Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks Possible Trade Partners

It was reported Saturday that the Arizona Diamondbacks had agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Cody Ross.  This signing narrows an already thin free-agent outfielder market.

Throughout the offseason, D-back outfielders Justin Upton and Jason Kubel have been discussed as possible trade bait. With the signing of Ross, the Diamonbacks now have an excess of outfielders, which reopens that possibility.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, it looks more likely that Kubel will be traded.  However, Upton’s name has been mentioned in several trade possibilities.

Kubel would not be a fit for the Philadelphia Phillies, as he is a left-handed bat and primarily a left fielder.  It is assumed that Darin Ruf will be taking most of the playing time in left field for the Phillies.

Upton, on the other hand, would be a great fit.  He is a right-handed right fielder with the ability to hit for power.  He is an excellent defender with a great deal of speed.  He is also only 25 years old. His addition would make the aging Phillies younger.

The biggest question is what the D-backs would be looking for in return.  Upton is a proven All-Star-caliber player, and the Phillies have traded away most of their most attractive trade targets already this offseason.

A few of the players the Phillies could include in a trade are Domonic Brown, Tyler Cloyd and Michael Schwimer.  The Phillies could also include a prospect package in the deal, which would likely include catcher Sebastian Valle. 

The Phillies have not been actively looking to trade any of their other prospects, but they may see the possibility of acquiring Upton as a proper time to make such a deal.

Brown has been an extremely inconsistent player in his three stints in the majors.  He does not carry the trade value that he once did, which means he alone would not be enough to get Upton. 

For a long time, the Phillies refused to include Brown in any deal, but they been frustrated with his performance.  If the Phillies were able to acquire Upton in a deal that included Brown, it would certainly be worth doing.

In 2012, Upton hit .280 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI.  He also had 63 walks and 18 stolen bases.  The Phillies park is much more hitter-riendly than Chase Field in Arizona.  Upton would also be under team control through the 2015 season and would be making just over $9 million this season.

The price for the Phillies to acquire Upton would probably be high, but the rewards would be worth the price.  It just depends on whether the D-backs would like what the Phillies have to offer.

If they like acquiring Brown as a fourth or fifth outfielder, along with a bullpen arm (Schwimer) and a catching prospect (Valle), the Phillies would have themselves a good deal.

The D-backs have sought on several occasions to deal Upton, and it would behoove the Phillies to acquire him at this time.  It would help the D-backs remove a player they have been looking to deal, while also filling a hole in the Phillies’ lineup that has been a cause of great concern.

The Phillies should make this deal. Upton could be the answer the Phillies have been seeking in right field, ever since it was vacated by Jayson Werth.

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Philadelphia Phillies: ‘Ruffing’ It in Left Field?

The Philadelphia Phillies have several holes that they needed to fill in the 2012 offseason. This is partially due to the subpar performance of the 2012 where they decided to trade away two outfielders and a starting pitcher. Those players are Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and Joe Blanton, respectively.

Since the offseason has started, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has sought to fill those holes along with the hole at the back end of the inconsistent bullpen.

So far, Amaro has filled three of those holes: first by trading for Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins to play centerfield and then for Michael Young from the Texas Rangers to third base, as that was a position of inconsistent performance in 2012 as well and one that saw eight different players cover during throughout the year. Last week, Amaro also filled the bullpen hole by signing free agent Mike Adams.

Amaro has been looking for a corner outfielder that can provide consistent offense and play strong defense. The free agent market has been unflattering, except Josh Hamilton who has already signed with the Los Angeles Angels. The price of any outfielder seems higher than Amaro wants to pay and probably higher than those players would receive if there were better talent on the market.

With the free agent market drying up and trade agents seemingly shutting down, Amaro has looked at internal options for the outfield.

Three options that he has are the frustratingly inconsistent Domonic Brown, who has yet to live up to the potential stamped on him when he was regarded as a top prospect, John Mayberry Jr. who has also been inconsistent, but shown flashes of how well he can play given an everyday starter job (see more in a forthcoming story) and Darin Ruf, who seemed to come out of nowhere after blowing up in AA Reading this past season.

The general consensus is that Ruf will have a fair shot at earning an everyday or platoon spot on the Phillies roster in left field. People have compared him to Pat Burrell in his prime.  The 26-year-old has a lot of pop from the right side of the plate, which was one major vacancy in the Phillies roster all of last year with the exception of Carlos Ruiz. Now, Ruf has an extremely limited amount of major league experience, but all signs point to the fact that he can contribute on a daily basis.

No matter where he played in 2012, all he did was drive in runs.  In AA Reading he hit 38 home runs and drove in 104 runs.  When he finally got a chance to play in nine Phillies games last year, he managed to hit three home runs and drive in 10 runs.  He then played in the Venezuelan Winter League where he broke the record for home runs with 10 and drove in 27 runs. Through all the leagues he played in, he has averaged at least one hit per game.

Overall, in the minors this year, across 489 at bats, Ruf hit for .317 average, with a .620 slugging percentage, and a 1.028 OPS.  In those at bats, he hit 38 home runs, 32 doubles, and had 104 RBIs.  He also had a 120:65 strikeout to walk ratio.  When he made his debut in the majors, he continued with his natural slugging ability by hitting for a .333 average, with 3 home runs, 2 doubles and 10 RBIs across 33 at bats.  Then in Winter League he hit for an average of .258 with 10 home runs, 27 RBIs, and 8 doubles across 120 at bats in 33 games.

He is also a substantial defender at left field or first base.  He is not going to be the best defender in the game, but he brings an above average ability to play his zone and brings a great deal to the plate overall.  So, regardless of the fact that he is a first baseman and not a true outfielder, would the Phillies be risking it by “Ruffing it in left field,” or would he be the answer for power that was missing from the right side of the plate and left field in all of 2012?

He is an average defender, but he has been hitting the ball like an all-star all season. If he can perform like he has shown he can, the Phillies are much better with him in left field than any option they would find on the market. For example, he drove in the last eight runs against the Nationals that the Phillies had in 2012 across four games. Ruf has shown enough to be the Phillies left fielder for 2013.

The question for left field has been answered. The only question should be is what will be done in right field.

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Why Phillies Trading Cliff Lee for Jacoby Ellsbury Would Be a Terrible Idea

The Philadelphia Phillies still need an outfielder. The Boston Red Sox could still use another starting pitcher. 

While those two situations exist during the offseason, those who follow and cover MLB will try to connect dots and speculate that a trade between the Phillies and Red Sox involving Cliff Lee and Jacoby Ellsbury would be a good idea. 

Curt Schilling—who pitched for both teams in his 20-year major league career—is one such person, suggesting on Twitter that the Phillies give the Red Sox a call and try to make this deal happen. As you might imagine, that stirred up Boston sports talk radio. 

Could this trade really happen? At this point, such rumors look like total speculation, trying to play matchmaker between two teams that could seemingly help each other. As the weather gets colder throughout the country, it’s an attempt to keep baseball’s hot stove season burning. 

Neither side seems interested in making such a deal, though general managers could always be posturing for the media, trying to throw reporters off the trail and placate fans starving for any sort of juicy trade rumors. 

CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury reported that the Red Sox indeed proposed trading Ellsbury to the Phillies for Lee. Boston was told, however, that Lee wasn’t available. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. wants to keep his starting pitching trio of Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels together. 

Salisbury points out, however, that Amaro‘s stance could change by the July 31 trade deadline if the Phillies aren’t in contention. Reporters like to keep the possibility of juicy trade rumors going too. 

For what it’s worth, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says he doesn’t want to trade Ellsbury, according to ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes. Cherington expects the center fielder to be an important contributor for the team next season. 

Of course, if Salisbury’s report is accurate, Cherington might feel that way because the Phillies shot down an Ellsbury-for-Lee proposal. 

Rumors of the Red Sox trading Ellsbury just won’t go away, however. The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo has been working hard at chasing them down.

One American League executive told him that Boston might be trying to trade Ellsbury so that they can re-sign Cody Ross. The Red Sox could then move Shane Victorino to center field. MLB general managers apparently like to play the trade speculation game as well. 

Cafardo also checked on the possibility of the Los Angeles Dodgers trading Andre Ethier to Boston for Ellsbury, which would give them a needed leadoff hitter. But Cafardo‘s source with the Dodgers put that rumor out with a quick denial. 

Maybe reporters and fellow general managers are trying to do Cherington‘s job for him and put together a deal. But if other MLB teams think the Red Sox are eager to trade Ellsbury, Cherington likely isn’t going to find a very good deal. Thus, he’s publicly keeping his arms folded and insisting that Ellsbury won’t be dealt away. 

Trade speculation isn’t going to die down, however.

Ellsbury has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining and, as a Scott Boras client, isn’t going to agree to a new contract without testing out the free-agent market for maximum possible value. That has most people thinking that the Red Sox will try to get something in return for Ellsbury before he skips town for a rich contract elsewhere. 

This is why the Phillies aren’t going to take Ellsbury in a trade for Lee.

Lee still has three years on his contract, with a club option for 2016. Though it would give Philadelphia some payroll flexibility to trade Lee and the $87.5 million remaining on his contract (which would go up to $102.5 million if his option is picked up), Amaro isn’t going to trade one of his best players for someone who will likely leave as a free agent after the season. 

Sure, the Phillies could use Ellsbury. He had an MVP-caliber year in 2011, hitting .321 with a .928 OPS, 46 doubles, 32 home runs, 105 RBI and 39 stolen bases. He was also one of the best defensive center fielders in MLB, according to FanGraphs‘ Ultimate Zone Rating, saving nearly 16 runs more than the average player at that position.

If Ellsbury is capable of putting up that kind of performance again, any team would want him. He would obviously be a tremendous addition to the Phillies outfield. 

Even if Philadelphia already traded for Ben Revere, the team could move him to right field, where he played most of his games last season. Amaro could probably live with Darin Ruf or Domonic Brown in left field with Ellsbury on his roster. 

Again, however, it’s not going to happen. Lee isn’t going to be traded for one year of Ellsbury. He definitely isn’t going to be dealt at the trade deadline for what would amount to a three-month rental of Ellsbury if the Phillies aren’t a contender. And if the Red Sox are in the chase for a playoff spot, they probably wouldn’t want to trade Ellsbury either.

That won’t stop reporters and analysts from trying to connect the dots, of course. Trade speculation will follow Lee and Ellsbury throughout the season. The match between the Phillies and Red Sox is just too enticing to ignore. 

 

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Where Will Phillies Turn for Outfielders If Bourn, Swisher Are Too Overpriced?

The Philadelphia Phillies are on the lookout for an outfielder, but their dilemma is that they’re looking for Ferraris on a Toyota budget.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. isn’t liking the price tags he’s seeing on the free-agent market:

phillies gm amaro on top free agent OFs: “we feel like the demands are north of where we want to be.” eying trades too

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 20, 2012

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer crunched the numbers last week and determined that the Phillies’ payroll projects to be over $170 million after arbitration and other things, leaving them precious little money to spend on an outfielder if they want to avoid the $179 million luxury tax threshold.

With so little money at their disposal, here’s a look at bargain outfielders the Phillies can pursue on the free-agent and trade markets.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Salary and payroll information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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7 Phillies Who Could Be All-Stars in 2013

The Phillies have a team full of former All-Stars. Of the players who are projected to be on the 2013 25-man roster, eight of them have appeared in at least one All-Star Game.

If none of the Phillies start the season on the disabled list, the team will field five former All-Stars and it would be six if Carlos Ruiz hadn’t been suspended.

In 2012, Carlos Ruiz, Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon represented the Phillies in the All-Star Game. Hopefully, in 2013, the Phillies will have even more players make this season’s All-Star Game, which will be held at the New York Mets‘ Citi Field.

Here are the 7 Phillies who have the potential to be All-Stars in 2013.  

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Grading Each of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Last 25 Free Agent Classes

It has been an offseason of going against the grain for Ruben Amaro Jr. and company, leaving fans of the Philadelphia Phillies thinking, “That’s a solid move, but there’s more, right?” Amaro has made this team look different, but have they improved? 

Moreover, has this team improved through free agency the way that we thought it would? After all, when the 2012 regular season came to an end, that was where it seemed as though this club would do its heavy hitting. 

They needed a center fielder and there were plenty of free agents available. Instead, they made a trade for Ben Revere. There were a few third basemen available, but they swung a trade with the Texas Rangers for Michael Young. 

In fact, this offseason’s haul of free agents, though possibly incomplete, is a little underwhelming. It doesn’t tell the entire story of their winter by any stretch, but for a team that looked like it was going to fill nearly all of its needs on the free agent market, to walk away with pitchers Mike Adams and John Lannan is intriguing, to say the least. 

Then again, the free agent market is a fickle mistress, especially in the history books as told by the Phillies. This is a team that has landed huge free agent hauls (Cliff Lee) and one that has been ridiculed for some of the worst moves of all-time (Adam Eaton). 

So how does this free agent haul stack up against the rest? With the Phillies on the verge of making just a couple of free agent signings in a year where they were expected to make a bit of a splash, I thought that now would be a good time to take a look at their last 25 free agent classes. 

Each class will be graded as a whole, but players will be analyzed on an individual basis. Players will only be eligible for this list if they were signed as a free agent during the offseason. On a similar note, we will only be analyzing “notable” free agent signings. That is to say that only players who made noticeable contributions at the MLB level will be analyzed, unless otherwise noted.

*Wins Above Replacement statistic is courtesy of FanGraphs, and divided into “batting” and “pitching” accordingly. 

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Is Phillies’ Outfielder Domonic Brown No Longer a True Blue Chip Prospect?

It wasn’t long ago that Domonic Brown was considered one of the top prospects in the game. In fact, Baseball America ranked Brown as baseball’s No. 4 prospect before the 2011 season—and with good reason.

Brown seemingly had it all: a tall, projectable frame, athleticism, emerging baseball skills and a mature feel for the game. He was fresh off of a 2010 season in which he batted .327/.391/.589 with 20 home runs, 17 stolen bases and 51/29 K/BB in 93 games between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Brown, a 22-year-old at the time, also reached the major leagues for the first time in late July and batted .210/.257/.355 with 24 strikeouts in 35 games. While his weaknesses were certainly exposed, he still showcased loud tools and plenty of natural ability.

He entered the 2011 season as a strong candidate for one of the Phillies’ corner outfield spots, but fractured the hamate bone in his right wrist in early March and didn’t return until late April. He returned to the major leagues in late May and hung around until the end of July when was demoted to the minor leagues.

Overall, it was a hugely disappointing year for the outfielder, posting a .725 OPS in 210 plate appearances.

Since then, Brown’s stock has taken a hit to the point where his long-term role with the organization is uncertain. He spent most of the 2012 season in the minor leagues, and when he was finally called up in late July, he posted a .712 OPS in 212 plate appearances—nearly identical to his 2011 output.

Once again Brown will be in the mix for playing time to open the 2013 season, but that could change if the Phillies sign a free-agent corner outfielder. Having said that, it’s apparent that the organization is questioning whether the 25-year-old will ever produce at the major-league level.

It was just last week that we learned the Phillies and Cubs had discussed a swap of Alfonso Soriano for Brown.

It’s also worth noting that in Brown’s 10-year forecast at Baseball Prospectus, his WARP projection ranges from 1.1 to 2.0, with the high end occurring in his peak seasons.

The one facet of Brown’s game that makes me optimistic is his plate discipline, which was solid in the major leagues in both 2011 and 2012. Beyond that, he still gives something to dream on with outstanding athleticism and impact tools.

However, if he does receive significant playing time in the major leagues this season, it will likely be his last chance—at least with the Phillies. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Bold Phillies Predictions for the Next 3 Years

The Philadelphia Phillies decision not to sign any players to long-term free agent deals this offseason shows that the team is relying on its current core to bounce back and have a healthy 2013 season.

The Phillies could’ve offered more money for B.J. Upton, offered Kevin Youkilis a multi-year deal or waited around for Michael Bourn’s decision.  Instead, the Phils turned to either younger players, or players who could be acquired on short-term deals, in order to give themselves flexibility going forward.

Regardless of whom the team acquires this offseason, their best chances for improving are contingent on players such as Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay coming back strong from injuries and having seasons closer to their career norms.

Of course, that’s a big gamble to take.

Having these three players healthy could go a long way in determining next season’s level of success, but what about future seasons?  The Phillies are currently set to enter next season with Halladay, Utley, Carlos Ruiz and even manager Charlie Manuel in the last years of their respective contracts. 

Combine the expiring contracts with the health status of current players, and the job of general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. over the next few seasons will be far from easy. 

Here are five bold predictions for the Phillies over the next three years as they work through various options while trying to keep a perennial contender on the field.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Reasons They Will Win the NL East

The Philadelphia Phillies have one agenda next year: win. Last season was a disappointment and the club spent the offseason executing calculated moves to position the club as contenders in the NL East.

Ruben Amaro Jr. may a have a trick or two still up his sleeve, but the nucleus of the team is finally forming.

The club must also maintain pace with the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, who each made the playoffs last season. Both teams have been extremely busy this offseason and are ready to battle in 2013.

Here are five reasons why the Phillies should overcome adversity and win the NL East.

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Vernon Wells Phillies Rumors: Trade Would Be Colossal Mistake for Aging Team

Vernon Wells to the Philadelphia Phillies. At least that’s what the latest rumors would have you believe.

For Phillies fans, it could be more of a nightmare than a happy thought.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, Wells is drawing interest from the Phillies, who are looking to add an impact bat from the right side.

With the signing of free-agent slugger Josh Hamilton, the Angels have a logjam in their outfield. With Hamilton, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo expected to be the starters, that leaves Peter Bourjos and Wells as the extras.

Something’s gotta give.

It’s been no secret to anyone that the Angels want to unload Wells. Recent reports have the New York Yankees interested in adding Wells as well.

Wells’ stay in Anaheim has not been pleasant. Over two years, Well has hit just .222 with a .667 OPS.

A thumb injury kept Wells on the disabled list for over two months last season. The transition of Trumbo to the outfield along with the spirited play of Trout kept Wells on the bench for much of the latter part of the season as well.

Add to that the fact that the Angels owe Wells $42 million over the next two seasons, and you have some pretty good reasons why they’re so anxious to ship him elsewhere.

However, the Phillies should simply and quietly walk away from this discussion.

Money likely wouldn’t be an issue for the Phillies, who are already challenged with a high payroll. The Angels presumably would pony up significant cash to help pay the remaining money on Wells’ contract.

The issue is age and production.

With the exception of newcomer Ben Revere, everyone in the starting lineup for the Phillies is over the age of 30.

CSNPhilly.com recently discussed the Revere acquisition and how his presence helps the Phillies in terms of his youth and athleticism.

Doesn’t acquiring Wells counteract that?

There’s no question the Phillies could use some power from the right side to complement lefties Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

They could use some more youth to complement their ages as well.

In addition, Heyman mentioned that the Phillies are looking for a cleanup hitter to hit behind Howard. Wells’ .222/.258/.409 slash line over the past two seasons does not scream cleanup, it screams bottom of the order.

Free agent Cody Ross has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Phillies. In perusing various forums and reading writers’ comments about Ross, it’s obvious that fans don’t believe that Ross is the answer.

If they feel that way about Ross, they have to be apoplectic about the possibility of Wells roaming left field at Citizens Bank Park.

This is an idea that the Phillies need to get out of their head. Desperate times do not require desperate measures.

Acquiring Wells qualifies as a desperate measure.

 

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.

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