Hunter Pence: Trading Star Outfielder Should Be Phillies’ Top Deadline Priority

Hunter Pence was the acquisition who was supposed to put the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series last season. This year, the outfielder should be the piece that is used to help replenish the franchise’s lackluster farm system. 

Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia wrote on Monday morning that the Phillies have at least explored the idea of trading Pence, who is under club control through 2013. 

Most interest is on Vic, Blanton. Phils have pushed Pence but want big return. Phils still have more than 24 hours to max return.

— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyCSN) July 30, 2012

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Phillies have been pushing Pence more than Shane Victorino, who is two years older than Pence and will become a free agent at the end of the year, making him less valuable to a team trying to acquire him. 

Victorino joins Dempster and Broxton as a must-go free agent, though executives say the Phillies haven’t shopped him nearly as aggressively as Pence, who could make upward of $14 million through arbitration next season.

Pence may not be worth as much as the Phillies gave up to acquire him last year—namely, Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart—but he should, at least in theory, fetch one top-level prospect. 

For the Phillies, trying to get younger and save money wherever they can should be their goal right now. At 45-57, 16.5 games back in the National League East and 12.5 back in the Wild Card, they aren’t going to the playoffs. 

But, looking towards the future, things could get worse before they get better in Philadelphia. The Phillies’ farm system used to be a strength, with homegrown talents Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels being key cogs for the 2008 World Series team. 

Plus, they were able to use their prospects to acquire Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence at various times between 2009 and 2011. 

Now, those impact players in the minors just aren’t there. Dominic Brown is still an interesting prospect, but his stock is not close to what it was two years ago.

Entering the year, Trevor May was the top prospect in the system. Now, he has given up 19 home runs in 110 innings and has an ERA of 5.15 in Double-A. They have a lot of problems in the upper levels of the minor leagues, which means all of their older players have to stay healthy for 162 games to give them a chance to win. 

With the team having no real signs of hope for the rest of 2012 or any time after that, keeping Pence to see his trade value go down the closer he gets to free agency doesn’t make much sense. 

It is time for the Phillies to face the reality of the situation—they are a sinking ship in desperate need of a life preserver. Trading Pence won’t turn everything around right away, but it would be a start. They just have to find the right deal to make it happen. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Must Wait Until Offseason to Make Major Moves

As the trade deadline nears, the Philadelphia Phillies have yet to buy or sell any roster pieces to either improve on this season’s standings or prepare for next year.

However, the Phillies best move may be to wait until the offseason to fully get the team back on track for a postseason run.

A three game losing streak leading up to the trade deadline certainly doesn’t help the Phils case to be buyers, while being just one season removed from winning a franchise record number of games and a fifth consecutive National League East title make trading away key players difficult to see happening.

But that hasn’t stopped the thinking that players such as Cliff Lee and Hunter Pence are available, as Joel Sherman recently tweeted.

Following Cole Hamels’ long-term contract, the team could move both Lee and Pence in order to gain back payroll for other moves.  As of now, the Phils payroll is likely to exceed the luxury tax threshold this season and next.  Trading Lee and his contract and avoiding paying Pence an increased salary after this season would help the Phillies spend money on other positions before exceeding the tax threshold.

However, trading either player days before the trade deadline would not help the Phillies find the right deals for improving the team in future seasons.

A recent article by Bob Brookover on philly.com contains a quote from Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., on the effects of trade deadline deals on next season.

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything before July 31 to fill all the holes that we might have in 2013,” Amaro said.  “That’s not going to happen.  We’ve got plenty of time to try to work through that.”

With potential replacements or improvements needed in the starting rotation, left field, center field, third base and the bullpen, the Phillies are going to need all of that time.

The Phillies don’t have to trade players such as Lee and Pence at the deadline simply to avoid paying the luxury tax this season, as players with lesser salaries can be moved to accomplish that.

But trading Lee and Pence could provide the Phillies with a combination of a lowered payroll, minor league additions and/or major league contributors.

Moving players like Lee and Pence could be the Phillies best chance to have next season resemble 2011 more so than the current season.  This is why the Phils must wait until the offseason if they are going to make major moves.

Trading Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton would allow the Phillies to obtain either current major league players or minor league prospects, which would help the team obtain value since both players are set to become free agents anyway.

Trading Lee would mean that the Phillies will have to replace 40 percent of their starting rotation for next season, while trading Pence could mean that the team needs three new starters in the outfield.  Trades involving both of these players could still prove to be good moves, but not this close to the trade deadline.

Furthermore, the trade deadline could primarily consist of non-contending teams trading away talent to contending teams for either average major league talent or minor league prospects.

During the offseason, however, the Phillies could have far more teams interested in acquiring talent in order to improve next season after missing the postseason this year.

At the deadline, a player such as Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres could be a third base option that is available.  However, as Jerry Crasnick recently tweeted, the Padres appear willing to hold on to Headley if trade offers don’t improve.  The Phillies shouldn’t give up high ranking prospects once again, and a deal involving Pence for Headley doesn’t make much sense.

Not to mention, it could be difficult to trade away players while also acquiring a third baseman for the future.

But what about in the offseason? 

A team such as the Texas Rangers has already been rumored to have had interest in Lee, as Danny Knobler recently wrote on CBSSports.com.

But the Rangers also have Josh Hamilton who is set to become a free agent after this season.  If the team doesn’t sign him to a long-term deal, would they be interested in acquiring an outfielder?  Would they have interest in Pence at that point?

These types of scenarios can take place during the offseason and provide the Phillies with many more opportunities to find the right deals for improving the team both currently and in the future.

If the Phils are going to move Lee, Pence or any other player who is signed past next season and who has made major contributions to the team, they must make sure that any deal allows them to cement their status as perennial contenders.

When it comes to making major moves, the Phillies must wait until the offseason.

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Odds of All 25 Philadelphia Phillies Being Traded at the Deadline

For a long time, the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline was the most exciting time of the year for fans of the Philadelphia Phillies. It was about making moves to get better for the future after accumulating an upwards of 10,000 losses.

After five straight division crowns, they’re not excited about going backwards.

But there is optimism that the 2012 season is just a blip on the radar as opposed to a sign of things to come. The Phillies battled with injuries. They battled inconsistent performances. There’s no shame in cashing in your chips and trying again next season, when the odds are better.

That all begins and ends on Tuesday afternoon, when the non-waiver trade deadline rounds into focus. On that day, it’s time to separate the rumors from the facts, and there have been plenty of rumors.

Which Phillies will be moved for prospects or bullpen help? Will they move the usual suspects, or will Ruben Amaro Jr. pull a rabbit out of his hat? 

Here are the odds of each member of the Phillies’ roster being moved before 4 p.m. on July 31.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Swept by Braves, Fire Sale Next?

Now that the Philadelphia Phillies have been swept by the NL Wild Card-leading and division-rival Atlanta Braves, it’s almost safe to say that all hope of a possible postseason run for the Fightins has been lost. Any glimmer of hope that may have still existed after the Phils’ four consecutive comeback wins early last week has been erased thanks to the Braves.

The Phillies now sit at 45-57 and are a whopping 16.5 games behind the NL East leaders, the Washington Nationals. The Braves, who occupy one of two NL Wild Card spots, have that lead over the Phillies by 12.5 games.

Had the Phillies swept the series, the lead would have narrowed to just 6.5 games. With two wins, it would have been 8.5 games. And even if they managed one win, the gap wouldn’t be as terrible at 10.5 games. But with the sweep, the Phillies are almost surefire bets to miss the postseason for the first time since they began their five consecutive NL East division title run in 2007.

With the Braves’ sweep coming off a sweep by the Phillies themselves over the Milwaukee Brewers, trade rumors involving many of the Phillies’ players should not only begin to heat up, but intensify and materialize into actual trades. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Phillies very well could be one of the deadline’s top sellers:

Team that has a chance to be the most active seller in next two days: The Phillies. They’ve prepared a lot of groundwork for possible deals.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 30, 2012

Word also comes from ESPN’s Jayson Stark that the Phillies could make as many as two or three trades before the 4:00 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, July 31:

#Phillies still haven’t lit the sale lamp. But teams they’ve been talking to believe they could make 2-3 deals in next 46 hours.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 29, 2012

Now that some of the baseball world’s top reporters are saying it’s so, is it so? Chances are, yes, And even though reporters can be wrong, it’s not expected that they are. Players will be traded.

Last week, I wrote about fire sale trades the Phillies could make should such a situation arise. Now that said situation is now the status quo, perhaps some of these trades will be completed. Well, maybe not exactly with what I predicted. But the players the Phillies could trade in that slideshow are on par with reality, at least.

Players such as Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, Joe Blanton, Juan Pierre and possibly even Cliff Lee could be on the move in the next day and a half. Some will be gone. Others will stay. Or maybe all or none of those players are dealt. But is it viable to believe that the Phillies will sell? You bet it is.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com wrote that the Phillies will consider trades now that they’re more than likely out of contention. Is there reason to believe Salisbury? Absolutely. He has the ability to interview top Phillies front office personnel, including GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. I don’t.

The next day or so should be flooded with Phillies trade rumors and trades that will come to fruition now that the team is basically down and out. Funny to think that back in spring training, the thought was that the Phillies might trade for a player. Now, they’re trading their players away. Go figure.

Who will stay? Who will go? Only time will tell.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Is Quintin Berry a Possible Sleeper Target?

Approximately 48 hours remain between now and the trade deadline on Tuesday, July 31. Within the next two days, a flurry of rumors and trades will continue to swarm the baseball world, and until 4:00 p.m. strikes Tuesday, GMs around baseball will resume their conversations and trade talks will progress.

Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. is bound to have many phone calls come his way. With the Phillies in last place in the NL East and likely sellers this year, players such as Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, Joe Blanton and possibly even Cliff Lee could be available in trades. Rumors have already mentioned each of those four players, and more are sure to come before Tuesday.

As I said, the Phillies are expected to sell this year. But what if they made a surprise move as buyers?

Earlier last week, I explored the possibility of the Phillies making a trade for the San Diego Padres‘ Chase Headley. The prospects the Phils would give up to get Headley likely weren’t realistically enough to get him in a deal, but the idea is still one I think the Phillies will consider.

This time, I’m suggesting another trade the Phillies could make, one they might not have to give up as much for—Quintin Berry of the Detroit Tigers. He’s not necessarily available, but it could be an interesting situation for both the Tigers and Phillies. Please allow me to explain.

Some of you may be wondering who Berry is, whereas others of you may know his entire history. For the sake of this article, I’ll tell you a bit about Berry.

The 27-year-old outfielder started out as a prospect in the Phillies’ system after being a fifth-round pick in the 2006 First Year Player Draft. He remained in the Phils’ system until the team placed him on waivers in 2010, and the Padres took him from the Phillies’ farm system.

At the 2010 Winter Meetings, Berry was taken in the Rule 5 Draft by the Mets, who released him on the first of April. Berry spent 2011 with the Cincinnati Reds, then was granted free agency and hooked on with the Tigers, where he’s now a backup outfielder.

Berry was called up by the Tigers when their center fielder, Austin Jackson, hit the DL in late May. Since then, he’s stuck, and while he hasn’t been the Tigers’ everyday starter since Jackson returned on June 8, he’s hit .286 on the season and his OBP is .366.

While his power isn’t great, he’s got leadoff hitter potential. And although his defense is far from spectacular—Berry has a -4.6 UZR/150—he’s still not a bad ballplayer.

The Tigers, who lack a formidable utility player, could have interest in the Phillies’ Ty Wigginton. While Wigginton is notably a gaping hole defensively, he could give players like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder the day off if necessary. He could also play a corner outfield spot every now and then.

Wigginton is a right-handed slightly-power bat as well, and while the Tigers don’t lack righty bats, they aren’t stocked with them, either.

With Andy Dirks due off the DL soon, Berry’s role will be reduced, if not defunct. He would be a valuable asset to a team like the Phillies, as either a Victorino replacement or simply as a bench outfielder.

The Tigers could get a solid utility option to play multiple positions and can hit relatively well. This trade would work out for both teams, but will it happen?

We’ll know that in a matter of hours.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Deadline Trades the Phillies Could Make to Get Younger

The 2012 Major League Baseball trade deadline is only a matter of hours away. After the Philadelphia Phillies‘ abysmal showing this weekend against the Atlanta Braves, it is beyond clear that this team, as is, cannot be a winning ball club.

With their playoff hopes for 2012 almost eradicated and the time for change being now, the Phillies must get younger—a lot younger.

There are clear holes in this $170 million last-place team, and some—if not most—of those holes can be addressed. Third base, left field, center field, middle relief and most recently the starting rotation all need a shot in the arm.

Phillies veterans are showing their age. Ruben Amaro Jr. must take control and make some serious changes if the Phillies wish to compete in 2013 and beyond.

Out with the old and in with the new.

Begin Slideshow

Phillies Trade Rumors: Philadelphia Would Be Wise to Sell Shane Victorino

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark recently wrote that the Philadelphia Phillies could “probably” move Shane Victorino before the deadline, and that would be the wisest move for them to make.

Stark lists the Dogers, Reds and Pirates as teams that could acquire Victorino, but in all honestly the Phils should just get what they can and move on from the aging outfielder.

While 31 years old in the MLB is not the same as being 31 in the NFL or NHL, it’s still the wrong side of 30 with the Phillies needing to bring young blood into an aging team.

Between Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Victorino and even Roy Halladay, it’s almost as if Philadelphia didn’t really get any younger after they cut ties with Jamie Moyer awhile back. 

Victorino is hitting a career-low .256 so far in 2012 and hasn’t shown signs of improving with his .262 mark in July.

The odd thing is that his home run and RBI totals are on pace to finish where they usually do, with a mid-high teens number in dingers with an RBI total in the 60s. That being said, his name value is worth plenty to teams like the Dodgers and Pirates trying to grab hold of a playoff spot and the Phils would be smart to take from either team’s farm system.

The Dodgers home-grown players include Andre Either, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. The Pirates, with a few exceptions, were built from their farm system. Philadelphia should jump at the chance to move Victorino and dip their hands into one of these teams’ minor league squads.

Whether Philly fans want to face the facts or not, the team isn’t making the playoffs this year even with the added wild card spot for each division. Injuries to Utley, Howard and Halladay have proven too much for this team, which has had to claw for every win in 2012.

This team hasn’t cracked a top 15 power ranking by ESPN standards since Week 9 of the season and is 15.5 games behind the NL East-leading Washington Nationals. The Phils are also 11.5 games behind in the NL wild card race.

Victorino has been a valued part of Phildelphia’s recent years of success, but the time has come to part ways and have a changing of the guard. The team needs to bring in some new, young talent and that means having to make some tough decisions regarding long-time players.

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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.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Will Injuries to Ruiz and Polanco Ruin Run at Postseason?

While Chase Utley and Ryan Howard began the season on the disabled list, players such as Hunter Pence, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino were expected to guide the Philadelphia Phillies offense until the team’s lineup was healthy.

Instead, Carlos Ruiz and his .350 batting average during the first-half of the regular season led the Phils and earned him his first trip to the All-Star Game.

Now that the Phillies have seen these players return to the lineup, a run at the postseason during the second half may not be out of the question.

However, an injury to Ruiz would certainly put a damper on any optimism.

As an article by Matt Gelb on philly.com explains, Ruiz currently has mild plantar fasciitis.  Gelb writes that the injury began affecting him during the team’s recent series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which started nearly two weeks ago.  Ruiz has sat in two of the Phillies’ past three games.

The article notes that Ruiz has seen improvement with the injury.  But could its timing have implications on the Phils’ attempt at a postseason run?

For the month of July, the Phillies’ team batting average is the lowest of any month this season, and ranks as the second lowest average in the National League.

Ruiz’s batting average in July is also his lowest in any month this season.  Furthermore, in the past week, Ruiz is batting .267.  His average has been on the decline since the Phillies’ final game in their series against the Dodgers.

Ruiz’s injury may be the cause of the recent decrease, but that doesn’t make its timing any better.

Despite playing one of the most demanding positions on the field, Ruiz has still played in the third highest number of games for the Phils this season.  With Brian Schneider already on the disabled list, the Phillies have had to rely on Erik Kratz as of late in Ruiz’s absence. 

Although he played large roles in the team’s recent four-game win streak, he’s also already eclipsed his previous career high for games played after appearing in 11 games this season.

However, the Phils may not have as solid an injury fill-in for third base.

Placido Polanco is currently on the disabled list with an injury to his back, which means Ty Wigginton has continued to see playing time at third base.

Although he’s played in one-third the amount of games at third base this season as he did last year, he’s already made twice as many errors.

Mike Fontenot has also made two errors in nine starts at the position, including one recently against the Atlanta Braves that led to a run in a Phillies loss.

According to fangraphs.com, Polanco’s UZR of 2.9 ranks third among NL third baseman who have played in at least 600 innings this season.

Despite batting well below his career average this season, Polanco’s defense at third base could be what the Phillies miss in his absence.

Between Ruiz attempting to play through injury and continue to lead the offense, and Polanco’s missing glove at third base, the Phillies have been hit by two more injuries at an inopportune time.

Of course, they’re not nearly as detrimental as the injuries to Utley, Howard and Roy Halladay.

If rest doesn’t help Ruiz’s foot injury and he lands on the disabled list, the Phillies could be forced to use Erik Kratz and Ty Wigginton as starters at catcher and third base, respectively, as they try to make a run at the postseason.

If the Phillies were having a difficult time making up ground in the standings prior to more injuries, chances are they will have a harder time if Ruiz and Polanco are out for an extended period of time.

At 11.5 games back in the wild card standings, the Phillies need their starting lineup healthy now more than ever.

Although making a run at the postseason will be difficult either way, missing a crucial part of their offense and defense for an extended period of time would only make things harder down the stretch for the Phillies.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ 2012 MLB Trade Deadline: Shouldn’t Wait Too Long to Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies are still open to trading Shane Victorino and other pieces, but we might be waiting right up until the MLB trade deadline to see if anything actually happens, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.

Even though there has been a lot of speculation regarding what the Phillies would do before the deadline, it seems like they don’t have a definitive direction yet.

The Phillies have a lot of pieces that other teams might want, such as Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence or maybe even Cliff Lee; however, any of those trades would take a lot of work to pull off since they are big-name players.

If they wait right up until the trade deadline and decide to sell, you have to wonder how the market will look at that point.

For example, if the Phillies decide that they are looking to trade Cliff Lee, the Texas Rangers would be a very likely trade partner. Since the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim went big to grab Zack Greinke, the Rangers might want to do something to counter that.

Lee comes with a giant price tag that might scare many teams away. The Phillies could take on some of his salary, or a team like the Rangers could be willing to take it all on in hopes of making another World Series push.

Imagine, though, if the Rangers made a move for a big-time pitcher like Josh Johnson, for example. All of a sudden, one of the most attractive—and probably one of the only—trade partners for the Phillies in this situation would be off the market.

Waiting to find the right deal is great, but the Phillies need to make sure that they don’t wait too long and force other teams to consider and possibly accept other offers.

 

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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