Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Will July 29th Trade Occur Again This Year?

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies got Hunter Pence at the trade deadline from the Houston Astros. In 2010, the Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt from the Astros. And in 2009, the Phils traded with the Cleveland Indians for Cliff Lee.

You’re probably wondering why I’m even bothering mentioning these past trades. Well, I’ll tell you that all three of these trades have something in common. There are many correct answers, but can you guess which one I’m thinking of?

No, it’s not that each of the players were All-Star caliber, nor is it that the deals were all buying trades by Philadelphia and that they traded away top prospects to get the top players on the market. It’s not that they were the only trades made in each season they occurred. It’s a little more obscure than that.

Want a hint? Take a look at the date on which they all occurred. And by the date, I don’t mean day of the week.

All right, enough with the three-year-old-style guessing games. If you hadn’t figured out the answer already, I’ll tell you now: It’s that they all occurred on the 29th of July. Sorry if you were expecting more than that.

But the fact that these trades all occurred on the same date doesn’t necessarily mean anything…right? Does it?

Since Ruben Amaro, Jr. took over the helm before the 2009 season, he’s made a trade each of his first three seasons as the Phillies’ general manager. They’ve all been to acquire talent, not to trade it away. Each trade has been for one of the top trade targets available in that year. And each trade has gradually weakened the farm system as well, in addition to improving the major league club.

But the most significant part (at least in my opinion)? They’ve all occurred on July 29.

Last year, before I applied to be a Featured Columnist for the Phillies here at Bleacher Report, I wrote an article that got 330 reads. It talked about the Phillies’ tendencies of making a splash at the deadline and acquiring big-time, All-Star major league talent. I talked about the Phillies’ targets last year and predicted that they would go all-out that day and acquire Hunter Pence by the clock striking midnight on July 30.

I went to the game that night with some family. Doc Halladay had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates until Domonic Brown lazily let it drop for a bloop single in front of him. I ranted to my cousin and brother about how he had no business being on the roster and that he needed to be sent down. That was the last time Brown saw major league action, and at the time, I thought it was rightfully so. But man, how opinions have changed.

The Phillies won the game, and we saw fireworks afterward. However, none of that was the biggest event for the Phillies, let alone the City of Brotherly Love, that occurred that night.

Before the game, the Philadelphia Eagles had gone out and signed the top free agent on the market, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. But another Philly transaction came to light, one I followed throughout the night at the game. I probably spent more time on my phone refreshing the page to see whether a deal had finally materialized than watching the game. Isn’t that sad?

I knew about it before Amaro’s face came on the big scoreboard after the fireworks and announced the trade. Hunter Pence had been acquired for Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later (Domingo Santana). The first-place Phillies got their man, and fans were pleased. A World Series run was in the cards. And yes, pun intended.

Now, a year later, the Phillies are on the opposite end of success. They’re last in the NL East at 45-56, and their five-consecutive-division-titles streak is in jeopardy. They’re not really considering buying this year. They’re sellers.

Among the players who could be traded, according to both rumors and my speculation, are Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Juan Pierre, Kyle Kendrick, Ty Wigginton, Jimmy Rollins, Cliff Lee and—would you know it—Hunter Pence. Go figure.

The Phillies are no National League powerhouse in 2012. Their farm system is no powerhouse either. And the hope is that, if the Phillies do have to sell this year, that they get some quality prospects in return to rebuild and restock the farm teams.

With the Phillies losing Saturday night 2-1 to the Braves, thus losing the series (and their hopes for the season, in my opinion), their chances of selling have grown exponentially. And with July 29 being today, a trade could loom sooner rather than later.

Last year I predicted that Pence would be acquired. This year is more up in the air. More than one player could be dealt, or none at all.

But I’ll make a 2012 prediction: at least two of Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and Joe Blanton will be wearing different uniforms on Wednesday. Maybe Cliff Lee, too, if the Phillies decide to change their stance on trading him after making it known that they will not. Those chances are much less, though, and if I plan on keeping my perfect record alive, I’ll have to pass on making a prediction on that.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com emphasized the July 29 trades from the past couple of years yesterday as well. And I think that if Amaro’s going to make a move at all, the first (or possibly only) move will come today. Stay tuned.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Trading Shane Victorino or Hunter Pence More Practical?

As the baseball world surpasses 72 hours until the trade deadline at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, more and more rumors will arise and materialize into trades. Some of the most heated rumors involve two of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ starting outfielders, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence.

Given the team’s current last-place standing in the NL East by a 14.5-game margin, the Phillies are best suited to sell rather than buy this year.

In need of prospects to rebuild their thin farm system, the Phillies’ only chances of doing that are trading away their proven talent to acquire multiple prospects who could make the team younger as well as help out the club in the future.

It makes sense for the Phillies to at least consider trading away their center and right fielder. Maybe they want to trade one of them rather than both, or maybe none at all. It’s up to GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. and the rest of the Phillies front office to make that decision, and it’ll be based upon who they could get in return for each of the two former All-Stars.

In trading Victorino, any team acquiring the Flyin’ Hawaiian would get a speedy center fielder who’s a spectacular defender and an above-average hitter when he’s hot. Unfortunately for the Phillies, he hasn’t been hot this season.

Not once.

In fact, he’s hitting just .256 on the season, and the last time he hit a home run was almost two months ago, on June 8 against the Baltimore Orioles. Last night he hit a double that gave Victorino his first RBI since July 14. He simply doesn’t have it this year. At least he’s stealing bases…when he gets on base, that is.

The Phillies have dangled Victorino into the open waters and have tried to get a sense of which teams are nibbling on him and what they’d be willing to offer.

So far, according to CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury, the Phillies have received interest in Victorino, but whether the Phillies are interested in what they can get in return for him is a different story. The Phils have asked for relievers (via Stark) in return for Victorino, including Tampa Bay‘s Wade Davis, Pittsburgh‘s Brad Lincoln, Cincinnati‘s Logan Ondrusek and the Dodgers‘ Josh Lindblom, among others.

But considering that the team has been rebuffed on every offer, it makes it worth wondering whether the Phillies should even trade Victorino for that small a return.

 

Not that the Phillies don’t need the bullpen help, though. Their relief ERA this year is 4.59, good for fourth-worst in the majors. Besides closer Jonathan Papelbon and long reliever Kyle Kendrick, the Phillies lack a reliable veteran arm who they can turn to in the seventh or eighth innings.

Victorino could net them that veteran presence in the bullpen, and even if that’s all they can get for him, it might be a worthwhile investment. Might be.

Victorino’s ineffective offense has lowered his trade stock, and for a Phillies team who needs to rebuild their farm system more than anything, he’s not the best option to do that. Hunter Pence, on the other hand, would net the Phillies some more prospects in a trade.

Pence was acquired by the Phillies at the deadline last year for a massive prospect package consisting of right-handed starter Jarred Cosart, first baseman Jonathan Singleton, outfielder Domingo Santana and reliever Josh Zeid. All four of those pieces would have bolstered the Phillies’ farm system, with Cosart and Singleton considered top-50 prospects before the season by Baseball America.

 

Now that the Phillies may consider trading Pence only a year later, it makes no sense that Pence was acquired to begin with.

But that’s in the past and can’t be reversed. Sure, the Phillies have a depleted farm system that ranks in the bottom of the league rather than the top half, but hey, what are you going to do?

Pence has been hitting the ball much better than Victorino this season, hitting .267 on the year, but he was hitting as high as .288 as recently as July 8. He’s been in the midst of a slump of late, but Pence is a second-half player and should be able to bring it back up. Unlike Victorino, who’s got less than 10 home runs to his name this season, Pence has hit 17 and has 59 RBI.

 

Also unlike Victorino, Pence isn’t a speedster nor a valuable defensive asset. In fact, his UZR/150 this year is minus-14.2, currently the worst mark of his career, and it isn’t even close to his second-worst mark, which was minus-5.3 last year. He’s not just bad defensively. He’s a liability.

However, Pence’s biggest upside for the Phillies is the potential prospect haul he could bring in if dealt. Victorino’s an impending free agent, and since the new CBA doesn’t allot draft-pick compensation to teams that acquire mid-season rentals, his value has dropped even more immensely than his stats suggest.

But with Pence, who’s got another year under team control before free agency, that’s not an issue. That’s where the prospect return comes in.

 

If Pence was traded, he could easily bring in two top prospects and a mid-level prospect. He’s by far the best right fielder potentially available in a trade this summer, and his right-handedness makes him even more valuable to some specific teams like the San Francisco Giants, according to FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi, who tweeted this yesterday:

If #Phillies decide to make Hunter Pence available, #SFGiants expected to make a push. They want a RH-hitting OF bat.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 27, 2012

 

The other benefit in trading Pence for the Phillies is that they don’t have to spend as much money next year. Sounds cheap? Maybe. But hear me out.

Pence is arbitration eligible for the fourth and final time next year (as a Super Two player, he gets a fourth year of arbitration). He’s expected to make somewhere around $14-15 million next year alone, and if he’s retained, not only is his salary more a deterrent next year if they decided to trade him then, but other teams won’t like his impending free agency, as is the case with Victorino.

And of course, there are luxury tax ramifications. Pence’s estimated $15 million salary is another $15 million on the books for the Phillies if they keep him. If not, they’re $15 million further from the surpassing the $178 million luxury tax.

 

That also impacts them this year. The Phillies sit on, or slightly over, the luxury tax threshold. If they deal Pence, they don’t have to worry about being the first National League team to surpass the threshold in history, nor paying 17.5 percent on every dollar over $178 million in payroll. And when we’re talking millions over, than can amount to big bills to pay.

There are pros and cons to trading Victorino and Pence. Maybe both should be traded to give Domonic Brown and John Mayberry, Jr. more playing time. Maybe only one should be dealt. Maybe neither one.

I’m for trading Pence AND Victorino, but if I had to choose one, I’d trade Pence.

If you can get three or four top prospects for him who can contribute in the near (and somewhat distant) future and also bolster your farm system rankings to make future moves, why don’t you?

You save money in the process and recoup the benefits. As much as it’s disappointing to trade away a player you just acquired a year ago, maybe it’s best for Amaro to restock the farm system this time.

What do you think? Please answer the poll and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: Today’s Game vs. Atlanta Braves Means Everything

Last night, the Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field by a score of 6-1. The resurgent Ben Sheets pitched a fantastic game, allowing only one run in six innings, striking out four and walking just one.

For the Phillies, Cole Hamels took the mound and was horrendous, allowing three earned runs (five total) but walking a career-high six batters. He did, however, strike out seven.

It was also nice to see Shane Victorino hit a double to score Jimmy Rollins in the first inning.

But after that, it was all downhill.

Now, the Phillies are down in the series by a game. If they lose today, they’re done. Why?

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. said the other day that the Phillies do need to win the series against the Braves this weekend. No sweep necessary, but a series win. With a loss today, the Phillies lose the series, further pushing them out of the division and wild-card races.

It’s not like the Phillies are close to winning any division title. After playing their 100th game of the season last night, they’re 45-55 and are 14.5 and 10.5 games out of first place in the NL East and for the second wild-card spot, respectively.

They need a huge turnaround to have any chance of a playoff appearance, yet there’s no turnaround in sight.

With a loss today, it’s not just another game of the season. It’s the entire season on the line. Amaro, in the above interview, stated that with a series loss, they would likely pursue selling. That means that, even with Hamels extended, other players and fan favorites, like Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and maybe even Cliff Lee (though Amaro has said that’s basically off the table) could be gone in a matter of days, if not hours.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Phillies play tonight against the Braves, as Joe Blanton faces off against southpaw rookie Mike Minor. Even if they win, it’s no guarantee—they still have to win tomorrow’s game to win the series in that event.

But if the Phillies lose today, it gives Amaro that much more time to explore any and all trade options. And ladies and gentlemen, there will be many of them to come.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Phillies Trade Rumors: Cliff Lee off the Market, but Is It the Right Decision?

Big news to all Philadelphia Phillies fans and baseball fans around the country: Cliff Lee is officially unavailable in trades at this time.

First reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Phillies have decided against dealing their lefty ace because their intention is to build around the three aces of Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay. Trading Lee would defeat that purpose.

Even though dealing Lee would be difficult as it is due to his monster contract signed before the 2011 season, it’s not like he’s got a Barry Zito-type contract where he’s completely unmovable. Lee is an ace in baseball, and Zito is far from it, yet is overpaid.

In fact, Lee’s five-year, $120 million deal is less than Zito’s seven-year, $126 million contract.

Heyman reports that Lee’s deal has approximately $97 million left to him through the 2015 season and he’s also got a vesting option worth $27.5 million for 2016 that, if not met, becomes a club option. Nevertheless, it’s got a $12.5 million buyout, which isn’t cheap for a buyout by any means. That could turn teams off as well, even if Lee was available.

But what may hurt the Phillies the most by holding onto Lee is the potential return they could get for him. For teams who need an ace of Lee’s caliber and have the prospects to get a deal done with the Phillies, Lee’s yet another pitcher off the market who could be retained not only this year, but the next, the year after and the year after that at the very least.

Under the new CBA, which doesn’t award draft pick compensation to teams losing two-month player rentals (i.e. impending free agents acquired in trades), players under team control past the rest of the season are that much more valuable.

In referring to teams that match the characteristics I listed in the last paragraph, the most obvious fit is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, who have one of the best farm systems in baseball and also one with prospects that match up with the Phillies’ positional needs, will no longer get the opportunity to acquire Lee this season, even though the Rangers aren’t on his list of trades to teams he’d need to accept, yet Rangers GM Jon Daniels apparently likes Lee more than recently-extended Hamels.

Prospects the Rangers possess who would likely interest the Phillies include third baseman Mike Olt, center fielder Leonys Martin, left-handed starter Martin Perez, catcher Jorge Alfaro, right-hander Cody Buckel and shortstop Jurickson Profar.

Olt is close to being major league-ready, as is Martin and Perez. Alfaro and Buckel are a bit farther away from the majors, as is Profar, with the latter being not only one of the top five prospects in baseball, but practically as untouchable as good.

For the moment, this is a smart baseball decision, as the Phillies are a better team with Lee than without him. But will this prove to be a smart baseball decision in and for the future? Only time will tell on that front.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Is It Worth Trading Shane Victorino?

As the trade deadline looms just four days away, more and more rumors will surface, with some of them resulting in players finding new homes. And over the last few weeks, the Philadelphia Phillies have been involved in many a rumor.

The Phillies, who are in last place in the NL East with a 45-54 record, look to defend their five consecutive division titles. But when you’re 14.5 games out of first place, that can be difficult to overcome.

Due to the Phillies’ last-place woes yet their recent winning ways (the team is on a four-game winning streak), it’s unclear whether they will buy or sell.

Aside from dealing Jim Thome to the Baltimore Orioles and Chad Qualls to the New York Yankees, the Phils have not made a trade this month. With four days away, it’s worth wondering whether they will acquire a player for help, trade one away for prospects or both.

Since Cole Hamels signed his six-year, $144 million extension on Wednesday, trade rumors have picked up involving fan favorites like Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, among others.

In light of Hamels’ new contract, the Phillies may need to clear payroll if they still intend on remaining under the luxury-tax threshold of $178 million. That in itself may be impossible even with trades, but the chances of the Phillies remaining under it are better with every player dealt.

One of the players the team is having a hard time with is Shane Victorino. Victorino, who will be a free agent after the season, has struggled this year and may not help the team if they want to try to make a playoff push. He’s hitting just .253 on the season with eight home runs (none in over a month), 38 RBI and a .706 OPS. Consequently, the Phillies want to acquire any help they can for Victorino, and it’s been rumored that they’re seeking a reliever in any Victorino trade.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Phillies have asked about the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Josh Lindblom, the Tampa Bay Rays‘ Wade Davis, the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ Brad Lincoln and the Cincinnati Reds‘ Logan Ondrusek. No deal has materialized yet nor has moved through the initial kicking-the-tires stages for Davis, but the Phillies have been rebuffed by the latter two teams.

However, with news coming out that the Phillies have made these offers for relievers for Victorino and have not had a single offer accepted, it makes it worth thinking: At this point, is it even worth trading Victorino if the Phillies are only getting a reliever, if not less, back in return?

Earlier in the season, Victorino was expected to be worth a return of two, if not three upper-tier prospects. Since he’ll be one of the top center fielders in a free-agent class stocked with them, it was thought that he’d be able to net a considerably large haul in return. No longer does that seem to be the case.

With Victorino’s struggles this year, the most that they could receive is a reliever and maybe a middle-tier prospect, though even that could be too much to expect in a trade. And if the Phillies can’t get anything more, is it even worth dealing their three-time Gold Glove center fielder?

The Phillies need bullpen help, no doubt about that. Their bullpen ERA is fourth-worst in the majors at 4.64, and with little veteran presence behind closer Jonathan Papelbon and swingman Kyle Kendrick, a reliever with more experience than a season or two would be useful to the Phillies if they want solidification and reliability from their relief corps.

But with Victorino, he’s a former All-Star center fielder. While he’s not producing this season, he could pick it up in the coming weeks. He’s a much better second-half player in his career than first-half, posting a .282 batting average and .782 OPS throughout his career after the All-Star break. He could very well heat up in the last two months of the season.

And if the Phillies do trade Victorino, who takes his place as the starting center fielder? John Mayberry, Jr. has shown that he’s not an everyday player, Juan Pierre’s a left fielder and Laynce Nix doesn’t play center field when he is playing.

Domonic Brown could play center field and would likely be brought up to do so, but if that doesn’t work out, do the Phillies pursue a free agent after the season with their strapped budget, or go with minimal impact players?

The Phillies have their work cut out for them and have many pros and cons in trading the Flyin’ Hawaiian. He’s a fan favorite and was a piece that helped carry the Phillies to the World Series in 2008. But is it time for him to be on his way?

It very well may not be worth it for the Phillies to deal Shane Victorino for just a reliever.

Yet could just a reliever be the missing link from last place and first? Highly unlikely.

But the Phillies could make a wild-card push, and maybe it truly is a reliever that separates the Phillies from the rest of the pack.

Whether or not Victorino will be traded, let alone retained after the season, is still a mystery and will continue to be until it happens or until July 31 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

If the Phillies want to get anything for Victorino, maybe a reliever is their best shot—both in terms of return and help to the team. It could be the final piece of the puzzle in making a run to the playoffs.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Pursuing the Padres’ Chase Headley?

News that the Philadelphia Phillies had extended homegrown ace Cole Hamels’ contract spread quickly around the baseball world. Six years and $144 million dollars was the deal the Phillies and Hamels agreed to.  Hamels will remain a Phillie through at least 2018, too.

Following the press conference, the Phillies played the final game of a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers, sending Vance Worley to the mound against Marco Estrada. Although the Phils quickly broke out to a 5-1 lead, the Brew Crew tied it up in the eighth inning on a two-run Ryan Braun home run. After going into extras and seeing the Brewers take a 6-5 lead courtesy of a Ty Wigginton error, the Phils came back in the bottom of the 10th and won 7-6 on a Jimmy Rollins walk-off single.

The win yesterday gave the Phils their first three-game series sweep of the season and their third win on a walk-off hit in four games. In addition, the Phillies have gone into extra innings in three of those four games, and are currently embarked on a four-game winning streak.

As a result of all of these events, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. still isn’t sure whether to buy or sell at this year’s trade deadline. Just five days away, the fact that Amaro believes that the Phillies can still win creates an interesting discussion, but who the Phillies would acquire should they choose to buy is an even bigger question mark. Don’t believe me? Bob Nightengale of USA Today opined this yesterday morning:

 

The way the #Phillies have played of late, Amaro certainly waiting to see whether they are buyers or sellers at the deadline.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 25, 2012

 

Given their current position in the standings—the 45-54 Phillies still sit in last place in the NL East, 14 games back of the Washington Nationals and 9.5 games out of the Wild Card—one would assume that the Phillies wouldn’t consider anything but selling.

But, if the Phillies do choose to buy, who should they pursue?

An intriguing option could be third baseman Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres. The Friars, who sit in fourth in the NL West at 42-58 and are also 14 games out of first in their division, are expected to field offers for Headley, who, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, is “all but sure to be dealt.”

It’s not like this is total speculation. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported back on June 29 that the Phillies had asked the Padres about Headley. Granted, the Phillies were 36-43 and only 10 games out of first place compared to 14 now, but their need for a replacement for Placido Polanco, whose mutual option is likely to be declined by the Phillies after the season, exists whether the Phillies go to the playoffs or go home after the regular season.

Headley, only 28 years old, would be a great replacement for Polanco. He’s durable, having played in 98 games this season, which leads all third basemen. Polanco, on the other hand, is tied for last in that category with Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals, having played in only 82 contests.

Also, Headley’s third among hot corner players with a 3.6 WAR (per FanGraphs) and his UZR/150 is 10.2, fourth among third basemen and ahead of Polanco, who won a Gold Glove at the position last season.

 

Headley’s no slugger, hitting .267 with a .787 OPS. However, Headley’s had the misfortune of playing his entire career at Petco Park, which is known around the league as one of, if not the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the majors. Yet despite this, Headley still has 12 home runs on the season, though only three of them have come at home.

The biggest perk in acquiring Headley, though, is assurance. Headley’s a Super Two player, meaning that he will receive a fourth year of arbitration eligibility as opposed to the standard three. And, Headley’s only up for his third bout of arbitration this coming offseason, meaning that if the Phillies acquired him, he’d be under team control through the 2014 season.

That means two and a half years of Headley until free agency. That’s fantastic.

But who would the Phillies give up in a Headley trade? Thanks in part to their trade with the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason, the Padres have a fairly deep farm system and are poised to have a good team in four or five years.

Before the Latos trade that saw the Padres nab Edinson Volquez and three of the Reds’ top 10 prospects, including two of their top four, Baseball America already had the Padres ranked with the eighth-best system in the majors. It undoubtedly only increased after the trade.

The Phillies, on the other hand, were ranked 27th. That could make a deal difficult to strike between the two clubs. Since the Padres are an extremely low revenue team, they’ll likely want only prospects, and the Phillies don’t have many to spare. However, there are a few spots where the Padres could use some depth.

 

One is first base. Yes, they have Yonder Alonso entrenched at first base for the long haul, but after dealing Anthony Rizzo to the Chicago Cubs and promoting Alonso as a major leaguer, the Padres have absolutely no prospects in their preseason top 30 prospects (according to Baseball America) who play first base.

Although arguably not a “prospect” anymore, first baseman Darin Ruf could work for the Padres. He’s made strides this year and could very well be one of the Phillies’ top offensive players in their minor league system this season. He’s also got a lifetime average of over .300 throughout his career in the minors. Pretty impressive.

Another option could be right-handed starter Jonathan Pettibone, ranked fourth-best prospect by Baseball America in the Phillies’ system. Promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his start yesterday for the Reading Phillies, Pettibone has put together a solid season, going 9-7 with a 3.30 ERA. The Padres could also consider the Phillies’ Triple-A ace this year, Tyler Cloyd, who has a 9-1 record and 2.11 ERA at Lehigh Valley this year.

It may be a stretch to call the 25-year-old Cloyd a prospect anymore, though he is closer to being major-league ready than Pettibone.  But, if the Padres decide they’d prefer to go the prospect route, Pettibone would be a better fit.

That’s something worth thinking about, too—despite having the 13th-best team ERA in the majors at 3.82, the Padres are sending out major league castoffs Jason Marquis, Kip Wells, and occasionally Ross Ohlendorf to the mound on a regular basis. Even though Marquis has won three straight starts, that’s a pretty pathetic rotation, and Cloyd could bolster it sooner than Pettibone.

 

It’s up to both the Padres and the Phillies if they want to strike a deal. Headley’s a perfect fit in Philly, But given that he’s a hot commodity, the chances of the still-possibly selling Phillies picking him up are slim.

And, while a Ruf and Pettibone/Cloyd trade for Headley could work out for both sides, maybe the Padres get better offers out there and don’t take the deal. Or, the Phillies could offer different pieces, too, which is an even likelier possibility.

Headley can help the Phillies retool, and Ruf and Pettibone or Cloyd could help the Padres do the same. All that remains to be seen is whether both sides have enough interest in getting a deal done with each other. There’s no way to know that until it happens, if it does at all. 

Maybe the Padres want a third prospect in a deal, and that’s not something that should be unexpected.

Maybe the Phillies decide to look elsewhere and trade Cliff Lee to Texas for a package headlined by third base prospect Mike Olt.

Maybe a deal doesn’t go through. But if it does, it’ll be a great trade for both teams.

Please also check out:

–Will Phils Deal Lee Back to Rangers in Blockbuster?

–Fire-Sale Trades Phils Could Make at the Deadline

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Cliff Lee Trade Rumors: Will Phillies Deal Him Back to Rangers in Blockbuster?

Big news came out this morning on the Philadelphia Phillies front, as the team’s young, homegrown ace Cole Hamels has reportedly agreed to a six-year, $144 million contract extension with the team.

Hamels, 28, who would have been the top left-handed starting pitcher on the market this coming offseason and arguably the top overall free agent, has instead chosen to bypass free agency in favor of playing for the only team he’s ever donned a uniform for in the Phillies.

Upon signing Hamels, the Phillies now have “achieved” a first in baseball by having three starting pitchers in their rotation earning an average annual value of at least $20 million. And along with teammates Ryan Howard and Jonathan Papelbon, the Phillies have tied up over $100 million to just five players next season.

Before this year, the Phillies had always feared surpassing the $178 million luxury tax. And they very well may still be wary of it. But with a new TV deal on the horizon in 2015, the Phillies should be more than able to afford all of their players, and possibly then some.

But what if the Phillies still have reservations of going over the luxury tax? Under the new CBA, first-time offenders only have to pay a 17.5 percent tax compared to 20 percent in previous years, but regardless that much on the dollar for millions over $178 million isn’t necessarily any small sum of money.

The only way the Phillies may be able to shed some payroll is to move some of their other pieces. While they’ve won the battle with Cole Hamels, they may not be able to retain other fan favorites such as Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence. But could the Phillies make another player, perhaps a starting pitcher, available in a trade?

Before he was extended, Hamels’ biggest suitor on the trade market was the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, who have had rotation woes this season and also have a deep farm system, were expected to make a push to acquire Hamels if an extension could not be reached. Now that a lost cause, there’s a possibility that the two teams could still match up on another player. Per Buster Olney of ESPN:

With Cole Hamels off the board, TEX effort to add an elite starter down to this: Josh Johnson pursuit; ask on Cliff Lee; maybe Greinke.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 25, 2012

While the Rangers could go after Zack Greinke, now the top starting pitcher on the free agent market this upcoming offseason, he’s had social anxiety issues in the past and could have a problem pitching in a somewhat large market in Arlington. The Rangers could also pursue Josh Johnson of the Marlins, but since his shoulder injury last year he just hasn’t been as effective, save for his most recent start in which he went six innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine before being removed for a blister on his finger.

It had come up that this past weekend’s start against the San Francisco Giants could have been Hamels’ last at Citizens Bank Park, and that Joe Blanton’s start against the Giants could have been his last at home as well. But could last night have been Cliff Lee’s last start as a Phillie at Citizens Bank Park?

Lee, who was pursued by the Rangers as the top free agent starting pitcher after 2010, was believed to have been deciding between the Rangers and the New York Yankees. However, at the eleventh hour, the Phillies swooped in and signed him to a five-year, $120 million contract. The rest is history.

But with the Phillies’ bloated payroll in light of the Hamels extension, would the team consider trading its ace who loved the city so much in his 2009 stint with them that he was willing to forego extra money to return? For that move and that move alone, Lee is a fan favorite, although in his start last night against the Brewers (and Zack Greinke), he was booed coming off the mound after allowing six runs on 12 hits.

With his disastrous 1-6 record and near-4.00 ERA, maybe it’s best for everyone that Lee is dealt. The Rangers have reportedly had interest in him since the Phillies signed him two years ago, and it’s also been reported that his 21 team no-trade list does not include the Rangers.

If Cliff Lee is to be traded, the Phillies would likely demand a prospect package headlined by third base prospect Mike Olt, center fielder Leonys Martin and potentially left-handed pitcher Martin Perez. The Rangers would almost certainly want the Phillies to send over salary relief for Lee’s contract in any deal, even though they were willing to pony up more money than what the Phillies paid him two years ago. That’s just the nature of the trade market.

There’s no certainty that Lee’s even on the block and the Phillies have told other teams that they want to keep their trio of Halladay, Lee and Hamels together. But with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., you never know what’s going to happen before the July 31st trade deadline. A Cliff Lee trade to the Rangers could be the biggest surprise of them all.

Also check out: 10 Fire-Sale Trades the Philadelphia Phillies Could Make at the Deadline

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

10 Fire-Sale Trades the Philadelphia Phillies Could Make at the Deadline

If you haven’t yet come to terms with the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 2012 season, it’s time to face the facts. Barring any unforeseen five-game (or more) winning streak, the Phillies will almost surely be sellers by next week’s July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

The Phillies sit in the basement of the NL East at 43-54, 14 games behind the division-leading Washington Nationals and 10 games out of the second NL Wild Card spot. Almost all hope to win a sixth consecutive NL East title has been lost, and their chances of even making the postseason are bleak, though possible, as I outlined last week.

If the Phillies continue what has become the status quo this year, then they are bound to sell off at least some of their team this season. Rumors have started to come about concerning many of the team’s players, ranging from Placido Polanco and Juan Pierre to Shane Victorino and Cole Hamels. Whether or not a deal for each of the team’s rumored players will materialize between now and next Tuesday will remain to be seen, but when the deadline comes to pass, what has been solely rumors to this point will or will not be reality.

Last year, when I was a bit less knowledgeable about the state of affairs of the trade deadline, I wrote a slideshow that talked about potential deals should the Phillies buy or sell. None of the deals in that piece made sense, but this year, I promise that the trades in this slideshow will all be at least a little more practical should they have to occur.

Each of the 10 trades in this slideshow will be about one individual player and will give the team he will be traded to as well as the return for him (prospects and/or cash considerations), whether from rumors or just my speculation. Any prospect rankings are from the 2012 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, which ranked teams’ top 30 prospects before the season.

Without further ado, I bring you this year’s new-and-improved version of trades the Phillies could make at the deadline, fire-sale style.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Reasons They Can Make a Run in the Second Half

It’s been said time and time again: The 2012 season hasn’t been in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ favor.

Throughout the season, a myriad of worst possible outcomes have occurred for the Fightin’ Phils. Cliff Lee only won his first game just before the halfway point of the season. Roy Halladay, one of the game’s most durable pitchers, went on the DL for the first time in years.

The bullpen, on the whole, has been horrendous. Freddy Galvis, a ray of hope at times for this team, got hurt, then got slammed with a 50-game suspension for PEDs. And what do you know, the team sits at 40-51, good for last place in the NL East and 13 games behind the first-place…Washington Nationals.

There have been a few reasons not to give up on this team, though.

Carlos Ruiz finally got his national due as he made the NL All-Star team and is one of the league’s top players. Cole Hamels, though an impending free agent without a contract extension, has pitched admirably for the Phils. And aside from a couple of exceptions, Jonathan Papelbon has been great as the team’s closer (if only he had more save opportunities).

While a majority of fans have given up on the season for the Phillies, there is still reason to believe that this team can come back. For now, at least. But there is hope. The team’s just a good winning streak away from being in the NL wild-card hunt.

Whether or not that can happen is a different story, but this team is known for being a second-half team in recent years. It’s possible.

Here’s five reasons why a magical playoff run is still possible in 2012.

Begin Slideshow

10 Bold Second-Half Predictions for Phillies Offense with Howard, Utley Back

Things have not gone in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ favor this season, to say the least. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley both sat out the season until recently, and the team’s ace of aces, Roy Halladay, has been on the DL for quite some time now with a lat strain.

Fortunately, barring any setbacks, Halladay will return next Tuesday to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. But like Howard and Utley, will his return have come too late?

In the cases of Utley and Howard, the heart of the Phillies’ lineup, it was expected that the return of the team’s two biggest impact hitters would bring some more offensive success and narrow the gap between them and the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.

And as has been the case with most everything else this year, the opposite happened. While Utley and Howard’s returns both started off with a bang—Utley homered in his first at-bat back, while Howard doubled on the second pitch thrown to him—both their success and the team’s have diminished. Since Utley returned, the Phils have gone 1-10 leading up to the All-Star Break. At least Cliff Lee got his win.

So, with the All-Star festivities behind us, all that’s left is one more day of waiting before baseball recommences tomorrow night. For the Phillies, that comes against the Colorado Rockies, who also dwell in the cellar of their division, the NL West.

But what’s going to happen now that there’s been some time to think, to recuperate after the team’s devastating stretch since the return of their former All-Star second baseman and former MVP first baseman?

Through the rest of the season, here are 10 predictions for the Phils’ offense now that Utley and Howard are here to stay—one for each member of the lineup, and a couple of overall offensive predictions at the end.

Begin Slideshow

« Previous Page — Next Page »