Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Justin Klugh

“The Phillies are definitely on the top of my list.”

–Mike Trout

I’m not sure how we’re supposed to feel about this; the AL ROY and MVP candidate openly rooting for and expressing interest in some day play for the Phillies.  Do we sit here, grinding out teeth while admiring his talent?  Do we bite the inside of our mouths while considering ourselves lucky to be able to watch sure a pure, natural talent play the game?  Do we applaud his grit while tasting blood?

Regardless of our reaction, we’re probably going to need oral surgery.  And while under the influence of knockout gas, perhaps we can hallucinate about a Trout-led outfield, as the Angels phenom headed home to Millville, NJ recently and kept up his ongoing traditions of eating six hamburgers at once and saying that maybe someday he’ll play for the Phillies, because he’d like to and he’s from the area and everybody loves him.

WE WOULD MAKE YOU SO HAPPY MIKE.

Ethan Seidel

While everyone has put in their 2 cents on whether B.J. Upton is right for the Phillies, the folks over at the Good Phight address a much overlooked aspect of acquiring the young centerfielder — draft pick compensation. The only benefit of the Phillies missing the playoffs is having their highest 1st rd pick in years. But, if they decide to splurge on Upton or any other type A free agent you can say goodbye to a top level prospect. Ruben Amaro has preferred the free agent rout to trades over his career because he doesn’t like to give up players. Wake up, Ruben!  You are giving away future prospects and trade chips anyway.

Bryce Harper won the NL ROY surprise surprise. As much as it pains me to say it, he did deserve the award. This should only add to the budding rivalry between Harper and Philadelphia. Expect plenty of chin music Mr. Harper.

Jovan Alford

I agree with everything that Jim Salisbury is saying about Josh Hamilton. He definitely would be a nice power bat in this Phillies lineup but the price tag I think they can’t afford. They need more right handed hitters and I think I rather get two outfielders rather than one. Also people, don’t believe the fake Jim Salisbury twitter account.

John Stolnis

The talk of the baseball world is obviously going to be the Marlins-Blue Jays trade that saw Miami jettison everyone on their roster making more than $2 million a year. And while it was quite a coup (albeit an expensive one for the Jays) there is one guy who is not too thrilled with the deal.  As for South Florida, this pretty much sums up the last 365 days for a franchise that has somehow managed to win two World Series titles amongst all their utter failures. The Marlins have won two World Series. That still gets me. And what they’ve done to the city of Miami is borderline criminal. As for the deal itself, Hardball Talk breaks it down, X’s and O’s style.

And while Darin Ruf continues to hit many home runs in the Arizona Fall League, the Phils have to decide exactly what kind of role he’s going to play next year. Will they platoon him with Domonic Brown in left? Will he be a starter? Will he be a trade piece this offseason? So many questions. No answers at all. This guy says the Phillies HAVE to keep him. I’m not so sure he has the last word, though.

Dude looks good in red. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

At a time when a youth movement would be incredibly beneficial, the Phillies have learned that their biggest fan is also a shoe-in for AL Rookie of the Year and currently contending for MVP as well.

Mike Trout, the Millville, NJ-born, most astoundingly talented youngster in the game since Henry Rowengartener, is currently leading the Angels to not quite a playoff spot, despite his double digit WAR and his inability to not be on everyone’s mind.  At 21 years old, he is exactly the kind of five-tool phenom the Phillies could use in their lineup.  Which is also true for baseball’s other 29 teams.  But none of those team’s are Trout’s clear favorite.

So, what would it take to sign him this offseason?  Or, right now?  Sure, I’ll bet he has a “contract” in “place” with the “Angels,” but these are the kind of things that Ruben Amaro knows how to get around, like luxury taxes and the West Virginian cultural barrier.

Professional players don’t often end up on the team they rooted for as a kid–they can’t all be Jamie Moyer!  And by the time they’ve logged some career years in the Majors, a “favorite team” isn’t even a concept anymore.  Baseball is their job, and if they maintain the competitors’ mindset that helped get them to this level, then they are “rooting” for the team they are on, whatever it is.

But Mike is still young.  Perhaps somewhere in that recently-legal mind of his is the notion that he could one day play on a roster with Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard and Laynce Nix.  Perhaps after only one year in the bigs, he still possesses a childlike sense of wonder at seeing the red pinstripes climb so high–then fall so low, needing a young hero more than ever.

Will Dom Brown be that hero?  Will Darin Ruf?  We don’t know.  But we do know that now… maybe they won’t have to be…

**looks up at the sky wistfully, gets big thumbs down from Baseball Jesus**

Come on Ruben- trade for him now! RT: @hardballtalk Mike Trout: still a Phillies fan dlvr.it/2DRbsq#mlb #hbt

— FakeWIPCaller (@FakeWIPCaller) September 27, 2012