect with these guys has to be taken into consideration given the Phillies current and near-future payroll commitments.

I’ve heard a lot of Vance Worley-JA Happ comparisons, but they are not the same pitcher, and it’s not the same situation, as Cliff Lee’s salary if now involved.  It remains to be seen, but I think Worley has a high ceiling and as such, I wouldn’t trade him.

So let’s take a look at what I would be in favor of.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Brad Lidge Is Back and Bye-Bye Danys Baez

Tonight, Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge rejoins the roster after being sidelined for the whole season with a strained rotator cuff and some elbow issues.

For the Phillies, this is a good day, not only because the closer that won the 2008 World Series for them is back, but what’s even better is that the Phillies’ struggling middle reliever Danys Baez has been designated for assignment, meaning he has been cut from the team.

Lidge, who felt something go wrong in his throwing shoulder after making just six appearances in spring training this year (none of which were overly impressive), has been pretty good during his rehab assignment.

In eight games (consisting of, surprisingly, two starts) Lidge posted a 0-0 record with a 3.52 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, 10 strikeouts and allowed batters to hit .267 off him in 7.2 innings pitched.

Has Lidge been fantastic in his rehab assignment? No. But he’s way better than Danys Baez.

If you don’t understand how bad Baez has been, let me explain: during his year-and-a-half as a member of the Phillies, Baez went 5-8 with a 5.81 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP and fanned just 46 batters in 83.2 innings pitched. That sucks. A lot.

While Phillies fans will probably be somewhat excited to see Lidge return to the Phillies, more will almost definitely be thrilled to see the departure of Baez.

With that, I say welcome back Brad Lidge, we missed you, and Danys Baez, we won’t. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Brad Lidge Returns, Danys Baez Designated for Assignment

According to a tweet from Jim Salisbury at CSN Philly, Brad Lidge has been activated from the DL and Danys Baez has been designated for assignment.

What does this mean for the Phillies bullpen?

This is a definite upgrade, although that kind of goes without saying.

Baez has had a very disappointing year by going 2-4 with a 6.25 ERA.

Over his last four appearances, he gave up 11 runs, so it makes sense that the Phillies finally removed him from the active roster.

Lidge has no statistics so far this year with the Phillies. After an injury in spring training, Phillies fans have been eagerly awaiting his return to the bullpen where he posted that memorable perfect season en route to a World Championship.

Lidge will have a different role now as he returns to Philadelphia, but he will no doubt be appreciated in a bullpen that has been struggling as of late.

His postseason experience will go a long way for a team that has a relatively young and inexperienced bullpen.

During an eight-game rehab, Lidge has looked solid throughout the appearances, posting a 3.52 ERA with 10 strikeouts in seven-and-two-thirds innings.

According to Philly.com, Lidge said that:

“Everything feels good, finally. My slider feels great right now. As I always say, that’s a real important pitch for me. That’s normally how I get guys out.”

Phillies fans are hoping that he can provide those outs in whatever role he fills in the bullpen.

If he can provide anywhere near what he did in 2008 during that final push, and the rest of the bullpen continues the success they had earlier in the season, the Phillies bullpen will join its rotation as one of the best in baseball and lead them easily toward postseason success.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Deadline: Why Should Philly Fix What Isn’t Broken?

The Philadelphia Phillies have had their rumor mill cranked into high gear over the last three weeks of the regular season. With alleged needs in the bullpen and in the batting order, general manager Ruben Amauro Jr. has been hard at work looking for the next big deal in what is becoming an annual spectacle at the trade deadline in the city of brotherly love. 

The Phillies have been linked to a plethora of players this summer, ranging from outfield bats Josh Willingham and Seth Smith to bullpen arms like Mike Adams, Heath Bell and Leo Nunez. Pundits across the baseball landscape have been calling for Amauro to make some deals, to trade away some talent to bring in a right-handed outfield bat and at least one arm in the bullpen. 

If you didn’t know better, you’d think the Phils were scrapping to survive in the playoff hunt. But a closer look at the team’s current standing reveals a club in much better shape than the pundits seem to think. 

Given the way we’ve been talking about all the holes in Philly’s roster this summer, you wouldn’t think they have the best record in baseball, but they do. Their 61-36 mark is the best in the sport, a full game and a half better than the Red Sox‘s 59-37. 

As for the offensive woes, it’s true that the Phillies aren’t exactly Murderer’s Row with the bats in their hands. They’re hitting just .242 as a team, and none of their big boppers have hit more than 18 home runs on the season. Shane Victorino leads the team with a .297 average and they’ve been as streaky as any team in the big leagues this season at the plate.

But, they’re not exactly the 2010 Mariners, either. They’ve scored 414 runs already this season and their run differential is the third-best in baseball behind only the massive offenses of the Yankees and Red Sox. 

We’re not in an era where big offenses are necessary to win ball games. You still need to score runs, sure, but preventing runs is of greater importance in this era of pitching dominance and the Phillies pitch better than any team in the big leagues.

Roy Oswalt is slowly getting healthy again, but Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are the best troika of aces in baseball right now. They can throw complete games at any time and they don’t exactly need a ton of offense to get wins on the board. 

The much-maligned bullpen isn’t nearly as bad as people seem to think, either. Thanks to the emergence of Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes along with veteran reliever Ryan Madson, the Phils have three healthy arms in the bullpen right now who they can count on to keep scoring to a minimum, along with guys like Danys Baez and David Herndon, who can eat an inning or two if needed. 

Not convinced by that? How about the fact that the Phils’ bullpen is getting healthy? Incumbent closer Brad Lidge is getting healthy, and while he’s hardly the most reliable arm on Earth, he is a veteran reliever who they can throw out there for an inning or two late in a game. On top of Lidge, fellow veteran Jose Contreras is nearing a return to the bullpen, planning to be back by mid-August or so.

Suddenly, that’s five reliable arms in the bullpen with two others who can give you solid innings in a pinch.

Not so starved for pitching now, are they? 

I’m not saying one more relief arm or right-handed bat would hurt; the Phillies (and their fans) would probably sleep easier at night with another bullpen arm or a right-handed hitting outfielder in the fold. 

But let’s be realistic: The Phillies are hardly damaged goods. Their game has been working through the first 96 games of the regular season quite brilliantly, and it’s hard to say that the team with the best record in the big leagues needs fixing at the deadline.

Why mess with what’s worked so well for them all season long? They don’t need a bullpen arm; they don’t need a right-handed hitting outfielder, so doing a deal for one just to do a deal makes absolutely no sense. 

Clearly, the Phillies aren’t broken, so why do they suddenly need fixing?

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Philadelphia Phillies: Remembering Mike Schmidt’s First-Year Struggles

I know that many people including myself have been slightly critical of the performance of Domonic Brown.

It is not that I doubt his potential or don’t want him in Philadelphia, but sometimes I wonder whether or not he is ready for what will be hopefully a run to the World Series.

However, whenever I think like this, I have to remember one particular rookie campaign that all Phillies fans remember and point to whenever there are rookie struggles.

The year was 1973. The previous season had been a largely forgettable year except for the fact that Steve Carlton had been stellar and posted the best year of his career.

Although fans did not know it at the time, 1973 would have been largely forgettable as well.

However, 1973 started something in Philadelphia. A 23-year-old third baseman took on a job that he would hold in Philadelphia until 1989.

This was the season that Michael Jack Schmidt began his Hall of Fame career in Philadelphia.

He tallied 548 career home runs and 1,595 RBI while he wore a Phillies uniform.

He won nine Gold Glove awards and three MVPs.

But before all of this history was made, he got off to a very rough start.

He basically played full-time during that first season by appearing in 132 games.

He hit 18 home runs and drove in 52 runs.

Those numbers would not seem awful, but when you combine them with a .196 batting average and the fact that he struck out about one out of every three at-bats, the season begins to look a little bit more shaky.

Whenever I want to criticize any young player too harshly, I have to remember this.

Not that I am necessarily calling Brown a future Hall of Famer. He might be, but he also very well might not be as a lot of players don’t make it.

The Phillies are being patient with him though, so we can only hope that he will start killing that ball.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Who Is the Right Fit for the Phillies?

As the trade deadline nears, there has been no shortage of rumors surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The team is in desperate need of a right-handed bat and a relief pitcher. For today’s sake, we will take a look at every hitter that has been involved in rumors and see who is a right fit for the team.

Each player has his strong points, but most come with a few flaws.

Charlie Manuel has already made it clear that he wants a difference maker on this team. Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com states that the Phillies have just $3 million to work with before they exceed their $178 million payroll, which will trigger a luxury tax.

By the end of this slideshow, we’ll get to the bottom of who is the right fit for the Phillies and who they should stay away from.

Now it’s time to take a look at the potential trade targets…

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Philadelphia Phillies: Play John Mayberry, Jr. or Trade for Carlos Beltran?

Philadelphia Phillies bench player and outfielder John Mayberry, Jr. has been on a tear recently.

In the month of July, Mayberry is hitting .256 with two home runs, 12 RBI and has an OPS of .857, consisting of a slugging percentage of .564. He’s also leading the team in extra base hits this month with eight.

Not bad for a reserve player, don’t ya think?

Considering Mayberry’s been pretty good recently, it’s questionable as to what the Phillies will do at the trade deadline this year. Both GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and manager Charlie Manuel have their opinions about what kind of player they want to pursue; however, Manuel has said that he wants both a hitter and a reliever. In the article linked in the previous sentence, Manuel says this in regards to his want for a bat:

“I’m talking about a good one,” he said. “If we’re going to get somebody, I want somebody good that will help us. I don’t want someone we’ve already got. We could use a good hitter.”

Now, it’s funny to see and hear what Charlie Manuel says in these kinds of interviews, but he almost always makes a valid point, regardless of whether his sentence structure makes sense (I like to think Charlie Manuel speaks in phrases, not sentences).

Nonetheless, Manuel is suggesting that the Phillies need a hitter from an outside source. This would imply that Charlie doesn’t believe that John Mayberry, Jr. is the solution to his team’s hitting woes. The Phillies, in Charlie’s opinion, need a bat, most likely a right-handed bat who plays in the outfield.

On a team that’s got a slash line of .249/.322/.381 (batting average, OBP and SLG respectively; OPS would be .703) against left-handed pitching, Mayberry sure isn’t the answer. Against southpaws this season, he’s hitting just .214 with two home runs, six RBI, and has an OPS of .672 in 25 games against them.

If the Phillies plan on making a difference in the second half of the year, Mayberry might not be the guy they’re looking for.

So, what are their options? Outfielders like Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham have at least made their way into the conversations of what right-handed bat the Phillies should target this season.

But in my opinion, there’s one guy who stands out above them all: Carlos Beltran.

Beltran is having a huge comeback year. After playing 81 games or less each of the last two seasons due to injury, the Mets‘ switch-hitting right fielder has already played 92 games this year, in which he’s hit .293 with 15 home runs, 61 RBI, and has an OPS of .917.

For any player, those are awesome stats, and given that he’s in his contract year, he’s surely making a name for himself again. And those stats would be great for the Phillies: as of today, his average would be place second on the team, as would his home run and RBI counts, and his OPS would lead current Phillies’ totals by over .100. 

However, there are some downsides with Beltran. For starters, he hits just .232 against lefties this season compared to .317 against righties. Although he is a switch hitter, that .232 average might not help the Phillies’ terrible offense against southpaws.

There’s also the fact that he’s got his injury history. Having played 81 and 64 games in 2009 and 2010 respectively, there’s a chance that Beltran could re-injure himself in the second half of the season.

And last but not least, there’s also the problem that Carlos Beltran makes $18.5 million this season. Although the Mets have said that they’ll cover most, if not all of the salary, they want some top-notch prospects in return to build their team for the future.

While the Phillies have some good prospects, acquiring a half-season rental who likely won’t re-sign with the team after the season for a top prospect like Domonic Brown, Jonathan Singleton, or Jarred Cosart might not be the smartest move, especially since the Mets are in the same division as the Phillies and such a move could haunt the Phillies in the future as well.

Lastly, Beltran has a clause in his contract that he can’t be offered arbitration after the season, so in a usual instance where a team losing a player would get draft pick compensation for the next year, there would be no such case should the Phillies get Beltran, which would mean that the Phillies really don’t get anything in return for Beltran aside from his numbers, which aren’t anything to laugh at, but such a trade would only weaken the team’s farm system.

Ruben Amaro, Jr. is going to have a lot to think about over the next nine days. He’ll have to figure out whether to prioritize the bullpen or the offense and he’ll have to choose the player he believes will give the team the boost it needs to win its second World Series in the last four years. Knowing Ruben, he’ll get some sort of deal done, but the question is at what price.

Does Ruben intend on sticking with Mayberry or trading for a proven veteran like Beltran?

If I were Ruben, I’d pull the trigger on Beltran instantly, so as long as the deal was right. But what do you think is the best move for the Phillies to make regarding the offensive situation? Trade for talent or continue to try what’s given them the best record in baseball so far? Please share your thoughts below. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley and the Best Second Basemen in Team History

Ok, so there really isn’t much drama as to who number one will be.

Nonetheless, the Phillies have had their fair share of solid second baseman.

There’s also been some bad. I had a tough time filling out this list.

MORE FROM ADRIAN FEDKIW

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Best SP in Phillies History

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MLB Trade Speculation: Should the Philadelphia Phillies Trade Vance Worley?

The Philadelphia Phillies have begun to distance themselves from the rest of the National League East and seem like a lock for the postseason. This team was clearly built to “win now” with the acquisitions of Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee.

The Phillies general manager, Ruben Amaro, clearly made an executive decision in the offseason that starting pitching is the top priority of this team, and they will lead them back to glory in 2011. Even with injuries to Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton, the Phillies continue to win thanks in large part to the emergence of “The Vanimal” Vance Worley.

Worley has been a diamond in the rough this season and has an ERA under 1.00 over his last five starts. Worley does not have an astounding fastball or a devastating breaking pitch, but he does locate his low-90s fastball extremely well (with movement) and has a slider that keeps hitters honest.

It seems pretty clear up to this point that hitters have not been able to track Worley’s pitches very well. In 10 starts this season, Worley is 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. 

Even more impressive is that he has only allowed 48 hits in over 62 innings. Jeff Francoeur may have called Citizens Bank Park a “bandbox,” but Worley has only allowed two homers thus far.

Phillies fans may forget that Worley’s lone loss came after he was delegated to the bullpen for nearly a month and forced to make a spot-start against the Cincinnati Reds. Worley even admitted that he began to tire after three innings in the Phillies’ 6-3 loss on May 24.

Worley has been spectacular since he has been pitching on a regular work schedule. The Phillies are clearly in pursuit of a right-handed hitter, but would it be smart to include Worley in on a deal?

ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reported that the Phillies had scouts at the Mets game on Wednesday night, and the Mets are aware of what the Phillies have in Vance Worley. Worley has already faced the Mets three times this season and is 2-1.

The Phillies have a team that was built to go as far as their starting pitching would take them, but do they really want to see a repeat of what happened last year to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS? Beltran would fill a huge void for the Phillies and would only improve their chances of making their third trip to the World Series in four years.

What makes Vance Worley so different than a guy like J.A. Happ? Both pitchers are projected to be a No. 3 starter at best and had great success when they first entered the majors.

Happ has struggled mightily this season with the Houston Astros, which may prove that the scouts were right about him. Will Worley have the same kind of success when opposing teams develop a book on him?

The Phillies cannot let the brilliance of Vance Worley blind them from the fact that he is a third starter at best down the line. Also, they can not balk at the chance of acquiring Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence by keeping Worley.

The Phillies tied a record for most wins before the All-Star break and seem poised to have the best record in MLB for a second straight year.

For all of the naysayers that claim the Phillies need to keep Vance Worley because their staff is too old, I’d like to remind them that they have a ton invested in Halladay and Lee for the foreseeable future, and Cole Hamels is not going anywhere.

Those three horses are more than capable of carrying this team for at least the next three seasons and then another Vance Worley—Cosart, Colvin, Biddle or May—will be ready to shine. The Phillies need to move Vance Worley if it is all that stands in the way of them acquiring a marquee name like Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence.

Let’s see if Ruben Amaro can steal the show at the trade deadline for the third year in a row, and Phillies fans will have even more of a reason to plan for another parade down Broad Street.

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Why They Should Not Overpay for Mets’ Carlos Beltran

Yesterday I wrote a similar piece involving Hunter Pence, but it seems over the past 24 hours, rumors have heated up more with Carlos Beltran. A number of teams other than the Phillies have expressed interest in Beltran as well, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and maybe the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite the demand, the Mets‘ asking price is steep for the 34-year-old switch-hitter. It’s also an asking price I do not think they will get from any team.

Despite the Phillies’ need for someone who can hit left-handed pitching, they do not need an every day corner outfielder. I probably should make that more clear. They do need an everyday left fielder, but they will not delegate Ibanez to where he should be—the bench. Given that the Phillies will continue trotting Ibanez out there by default, they can get by with having a high-split platoon player, without paying an exorbitant price tag.

The Mets insisting on Domonic Brown will not happen. There’s no chance the Phillies give up Domonic Brown for Beltran. For as much knocking on Vance Worley’s early season success I’ve done, he’d be too much to give up as well. Same goes for top prospects Jarred Cosart, Jon Singleton, Trevor May and Brody Colvin. Despite the apparent demand for Beltran, the Mets lack leverage and teams know this.

It is clear the Mets want and need to save money. Beltran is due about $6 million for the rest of the season. Even if they eat $4 million of that in a trade, they’d still love saving $2 million for a player they will get absolutely nothing for in the off-season, leaving the Mets with very little leverage.

Unlike past rental player deals involving Mark Teixeira, Matt Holliday and Manny Ramirez, whoever deals for Beltran will get no compensation in the off-season if he leaves elsewhere. In Beltran’s contract, he cannot be offered arbitration once his deal is up. Without arbitration, there can be no draft pick compensation. That means no possible first-rounder or sandwich pick when he signs elsewhere.

There’s no doubt Beltran is a good player. The biggest question marks with him are his age and durability. In 2009 and 2010 he missed over half of his teams’ games battling through injuries. He appears healthy so far this year, leading to a bounce back year, but those injury risks still linger. His speed and defense is not what it once was, but he still looks like Willie Mays compared to Raul Ibanez.

Offensively, his .397 wOBA and 156 wRC+ would both be leading the Phillies. While I do not think he’s quite as good as those numbers dictate, even with some regression, he’d be one of the Phillies best offensive players. For the rest of the season, ZIPS projects him going .281/.371/.485 with a .370 wOBA.

With Beltran, you need to play him everyday. If I knew he’d be replacing Ibanez as an everyday outfielder, I’d be much more on board, but I know Beltran’s addition will come at the expense of Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr.’s playing time. And an improving Brown needs, and deserves, his at-bats more.

Certainly Beltran would be an improvement, but he’s the purest of rentals there can be with absolutely no compensation after the season. If the Phillies felt they could even resign him for a one or two year deal in the off-season, I’d be more inclined. But I do not think they have the financial flexibility to give him that amount of money.

Perhaps if they were not paying Howard almost twice as much as he’s worth, they could. In my opinion, you do not sacrifice an important part of your future for a few months. If it meant giving away Mayberry, a mid-prospect like Domingo Santana and/or Sebastian Valle and a lesser prospect, I’d be all for it.

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