With a flurry of activity for both the Nationals and Phillies prior to the non-waiver MLB trade deadline, here’s a rundown on what happened, why it transpired, and what to watch for going forward.
(Because of all the MLB news affecting teams in the RCN coverage area, my “2nd half predictions” blog entry teased last week, will be posted next week).
- Papelbon to the Nationals
There may never have been a more successful Phillies pitcher whose departure stirred less emotion than Jonathan Papelbon. Even as he takes a couple shots at the Phillies after the trade (his latest rant on 106.7 “The Fan” in DC includes being labeled “the scapegoat” for Philly’s failings), Philadelphia’s all-time saves leader never caught on with the fan base and always seemed to say the wrong things at the wrong times. His ill-fated comments included openly championing for his trade for the last year (or more), which obviously killed the Phillies’ chances of an equal value exchange. Given all these obstacles in trying to get anything for the highest-paid reliever in baseball history, the Phillies got a nice piece (Nick Pivetta) in return.
Despite Papelbon’s off-field antics, adding a reliever was a move the Nationals HAD to do. In a year in which so much is riding on the team’s success, and so many free agents-to-be looming this offseason, Washington has to go all-in. The friction Pap will cause (or perhaps has already caused with former closer Drew Storen), is an unfortunate side effect the team will have to deal with. The team gave up very little—prospect-wise–and got salary relief on a first-rate closer while avoiding drastically overpaying in any trade involving other available top relievers (Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel). In fact, the only thing Washington could have done was to try to get a diamond-in-the-rough/middle-relief option (like Jeanmar Gomez?) to help out their bridge to the later innings. Baggage included, and with regret to Storen, (who unjustly gets bumped from his closer role for the third time in his career), this was a solid move for Washington.
Look for the Nats to continue searching for hidden gems over the next few weeks (prior to the waiver deadline on Aug. 31st) as they try to add talent, especially with the Mets making a huge splash of their own.
- Cole Hamels to the Rangers
This was a far more emotionally draining move for the Philadelphia fan base, and the initial impressions were that the Phillies didn’t get enough for Cole (this spring on “SportsTalk,” I suggested a Hamels-for-Joey Gallo and another prospect swap, or maybe Hamels for Nomar Mazara and Chi Chi Gonzalez).
When breaking down this deal, one must remember the landscape for making trades has changed. There is a greater emphasis on teams keeping young, blue-chip talent. A “controllable” position player is a premium, and if the Phillies demanded one of the Rangers top prospects (Gallo, Mazara, Gonzalez), they ran the risk of not getting an adequate haul for their ace. Who could forget the Cliff Lee-to-Seattle trade? Imagine the outcry if the return for Hamels would result in another three players who did squat for the franchise. Learning from their mistake in that deal (and also the ones dispatching Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino), the Phillies settled for lesser prospects (according to Baseball America) in exchange for more bodies. The hedge is that, the more young players available in the organization, the greater the chance that some will help the parent club one day, thereby substantiating the return for Cole Hamels was worth the move.
The final analysis of this trade will take at least two to three years to properly evaluate. But on the surface, it looks like the deal was a solid decision for Philadelphia. They clearly weren’t winning with him, through no fault of Hamels, and as I said on this blog this past spring, their prime need in a few years may be to acquire a Hamels-like ace, and they might have to overpay to get him. However, the Phillies have clearly shown that money will not be a hindrance to moving forward with the organization’s on-field success (as evidence by their taking on cash in all recent moves). When the Phillies do feel ready to make a run at the playoffs, they can add a big money guy through free agency.
- Ben Revere to the Blue Jays
While you usually have to wait to rate a prospect-filled trade as a success or failure, I feel comfortable in saying this was another “win” for Philadelphia, given the following:
- They already have a centerfielder with a similar skill set in Odubel Herrera. Revere is more established, a better base stealer and contact hitter, but Herrera has more upside potential, a better arm, more power and is cheaper. On a winning team, it’s doubtful both players could play at the same time on a regular basis, so Revere’s exodus opens up a spot for a more “tool-sy” player.
- Revere is arbitration-eligible and probably would have gotten a nice raise based on his statistics for next season. Now, that money can go to fill in one of the other short-term goals the Phillies will need to address.
- Revere is a complementary piece on a team that is close to a playoff race. By the time the Phillies are heavy contenders again, Revere will probably be a free agent.
- While neither pitcher they got in return is a blue chipper, the one (Jimmy Cordero) is a high risk-high reward guy, who has potential, to be a Major League closer some day. But even if neither Codero nor Alberto Tirado reaches the Big Leagues, they add much needed pitching depth to the organization.
What are your thoughts on the Nationals and Phillies deadline deals? Should Storen have been bumped from the closer role? Should the Phillies have held on to Hamels until at least the offseason and try to get a greater return? Email your comments to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we might read your comments on the Thursday, August 13th edition of “RCN SportsTalk,” live at 7pm. Our guests will include Philly.com Sports Writer Jeff Moeller and WGPA host Jack Logic to analyze these deals further and look ahead to the playoff race. You can also catch the podcast of the show at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk .
