Another former Phillies player is now looking for work
On Sunday former Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence was designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants eight years after he was traded there by Philadelphia as part of their rebuild.
Pence was hitting just .096 with two home runs for the Giants before the move was made on Sunday, opening up space and playing time for more young players of Gabe Kapler’s Giants.
Now 37-years-old, Pence might have played the final game of his professional baseball career.
Despite being with the Phillies for only 155 games over two seasons, Pence was an instant fan-favorite. He was the last piece of the Phillies’ attempt to compete and one of the first pieces of the team’s rebuild when he was traded to San Francisco.
In retrospect, Philadelphia didn’t get much back from the Giants when the made the deadline deal in 2012. San Francisco sent Tommy Joseph, Seth Rosin and Nate Schierholtz to the Phillies for Pence, and each of those players disappointed in various ways.
Joseph was the star of the deal and supposed to be the next everyday catcher once Carlos Ruiz’s career was done. Concussions pushed Joseph to first and he never hit for enough average for his power to keep him around.
Rosin, a fourth round pick of the Giants, was lost in the Rule 5 Draft in 2013 and later returned after bouncing between the Mets and Rangers. He pitched only one game for the Phillies with five earned runs allowed off seven hits, a walk, and a strikeout in two innings.
Schierholtz was a 28-year-old who the Phillies hoped could finally find himself on the field as a former second round pick. He hit .273 in 37 games and left for the Cubs before being suspended for using PEDs.
With no minor league baseball this year it’ll be even tougher for Pence to find a new home to at least finish the 2020 season. Not too many teams will take a chance on a 37-year-old who’s lost his swing in a pandemic-shortened season.
He’s hit 244 home runs in his career and from 2007-16 he was a .284 hitter with an .809 OPS. The trade to San Francisco helped him win two World Series to go with four All-Star selections and a handful of MVP votes.