Philadelphia Phillies: The five worst trades of the last decade
The Phillies have made some questionable trades in the last decade. Here are the five worst of the bunch from that timeframe.
In the last decade, the Phillies made plenty of trades to try and help the team win. Some were to help the team win in the present, while more of the ones recently have been to help the team down the line.
Some of these trades worked out well for the Phils, while others have backfired. Which ones were the worst of the last decade? Let’s find out.
No. 5: Trading for Charlie Morton and Clay Buchholz
The first trade on this list is actually two different trades with the same intentions and the same results in back-to-back years. The first was trading for Charlie Morton for the 2016 season, and the second was trading for Clay Buchholz for the 2017 season.
General manager Matt Klentak made both of these moves to provide some stability and veteran presence in the rotation. If they fulfilled that goal successfully, Klentak could try and trade them at the deadline for an extra prospect or two.
However, both trades ended the same way. Morton made four starts but tore his hamstring running to first base in the fourth, end his season before May even rolled around. Buchholz didn’t even last that long, making just two starts. He suffered a tear in the flexor-pronator mass of his right arm, which required season-ending surgery.
Buchholz and Morton were both brought in to stabilize in the rotation, but injuries kept them from ever doing that. While the team didn’t have to give up much for either of them, they still lost out in the deals because of the injuries.
No. 4: Trading Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers
With the need for a rebuild clear, the Phillies started to trade away many of the pieces that helped them sustain success for so long. One of the first was Jimmy Rollins, who was traded to the Dodgers after the 2014 season.
In exchange for Rollins, Philadelphia received minor-league pitchers Tom Windle and Zach Eflin. Windle was a fringe rotation prospect before coming to Philadelphia. After, he struggled in Double-A Reading’s rotation, eventually being transitioned to the bullpen. He has still struggled, failing to move above Double-A after spending three years there. Any chance he reaches the majors is unlikely.
Meanwhile, Eflin was able to make it to the majors, but he has struggled to find his footing there. He had a 5.54 ERA in 11 starts in 2016 before going on the 60-day disabled list as he needed surgery to repair his knees. In 2017, Eflin had a 6.16 ERA before a season-ending shoulder injury.
Trading Rollins was probably the best decision for the team, but the players they got back in return have contributed little to the team, making this one of the worse trades in recent years.
No. 3: Trading Ben Revere to the Blue Jays
In 2015, the Phillies finally raised the white flag and started trading every tangible asset they had. One of those assets was outfielder Ben Revere, who was a starting outfielder for the last two and a half seasons. In that time, he played 335 games, managing a .303/.331/.363 line in that time.
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The Phillies traded Revere to the Blue Jays for two minor-league pitchers, Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado. Both Tirado and Cordero had wicked stuff, as Cordero had a fastball that would run well over 100 mph while Tirado had a truly devastating wipeout slider.
Unfortunately, neither Cordero or Tirado have panned out. Cordero had almost zero control of his pitches, walking 4.9 batters per nine innings in his minor-league career. He was traded to the Nationals after his first full season in the system. Meanwhile, Tirado was just designated for assignment after posting a 4.07 ERA and 1.720 WHIP in 2016 between High-A and Double-A.
The Phillies tried to get some reward for Revere, but it didn’t pay off for them. They went after high-risk, high-reward pitchers, but they didn’t work out.
No. 2: Trading Hunter Pence to the Giants
In 2011, the Phillies traded three of their top nine prospects – and two of their top four – to acquire right fielder Hunter Pence. Granted, they had to pay such a high price because Pence was consistently an above-average hitter with the Astros and was in the midst of the best season of his career since his 2007 rookie season.
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After coming to Philadelphia, Pence finished out the 2011 season strong with 11 home runs and an .871 OPS in 54 games. The next year in 2012, Pence still had solid numbers through 101 games with a .271/.336/.447 line and 17 home runs.
With the Phillies at 45-57 heading into July 31, then-general manager Ruben Amaro started trading away some of the team’s players.
One of the players traded away was Pence, who was sent to the Giants for catching prospect Tommy Joseph, relief prospect Seth Rosin, and major-league outfielder Nate Schierholtz.
With Schierholtz only staying in town for the rest of the season and Rosin never working out, the entire payoff of the trade was riding on Joseph. However, a series of concussions derailed his career behind the plate, and his hitting wasn’t good enough to stay at first base. With Rhys Hoskins set to take over the position next year, Joseph’s future in Philadelphia is in question.
When you add in the fact of how much Amaro had to give up to get Pence and compare it to what he got for Pence a year later, it easily makes this trade one of the worst in the last decade.
No. 1: Trading Cliff Lee to the Mariners
One of the best trades Ruben Amaro made as Phillies GM was trading for Roy Halladay. The worst he made came just after, when he traded Cliff Lee to the Mariners for a trio of players that never worked out in Tyson Gillies, Phillippe Amount, and J.C. Ramirez.
Gillies never even reached the major-leagues, while Ramirez pitched just one uninspiring year in the majors with the Phils before being granted free agency. Aumont made 46 appearances over four seasons, managing a 6.80 ERA and 1.992 WHIP.
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Altogether, the team received -1.3 wins above replacement from the players received in the trade. Not to mention, Lee racked up 4.8 wins above replacement in 2010. It was pretty clear that Amaro knew he messed up when he signed Lee that next offseason.