Re-Ranking Philadelphia Phillies’ Top 25 Prospects Post-Trade Deadline
August 3, 2012 by Greg Pinto
Filed under Fan News
We knew that the Philadelphia Phillies weren’t going to be quiet heading into the July 31 trade deadline.
After arguably the most disappointing season in all of baseball, the Phillies were positioned to be the game’s most surprising sellers, and contending teams were on their most valuable players like white on rice.
In a way, however, it was surprising that the club only moved Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence. Victorino was a likely candidate as a free agent at season’s end with no visible future in Philadelphia. Pence was a bit more surprising, but there were rumblings, and the Phillies definitely needed to free up some space under the luxury tax.
It’s surprising because of the players who didn’t move. Placido Polanco’s stint on the disabled list probably saved him. The Phillies discussed Joe Blanton with the Baltimore Orioles, but never moved him. Ditto for Juan Pierre and the Cincinnati Reds, which is even more surprising because the Phillies acquired a controllable, left-handed outfielder in Nate Schierholtz.
They even discussed moving Cliff Lee in a blockbuster but never did. If nothing more, the trade deadline was interesting for the Phillies.
But we’re here to discuss the future. The Phillies acquired a few prospects at the trade deadline in Tommy Joseph, Ethan Martin and Seth Rosin. Each of the three will slide into the Phillies’ top 25.
We’ll also be updating the ranking of the prospects already in the Phillies’ system, and to apply a proper trade-deadline term, I’m making “wholesale changes.” Here we go.