Did the Phillies absolutely fleece the Rangers at the trade deadline?

One day, we’ll know for sure exactly how this trade between the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers turned out, who won and who lost, how each player performed for their new team, did any of these prospects amount to anything.

But at the outset, it’s looking like the Phillies did quite well for themselves.

In addition to getting starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, closer Ian Kennedy, and prospect pitcher Hans Crouse, Jayson Stark reports that the Rangers also sent $4 million to the Phillies.

So, the Phillies upgraded their rotation, bullpen, farm system, and continued their streak of never exceeding the luxury tax. The Rangers basically paid them to take one of their top prospects.

Feels like a solid win, yet Phillies fans seem unhappy with this trade.

The thing is, I’m not sure Dave Dombrowski would’ve been able to satisfy them this time around. Nothing short of Craig Kimbrel and Max Scherzer would have been enough at the deadline, and that’s quite an unrealistic pair for this team. Now that we know what the White Sox and Dodgers gave up to get pitchers of their caliber, it’s clear the Phillies weren’t going to be able to match them.

Ultimately, this trade was about upgrading now, while the Rangers are clearly rebuilding for the future. But from this vantage point, it feels like the Phillies got a lot without giving up too much.