Phillies: Ten trades that have molded the last decade
The last 10 years of Phillies baseball could be characterized by a number of blockbuster moves that front office personnel, lead by Ruben Amaro Jr. made in order to bring a World Series title to the city of Philadelphia.
Greg Golson was once thought to be a top prospect, but when he didn’t live up to his potential the Phillies traded him for John Mayberry Jr. It seemed to be a low level swap of players at the time, but Mayberry proved his value throughout the Phillies’ run of success. Mayberry was with the Phillies for six years. He was consistently looked to rovided pinch hit at bats in big situations. Mayberry was a mainstay for the better part of a decade in Philadelphia.
He had over 100 at bats off the bench or in replacement situations three different years, hitting double digit home runs each of those years. With Golson never having more than 23 at-bats in a season, Mayberry’s consistent on field production made this move a steal.
December 6, 2012
After finishing third in the rookie of the year voting, many argued that the Phillies should not trade a pitcher with as much promise as Vance Worley. However, after he left Philadelphia his production fell off drastically and the Phillies received their leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder for the next three years.
Revere was at times a strong point in otherwise unsuccessful season and was a very solid starter in his time in Philadelphia. He was as streaky of a hitter you could find, but his speed and defense made up for it.
July 31, 2015
While one of the sadder days in recent Phillies history, the Cole Hamels traded had a huge impact on kickstarting the rebuilding process. Alfaro is poised to make in impact in the near future, and Nick Williams has already proved the player he is. Additionally, Harrison, Thompson, and Eickhoff all plugged roles on the pitching staff, and could develop into strong starters. The on field value the Phillies received for an aging Cole Hamels brings value to the trade.
July 29, 2011
At the time of this deal, it seemed like a steal and a great move to bring in a perennial All Star on an already contending team. Pence’s scrappy, awkward style of play was immediately embraced by the fans.
All together, Pence was an All Star and an impact player during his time. He hit .289 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI’s in parts of two seasons that amounted to one full season in a Phillies uniform.
Jarred Cosart, the key prospect in the deal, has not won a game since 2015 and he was an erratic starter for Houston and Miami before that. Singleton has had one productive season with the Astros organization in which he appeared in 95 games, with 44 RBIs, only hitting .168. Other than that however, he has spent the majority of hit time in the Minor Leagues.
Josh Zeid has pitched 48 innings for Houston out of the bullpen, but was been short of reliable and has been in the minors for the last three years. The short stints in the majors for these players does not match with the production Pence provided in his time here.
August 29, 2008
Any time you can get an impact bat for a player to be named later, it’s a steal. Stairs will always be remembered for the moon shot he hit off of flamethrower Jonathan Broxton in the eighth inning of game five of the NLCS that gave the Phillies the lead and momentum that they rode into the World Series. That one swing alone catapulted the Phillies and makes the trade a steal in itself. Stairs was a fan favorite and a consistent threat off the bench during his time in Philadelphia.
On the other hand, Castro has been in the minors since he was traded by the Phillies. Stairs was 40 at the time the Phillies acquired him and was here for a total of two years, but his impact was felt past statistics. He was also employed by the Phillies’ as a hitting coach in 2016.
July 29, 2010
This deadline trade completed one of the best pitching staffs in baseball history. Oswalt finished 6th in the Cy Young voting in 2010 and provided strong postseason outings. While the trade was also fruitful for the Astros, the excitement surrounding the Oswalt trade as the Phillies geared up for one last run electrified the fanbase.
However, the Phillies ultimately gave up the most in on field, major league production in this move. Happ has been a solid starter for a number of teams, even winning 20 games for the Blue Jays in 2016.
Villar is going into his sixth year in the majors, as he has begun to excel with the Brewers as a perennial starter, even leading the league in stolen bases in 2016. Gose has bounced between the minors, but has started 50 major league games in four of his five seasons for Toronto and Detroit.
July 17, 2008
Blanton, who was seemingly the forgotten fifth starter on a team overrun with aces, was one of the most consistent impact performers throughout the Phillies’ years of success. He will always be remembered for his grand slam in game four of the 2008 World Series coupled with his gutsy playoff performances throughout the Phillies’ runs. The epitome of underrated and undervalued, Blanton will always be a favorite in Philadelphia.
The Phillies gave up Outman, who has been mediocre with a 4.43 ERA in six years in the majors, but has been a Minor Leaguer for the past three seasons. Cardenas only recorded one season in the MLB in 2012. Matt Spencer has been in the minors for the entirety of his career. With the meager prospects the Phillies gave up for a pitcher like Blanton to lock up thier rotation for half a decade made this one of Amaro’s most productive moves.
July 29, 2009
In one of Amaro’s signature deadline trades, he acquired yet another proven ace in Cliff Lee. Lee was instantly embraced by the city of Philadelphia for nose to the grindstone work ethic.
He was turned to again and again during their run in 2009, with a postseason record of 4-0. He will always be remembered as one of the most clutch pitchers in Phillies history.
Carrasco has been a strong starter for Cleveland in the eight years since the trade, even leading the league with 18 wins in 2017. Lou Marson and Jason Donald have both spent time in the majors with Cleveland coming off of the bench, but nei ther has seen any significant major league time since 2012.
November 7, 2007
A move that was hotly debated at the time, with the Phillies giving up one of their most promising young players in Michael Bourn for a closer criticized as streaky. However, Lidge proved to be anything but, emerging as a storyline in the Phillies 2008 World Series run. His “perfect year” in which he did not blow a save, proved to be a key to the Phillies success.
His value to the team earned him the nickname “Lights Out Lidge”, speaking to his dominance on the mound. Additionally, Bruntlett played an important role off of the bench, adding depth deep into the playoffs. You can’t talk about Bruntlett and forget to talk about his unassisted triple play against the Mets.
On the other hand, Geoff Geary was only with the Astros for two years and 84 innings, and Mike Costanzo has made just one appearance with a minor league ball club. The center piece of the trade, Michael Bourn, has been a very solid major league player, but Lidge’s immediate impact on the field and World Series contribution far outweighs Bourn’s promise as a young player.
December 16, 2009
In a move that brought evidently one of Philadelphia’s most beloved heroes to the city Amaro traded for arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Halladay brought the fans invaluable memories as they retooled for another run deep into the playoffs.
His perfect game against the Marlins followed by the legendary no-hitter in game one of the 2010 NLDS alone could give it the top trade in the last 10 years. Halladay retired a Phillie, with a Cy Young Award, a second place finish in Cy Young voting the following year, and two all-star appearances. This adding to a Hall of Fame career and his legend in Philadelphia sports lore.