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.

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Why the Phils Shouldn’t Deal Hunter Pence to the Giants

It seems like just a few days ago that nearly every Philadelphia Phillies player could be acquired in the right deal.

Of course, signing an All-Star pitcher to a long-term extension and winning four straight games leading up to the trade deadline can change things.

But that has not, however, stopped teams from displaying their interest in certain players.

According to a recent tweet by Jon Morosi, the San Francisco Giants could make a run at Hunter Pence if the Phillies decide to deal him prior to the trade deadline.

With Hamels in the fold long term, the Phillies’ payroll for this season and next is expected to exceed the $178 million luxury-tax threshold.  Additionally, Pence is likely to receive a salary increase through arbitration, as he is still signed through next season.  Therefore, moving Pence could make sense to give the Phillies payroll flexibility this season and next.

But trading him to the San Francisco Giants?  Not a good idea.

For one, the Phillies are currently 14.5 games back in the National League East and 10.5 games back in the wild-card standings.  The Giants, meanwhile, currently have a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.

However, both the Phillies and Giants could have a tough battle in their respective divisions going forward due to the teams near the top of the standings.

The Washington Nationals, who are in first place in the NL East, have a roster that features a starting rotation that has the best ERA in the NL.  Combined with a roster that also features a great deal of young talent, the Nationals could be in contention for NL East titles beyond this season. 

This means that the wild-card playoff spots could come into play for the Phillies until they are able to add young talent to their lineup.

Meanwhile, new ownership for the Dodgers has already showed a willingness to spend money, as they have recently acquired Hanley Ramirez from the Miami Marlins.  The Giants seemingly have their own perennial competition for a division title, and a wild-card spot could also come into play.

If the Phillies were to trade Pence to the Giants, they could be trading an All-Star outfielder to a team they will be in direct competition with for a wild-card spot both this season and next.

Furthermore, trading Pence to the Giants would essentially mean the Phillies are preparing more so for next season, although they just made their task more difficult.

The Giants could have added incentive to try and acquire Pence since they currently have two outfielders set to hit free agency after this season in Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera.

The team’s farm system, however, is likely lacking pieces that would intrigue the Phillies enough to trade their starting right fielder. 

Between trading an All-Star outfielder to a team that already has a .261 batting average, which ranks fourth in the NL, and improving a team that they could be in direct competition with for a wild-card spot this season and next, any offer from the Giants would have to blow the Phils away.

Chances are a deal with the Giants wouldn’t provide the Phillies with enough value to make the trade.

Trading Pence could still be an option for the Phils as they look to lower their payroll this season and avoid paying the luxury tax.  But with Shane Victorino set to become a free agent after this season, the Phillies would need to replace their entire starting outfield if they deal Pence. 

That doesn’t mean a deal won’t happen, but the Phillies will need to be swept off their feet to make the trade.

And making a trade with the Giants will make a run at the postseason that much harder this season and next.

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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.

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Phils Could Wait Until August to Trade Shane Victorino

The non-waiver trade deadline is fast approaching for teams that are looking at acquiring players for a postseason run.

However, the trading doesn’t have to stop next week. It’ll just get a little more complicated.

After the non-waiver trade deadline passes, teams will still have an additional month to trade players through the waiver system. 

Through the reverse order of the standings, each day teams will have the opportunity to claim players who have been placed on waivers. The team with the worst record that claims a player will then have a limited amount of time to work out a deal, otherwise the player will be taken off waivers and can no longer be traded.

As teams have proven in past seasons, waiver wire acquisitions can play large roles in postseason play.

For the Philadelphia Phillies, could keeping Shane Victorino for a few additional weeks and then placing him on waivers help the team more than settling for a deal at the non-waiver trade deadline?

An article by Jayson Stark on ESPN.com contains a quote from an executive who talked to Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.

One executive who spoke with GM Ruben Amaro Jr. reports, “I don’t even think Ruben knows what he’s going to do.”

Well, it doesn’t sound like the Phils are even receiving any offers that they have interest in as of now.

According to a recent article on Cincinnati.com by Paul Daugherty, the Cincinnati Reds recently rejected a deal for Victorino that would have sent reliever Logan Ondrusek to the Phils.

Although Ondrusek is a 27-year-old right-handed reliever who has a 3.01 ERA and has held left-handed batters to a .185 batting average, he’s also only struck out six more batters than he’s walked this season.

If the Phillies were to trade Victorino, they would likely try to acquire a right-handed reliever who has had better numbers this season. But the Reds, according to Daugherty, weren’t willing to give up Ondrusek.

Meanwhile, a recent tweet by Rob Biertempfel suggests that the Pirates were unwilling to trade reliever Brad Lincoln in a deal for Victorino.

If the Phillies aren’t getting trade offers that they like, would their best move be to hold on to Victorino into August, and then place him on waivers?

If the Phillies are set on trading Victorino, it would be difficult for them to have any leverage in any move at the non-waiver deadline since the center fielder is a soon-to-be free agent, and is batting well below his career average this season.

However, a recent win streak by the Phils could also lead to optimism that a run at the playoffs can still take place.  At that point, Victorino could play a large role in helping the team this season.

Or the Phillies could find that, later in August, the better option is to trade Victorino to try and either move their payroll closer to being below the luxury tax threshold, or acquire a proven right-handed reliever who can help beyond this season.

If the Phillies aren’t getting any offers that they like now, it wouldn’t make much of a difference if they still weren’t getting any offers that they like next month. However, at that point, they will at least have had Victorino for additional weeks to try and improve their wild-card standing.

Meanwhile, a team such as the Reds or Pirates could be more willing to give up the reliever that the Phillies want if they find themselves still in contention for the National League Central at that time.

If the Phillies were forced to only negotiate with one team that claimed Victorino on waivers, and had to settle for whatever reliever that team offered, it would be a similar situation to the one they are in now.  So why not wait a few weeks to see if that team decides they need an additional lineup piece bad enough to offer the Phils a better deal?

The Phillies could be forced to settle in a deal for Victorino whether he’s dealt at the non-waiver trade deadline or through waivers. If it doesn’t make much of a difference, waiting to place him on waivers could be the better choice.

Waiting to see which teams are still in contention once only waiver wire trades are allowed, or seeing if another team gets hit with an injury during their run at the postseason, could help the Phils get the right-handed reliever they desire in a trade for Victorino.

Limiting their trade options could be a risky move for the Phillies, but if the team will have to settle either way, or at least have a chance at finding the right deal later on, waiting to trade Victorino could be the better option.

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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.

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Philadelphia Phillies Trade Rumors: Phillies Smart Not to Trade Cliff Lee

The Philadelphia Phillies are not planning on trading Cliff Lee before the Tuesday trade deadline, according to sources of Jon Heyman, CBS Sports Baseball Insider.

Cliff Lee, the former Cy Young Award winner, is a key to the success of the Philadelphia rotation. Recently, the team committed to Cole Hamels with a six-year, $140 million contract.

In 2011, the team signed Lee, then a free agent, to a contract guaranteeing him about $97 million through 2015. He also has a no-trade clause to 21 teams in the MLB within his contract.

Thus far Lee has been anything but an ace in 2012. However, for having an “off year,” the southpaw hasn’t exactly fallen to pieces. His 3.95 ERA and 119:23 strikeout-to-walk ratio are not awful numbers for a starting MLB pitcher. Much of his struggles have come due to lacking run support from the Phils offense.

The logistics of moving him coupled with the decline in his play this year suggest the Phillies wouldn’t fully benefit from trading the lefty.

There’s also the matter of wild-card contention. The Phillies have seemingly played themselves out of the race for the NL East’s playoff seed, but remain only 10 games back from a wild-card berth. It seems unrealistic because of the poor play of the team thus far, but if they can get hot at the right time, they may be able to make a run at that wild-card spot.

Stranger things have happened in the MLB in September.

If they do make a run, they’re going to need Lee down the stretch. While it may have been a prominent rumor, a trade of Lee just doesn’t fit right now. Heyman’s source indicates the Phillies have no plans to move Lee during the season.

If the Phils are looking to dump salary, it would be wise to move Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence instead of a cornerstone of their pitching rotation. Lee will rebound, there’s no guarantee Victorino (free agent at the end of the year) or Pence (free agent at the end of 2013 season) will be coming back to Philadelphia.

According to these sources and conventional wisdom, they have made the right decision.

 

 

Follow me on Twitter @BigHoagowski

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Phillies Trade Rumors: Chances of a Victorino Trade to Tampa Bay for Wade Davis?

The debate has continued for much of this season as to whether the Philadelphia Phillies would be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

Prior to Cole Hamels signing a six-year contract extension, the chances of the Phils selling seemingly increased each day that passed without a deal.  However, with Hamels now signed long-term and the Phillies currently on a four-game win streak, is there any chance that the team could actually buy at the deadline?

What if there was a deal that involved the team both buying and selling?

According to Jayson Stark on ESPN.com, the Phillies have shown interest in reliever Wade Davis of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 26-year-old right-hander is a former starter who has pitched out of the bullpen this season, going 1-0 with 52 strikeouts and 19 walks in 46.2 innings.  Davis has also posted a 2.70 ERA and has held opponents to a .209 batting average, which includes a .177 average for left-handers.

But here’s where things get tricky.

According to Stark’s article, the Rays may also be willing to trade starter James Shields, and multiple teams have shown interest.

If Shields is dealt, the Rays may favor keeping Davis and plugging him back into the starting rotation.  Davis’ role with the Rays could be similar to the one held by Kyle Kendrick with the Phillies.

There could be other obstacles in dealing for Davis, as well. 

Davis is making $1.5 million this season, which means acquiring him might keep the Phillies’ payroll above the $178 million luxury tax threshold.  Furthermore, Davis is set to make $2.8 million in 2013 and $4.8 million in 2014.  His contract then includes a $2.5 million buyout for each season from 2015-2017.

If the Phillies are willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold next season, they could desire to get under it this season so as to avoid paying a 20 percent tax this year and 30 percent tax next year.

Considering all of this, would a deal involving Shane Victorino even be enough to acquire Davis?

For one, would the Rays even be willing to make this deal straight up and have two outfielders in Victorino and B.J. Upton with expiring contracts?

Secondly, would the Phillies be willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold this season in order to obtain bullpen help?  Do they have other possible moves that would get them under the threshold?

If the Rays do decide to trade Davis and keep Shields, would they be interested in acquiring another pitcher such as Joe Blanton?  Despite having a 4.70 ERA, Blanton has struck out 108 batters this season while walking 17 in 126.1 innings.  He’s also pitched two complete games.

But what could make Blanton appealing to the Rays is the fact that he too is a free agent after this season, which means the team would only have to pay what’s left of his salary this season.

A recent article by Matt Gelb on philly.com suggested that trading two of three players of Victorino, Blanton and Placido Polanco, who is no longer a trade candidate after being placed on the disabled list, could save the Phillies approximately $6 million.

Acquiring potentially $6 million in salary could be worth it for a team who is in the thick of things in the American League wild card standings, especially since the contracts will come off the books at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, acquiring what’s left of Davis’ contract for this season, as well as dealing Victorino and at least one other player at some point, could improve the Phillies’ bullpen and help the team avoid the luxury tax this season.

A deal between the Rays and Phillies could be an interesting trade deadline move that improves both teams’ current rosters rather than seeing one team give up a big name player in exchange for prospects that are a few years away from being major-league ready.

However, if the right pieces fall into place, such a deal at least has a chance of taking place.

 

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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.

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MLB Trade Deadline: Grading Each of Phillies’ Last 25 Big Deadline Deals

The game of baseball can be a lot like a game of Russian Roulette at times.

More often than not, teams find themselves in unfavorable positions, especially at the trade deadline. General managers are forced into facing difficult decisions. Do they surrender the future (in prospects) to win now, or do they surrender the here and now to be better in the future?

Very rarely is baseball a game of clear-cut odds. In fact, that may be one of the few situations in life where the word “never” actually applies. There is always a risk in making a big trade, even if it seems favorable at the time.

So as we approach the trade deadline of yet another baseball season here in 2012, what better time is there to look back and learn from the past.

The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies are in a unique situation. Do you rally around the core of All-Stars already assembled, add more to it or subtract from it? That should become clear either way.

One thing you can expect the Phillies to do is make a move in some way, shape or form, and when they do, make sure you come back and compare it to the last 25 big, deadline deals they’ve made.

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5 Trade Deadline Moves to Better the Philadelphia Phillies for 2012 and Beyond

With the 2012 trade deadline rearing its ugly head, the Philadelphia Phillies have a little over four days to improve their club for a late season push. With Cole Hamels locked up for the next six to seven years, Phillies nation can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, there are still several voids on their current 25-man roster that need to be addressed for this season and the foreseeable future.

With a farm system that has been virtually depleted with recent acquisitions, the Phillies need to look outside the organization for help, unless they are willing to role the dice on prospects like Domonic Brown.

Furthermore, with Cole Hamel’s $144 million deal, one or more of the Phillies players must be on the move to free up some money.  

Middle relief, third base and two outfield positions are all a cause for concern, but with a trade or two the Phillies may be in the position to fill those roles.  

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