Phillies: Most impactful deadline deals of the decade
The Phillies have made many deadline deals over the last decade that have reshaped the foundation of the organization.
Phillies fans have ridden a rollercoaster of emotions with the Phillies over the last decade. From a second-consecutive World Series appearance to some of the worst teams in franchise history, fans have seen it all.
Part of both the rise to world championship contention and a lengthy rebuild has been making franchise-altering deals in July. Ruben Amaro Jr. and Matt Klentak have overseen a multitude of deadline deals, but 10 stand out for being especially impactful.
George Stockburger and John Town break down 10 July trades made in the last decade that have made a tremendous impact on the Phillies franchise.
The Phillies were desperate for any offensive help whatsoever in 2018, team chemistry be damned. While Jorge Alfaro showed some good things during his first full major-league season, he wasn’t up to par offensively for a team with postseason aspirations.
Ramos was an All-Star in 2018 for the Rays but missed the actual game due to a hamstring injury. He was injured when acquired by the Phillies, which allowed them to pick him up for only cash. It was a rather savvy move by general manager Matt Klentak as it gave the team a quick fix without giving up anything of value.
Upon returning in mid-August, Ramos made a significant offensive impact from the get-go. In 33 games as a Phillie, he had a .337/.396/.483 line with 17 runs batted in. Some aspects of his game were limited due to the hamstring injury, but he still provided as much as he could.
Unfortunately, Ramos’s time as a Phillie coincided with one of the worst two-month stretches the team could have imagined. They fell from first to third in the division, turning what was an exciting season into an ultimately disappointing one. Ramos and other plug-and-play acquisitions like Justin Bour, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Jose Bautista were symbols of a team desperate for something to turn their season around.
Ramos ultimately signed with the Mets during the offseason, which allowed Philadelphia to trade for J.T. Realmuto in February. If anything, the trade for Ramos and the others mentioned showed the Phillies they would have to go big or go home to make a real impact on the roster.
Howie Kendrick came to the Phillies in November 2016 for Darin Ruf and Darnell Sweeney. Ruf was a minor league hero who hit monster home runs, but never turned into the big league slugger everyone wanted him to be. Sweeney went back to the Dodgers after having come over to Philadelphia in the Utley trade.
Kendrick’s role on the 2017 club was to be a leader who could provide some offense. He was known as a guy who could consistently hit in the .290’s for Los Angeles prior to the trade, and the Phillies would certainly welcome that given how poor their offense was the season before.
Starting in left field Kendrick came out of the gate on fire for Philadelphia, hitting .333 in his first 10 games. An injury would knock him out for about six weeks in late April and nearly all of May. He’d hit a remarkable .360, nearly all singles, in the month of June, making him a prime trade candidate.
Unfortunately, another injury took him out for nearly all of July and severely diminished his trade value. After playing just six games in the month of July and 39 total for the Phillies, Kendrick was traded to the Nationals for pitcher McKenzie Mills.
Unranked in the Nationals farm system, Mills was having a terrific season in Single-A before the trade, going 12-2 with a 3.01 ERA and 118 strikeouts. He’d be ranked among the Phillies top-30 prospects going into the 2018 season, but he’d spend only a couple of months with the club.
Matt Klentak would flip Mills to Miami for power-hitter Justin Bour in an August move to boost the bench. Unfortunately, Bour would be hurt and hit only one home run in his lackluster Phillies career.
Shane Victorino was a staple of the Phillies during the five straight years of division titles. His Game Two grand slam against C.C. Sabathia was one of the highlights of the 2008 World Series run. He was a fan favorite his entire time as a Phillie, but he was also one of the first to go during the teardown of that core.
With the Phillies well below .500 at the 2012 trade deadline, the writing was on the wall that the club’s run of dominance was over. Victorino was due to be a free agent after the season, making him an attractive rental piece.
The Dodgers traded for Victorino in exchange for reliever Josh Lindblom, pitching prospect Ethan Martin, and a player to be named later who eventually became minor-leaguer Stefan Jarrin.
Lindblom was the only one who provided anything of real value for the Phillies as he was part of the Michael Young trade that winter. Martin made 17 major-league appearances in 2013 and 2014 with a 5.93 ERA. Jarrin was released in May of 2013 by the team and hasn’t played professionally since.
Victorino didn’t finish the year well with the Dodgers but still managed to get a three-year, $39 million contract from the Red Sox during the offseason. He had one last good year in 2013, winning another World Series in Boston, before tailing off and eventually ending his career as a minor-leaguer with the Cubs.
The real impact of the Victorino trade was not the return Philadelphia got. Instead, it was the beginning of the end for the core group of players that fans devoutly watched from 2007 to 2011. Other key players from that group were traded in the following years (more on them soon) as the team fell into a hole it still has yet to climb out of.
The first Hunter Pence trade at the July 2011 trade deadline was Philadelphia’s final push in their dynasty. Just 367 days after that deal the Phillies turned their organization around by sending Pence to the San Francisco Giants.
Pence had turned into a team favorite since coming over from Houston, but the club would be eight games below .500 and 10 games back in the division. It was time to turn the ship in a different direction and restock the prospect pool.
Through 101 games Pence hit 15 doubles and 17 home runs for Philadelphia, making him one of the best bats on the trade market. Philadelphia would receive three players in return, two prospects and major league outfielder Nate Schierholtz.
The star of the deal was Tommy Joseph, one of the top catching prospects in baseball. Joseph was projected to be the Phillies catcher of the future, rated as the seventh-best catching prospect in baseball, one behind Rangers Jorge Alfaro and one ahead of Phillies prospect Sebastian Valle.
Joseph would ultimately be forced to move up the diamond to first after concussion issues behind the plate. He’d have a very good rookie season platooning with Ryan Howard, hitting 21 home runs with a .257 batting average. He came back to hit 22 home runs the next season, but it wasn’t enough for the organization. He’d be waived in March 2018 due to his lack of mobility at first base and the emergence of Rhys Hoskins in the organization.
Joseph is now playing in the Korean league with nine home runs in 55 games. He’d been the Giants’ sixth-best prospect, but none of their top-10 in 2011 made a big league impact.
Seth Rosin was the second prospect coming over, though not ranked among the Giants top prospects. The Mets would take Rosin in the Rule 5 Draft the following offseason before he’d bounce between multiple teams that spring training. He was ultimately returned to the Phillies in 2015 before making one appearance allowing five runs in two innings.
Schierholtz was nothing more than a fourth outfielder in his career. He came into Philadelphia with a pedestrian .251 batting average and 14 extra-base hits. He’d walk as a free agent before hitting 21 home runs for the Cubs in 2013.
In 2016 Schierholtz was busted for using a performance-enhancing drug, and hasn’t played a big league game since 2014.
With the Pence deal circulating around Joseph it was another big miss by the Phillies in their rebuild. Had Joseph become an All-Star catcher the organization would have taken a big step forward in growing a new dynasty.
The Phillies approached the 2017 trade deadline with one of the worst records in baseball. Sitting nearly 30 games below .500 Philadelphia hit rock bottom in their rebuild and were continuing to sell key players to restock the farm system.
Acquired in the offseason for cash considerations or a player to be named later, reliever Pat Neshek brought a funky delivery and tremendous success to Philadelphia. The veteran sidearmer was having a career-year, earning his second All-Star selection and owning a career-best 1.12 ERA.
Hammer immediately grabbed the attention of Phillies fans everywhere with his Rick Vaughn style, sporting long hair and thick glasses. A right-handed reliever, Hammer had all kinds of potential that was eventually realized when the Phillies called him up in 2019.
Hammer was anything but a wild thing in his rookie season, allowing zero earned runs in 15 of his first 20 appearances. After two rocky outings in July the Phillies demoted Hammer to hone his command, but the prospect of Hammer being a back of the rotation arm for Philadelphia already made the trade noteworthy.
Gomez, an infielder who hit .367 playing for the Rockies rookie-level team in 2016, was a promising prospect who rated among one of the Phillies best prospects after the deal was made. Gomez earned a promotion to Double-A Reading in 2019 after hitting .348 in Clearwater, and is currently hitting .257 for the Fightin’s.
Requena, who was pitching in the Rockies organization as a teenager just a year before the deal, had a 3.60 ERA for Clearwater in 2018. He’s still a ways away from the big leagues, but still very young.
While the Neshek trade was very recent, it set up the Phillies very well with three young players, one who has already proved he can be a contributor in the big leagues.
Jonathan Papelbon‘s tenure with the Phillies was, oh how should I say, something. His time as a Phillie began as the club’s time as a postseason contender ended, joining the team during the 2011-12 offseason.
Papelbon had plenty of success in Philadelphia, recording 123 saves in 234 games to become the franchise leader in saves. He also had a 2.31 ERA, 1.022 WHIP, 252 strikeouts, and 52 walks in 237.2 innings. With those kinds of numbers, Papelbon’s time as a Phillie should be remembered fondly. However, what he did when he wasn’t pitching became his lasting legacy in Philadelphia.
During the 2014 season, he openly welcomed a trade to a contender at the trade deadline. His most infamous moment came in September when he grabbed his crotch towards the fans after blowing a save. That and the ensuing confrontation with umpire Joe West led to a seven-game suspension for the closer.
Papelbon wasn’t done yet though, getting in a heated argument with 94 WIP’s Howard Eskin (I don’t know who to root for less) before a game. He also stated that he never felt like a Phillie, instead identifying more with the Red Sox who he started his career with.
Papelbon finally got his wish to be traded as the Washington Nationals needed any help they could get for their bullpen. His antics still weren’t over as he was suspended two games for throwing at Manny Machado’s head. Then, in what he will always be remembered for, he choked out Bryce Harper in the Nationals dugout against the Phillies of all teams. If you google “papelbon,” “harper” is the first autofill.
So what did the Nationals give up in exchange for all this? Nick Pivetta. While Pivetta has not quite been the starter we hoped he could be this year, the fact that the Phillies got someone who is contributing to the major-league club is more than they could have asked for.
When the Phillies traded for Hunter Pence in July 2011, it was the final move made by Ruben Amaro Jr. to keep the Phillies dynasty alive. Coming off a loss to Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants, Amaro pulled off a deal to help a team already five games up in the division.
Philadelphia never replaced Jayson Werth in right field after he left for the Washington Nationals, starting Ben Francisco in right field on Opening Day against Pence’s Astros. Pence actually hit a double off Roy Halladay in that game, unbeknownst to him he’d play with Halladay just a couple of months later.
The Phillies started six players in right field that season: top prospect Domonic Brown, Francisco, John Mayberry Jr., Ross Gload, John Bowker, and Pence. Brown struggled in limited action, Francisco never kept the starting job and the others were backups at best.
At the time of the trade, Pence was hitting .308 with 26 doubles and 11 home runs for a horrendous Astros team. He was one of the best options on the trade market; Carlos Beltran went to San Francisco, Michael Bourn had been sent to Atlanta, and Derrek Lee went to Pittsburgh.
Pence was an instant spark in the Phillies lineup, fueling a nine-game win streak in early August. Philadelphia went 37-21 for the rest of the season, clinching another division title finishing 13 up in the division.
The story behind Houston’s haul of prospects is an interesting one. The deal was Singleton, one of the Phillies top power-hitting prospects caught behind Ryan Howard, pitcher Jarred Cosart, Josh Zeudi, and a player to be named later.
The player to be named later would accidentally become Domingo Santana after the Phillies accidentally left the outfielder on the eligible player list for Houston to pick from. Santana went on to hit 30 home runs for the Brewers in 2017 after Houston traded him along with Josh Hader to Milwaukee.
Singleton would fail multiple drug tests after going to Houston, but became the first drafted player to sign an extension with no major league service time. He made his big league debut in 2014 at the age of 22 and hit 13 home runs, but was out of the big leagues after 2014 thanks to a .171 career batting average.
After the deal was made, Cosart became the Astros top-rated prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He had a 3.92 ERA and a high walk-rate in Clearwater prior to the trade, but was projected to be a top of the rotation arm.
Cosart made 30 starts for the Astros, pitching with a 3.57 ERA but striking out only 22 more batters than he walked. At the July 2014 trade deadline, Cosart would be dealt with Austin Wates and Enrique Hernandez to the Miami Marlins for Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes, Colin Moran and a 2015 competitive balance round A pick.
Cosart had early success in Miami but failed to stick in the big leagues. He last pitched for the Padres in 2017.
Zeid was the forgotten player of the trade, though he did reach the big leagues at the age of 26. The righty made 48 relief appearances with a 5.21 ERA for Houston, but last pitched in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.
Ultimately the Pence trade was a win for Philadelphia, but it also marked the end of an era in Philadelphia.
With the Phillies looking to return to the World Series for the third straight year in 2010, adding a third starter to slot behind Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels was of paramount importance. The rotation took a major drop after those two with Kyle Kendrick, Joe Blanton, and Jaime Moyer rounding out the rotation.
Enter Oswalt, who was in the midst of a major bounceback year following an average 2009 season. In 20 starts for the Astros, Oswalt had a 3.42 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, and 3.53 strikeout-to-walk rato. His talents were largely wasted as he had a measly 6-12 record, but that quickly changed upon coming to Philadelphia.
In 13 games as a Phillie, Oswalt had a 1.74 ERA, 0.895 WHIP, and 3.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He had a 7-1 record as the team went 10-3 in games he appeared in. During the postseason he continued to pitch well with a 2.75 ERA in four games, including an eight-inning, one-run performance in Game Two of the NLDS.
As a member of the “Phour Aces” rotation in 2011, Oswalt still posted good numbers with a 3.69 ERA and 3.44 fielding-independent pitching in 23 games. Unfortunately, his last game as a Phillie was an unfortunate one as he allowed all five runs in a 5-3 loss to the Cardinals that forced a Game Five in the 2011 NLDS. We all know how that ended.
Looking back on the trade, Philadelphia got what they wanted out of Oswalt: another strong starter to add to their prolific rotation. Unfortunately, the addition just wasn’t enough to get the team back to the World Series.
While many of the Phillies prior trades in 2012 and 2013 were the official kickoff to the rebuild, the Cole Hamels trade was supposed to completely reset the organization. Unlike with Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard the Phillies recognized they had a valuable young asset who could fetch a handful of top-tier prospects in return.
Coming off a no-hitter in Chicago the price tag could not have been higher for a 31-year-old Hamels, who was under team control for four years under a reasonable contract.
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hoped to sway his nickname Ruin Tomorrow Jr. by setting up the next general manager with an all-time trade that would replenish a farm system he drained over three seasons.
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Philadelphia received a haul of Rangers prospects who were ranked among the top-10 in the organization. MLB Pipeline rated catcher Jorge Alfaro the Rangers second-best prospect in 2014. Outfielder Nick Williams was Texas’ fourth-best prospect, and pitcher Jake Thompson was eighth.
On the back-end of the deal Alec Asher was rated 14th and Jerad Eickhoff 20th. Pitcher Matt Harrison helped balance out the money going to Texas in Hamels’ contract.
In all of baseball Alfaro was the only player rated in MLB Pipeline’s top-100 prospects, rated the league’s 30th best prospect.
Conceivably the Phillies got their catcher of the future, an everyday outfielder, and possibly two starting pitchers in the deal. It felt like a home run for Amaro, his swansong as the Phillies general manager.
Unfortunately, the deal hasn’t turned out for Philadelphia with four of the six players no longer in the organization.
Harrison was never expected to play coming off an injury, being included in the deal solely for financial purposes. Asher was horrendous in his rookie season, losing six of seven starts with a 9.31 ERA. His five big league starts in 2016 were better with a 2.81 ERA, but he was ultimately traded to Baltimore for cash prior to the 2017 season.
Thompson never materialized into the number one or two starter many projected him to be. Making his major league debut on Aug. 6, 2016, Thompson allowed six runs in four and a third innings. He turned a couple of quality starts, but never stuck in the big leagues as a starter or reliever.
After three years bouncing between the IronPigs and Phillies with a big league 4.87 ERA in 30 games the Phillies sent Thompson to Milwaukee for cash.
Williams is one of the more disappointing players in the deal, flashing five-tool potential with 20 home run power. He showed flashes in 2017 when he hit .288 with 12 home runs in 83 games, and in 2018 he had an opportunity to start, appearing in 140 games hitting .256 with 17 home runs. Consistency was never William’s strong point, and after starting 2019 on the big leauge bench he was sent to Lehigh Valley with a batting average under .200.
Eickhoff also showed flashes of being a steal in the deal with a workhorse mentality. In his first 41 starts Eickhoff had a 3.44 ERA with a 1.136 WHIP. Injuries knocked him out late in 2017 and for all but three games in 2018.
Finally healthy, Eickhoff looked like the middle of the rotation starter Philadelphia needed to get through the 2019 season. Through five games he had a 1.50 ERA and pitched eight shutout innings against the Cardinals. Since that start versus St. Louis Eickhoff’s ERA inflated to 10.16 in seven games.
The big piece in the Hamels deal was clearly supposed to be Jorge Alfaro, a rare five-tool catcher who’d be the heir to Carlos Ruiz. Alfaro had monstrous power, a cannon behind the plate, and the ability to hit like few big leauge catchers. In 29 games he hit five home runs with a .318 batting average late in the 2017 season, flashing big signs of potential. Starting for the Phillies the following season Alfaro hit just .262 with 10 home runs, ultimately losing the starting job to Wilson Ramos.
Still with a lot of room to grow Alfaro was traded to Miami for All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The Hamels deal might be one of the more disappointing trades in Phillies history, but in terms of impact, it sent the organization deep into their rebuild with a glimmer of hope. The Hamels deal indirectly led to the Realmuto trade, which flipped the organization out of their rebuild and into playoff contention.
When the Phillies made their 2008 World Series run, they did on the back of the roster currently assembled supplemented by a couple of marginal moves. That was not the case in 2009 as they swung for the fences for 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee.
With Cole Hamels struggling, Lee instantly became the team’s ace and lived up to the name. In 12 starts, he had a 3.39 ERA, 2.83 fielding-independent pitching, and 1.130 WHIP. His real impact came during the playoffs as he was virtually untouchable, allowing no more than one run in four of his five starts. His complete-game shutout in Game One of the 2009 World Series was easily the high point of the playoffs that year.
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Not only did this trade bring Lee in for the second half of 2009, but it was what allowed the team to re-sign him following the 2010 season and complete the “Phour Aces” rotation. The Yankees desperately wanted Lee, but he instead chose to sign with the Phillies as he knew what it was like to pitch in Philadelphia on a contending team.
Lee was an All-Star for the third time in his career and finished third in NL Young voting in 2011. The highlight of his year came in June when he allowed just one run in 42 innings, including three straight complete-game shutouts.
Lee couldn’t replicate his 2009 playoff performance two years later as he gave up five runs on 12 hits in six innings during Game Two of the NLDS. That was the last time he pitched in the playoffs as the Phillies never returned to the postseason. Lee continued to pitch well through the 2013 season, but injuries took their toll in 2014 as he never pitched in the majors again after July 31 of that year.
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Lee’s time as a Phillie is somewhat overshadowed by Roy Halladay and the core members of the 2007-2011 teams, but he was still a crucial part of the 2009 and 2011 squads. Without him, it’s much harder to imagine Philadelphia even reaching a second World Series.