Phillies news: Club ‘longshot’ to reunite with Cole Hamels

Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski is bullish on starter Kyle Gibson.

The most notable trade the Philadelphia Phillies made ahead of the July 30 deadline was when they acquired starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, closer Ian Kennedy, and minor-league pitcher Hans Crouse from the Texas Rangers in exchange for former top prospect Spencer Howard and two other minor-leaguers.

Right away, the 33-year-old and nine-year veteran shined in his Phillies debut. Pitching 6 2/3 innings in Sunday’s eventual; 15-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the right-hander allowed just five hits, two runs, and two walks, while striking out five of his 27 batters faced. In earning a winning decision, Gibson earned his first victory since June 26 — when he improved his season win-loss record to an impressive 6-0 with a 2.00 ERA.

Before Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals, Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski called Gibson an “established major league veteran pitcher” on SportsRadio 94 WIP:

“He has been doing this for a long time. Of course, he made the All-Star team this year. He’s been a good, solid pitcher for a lot of years.”

While Gibson will not overpower opposing batters, Dombrowski noted he can still mix his pitches and throw strikes — all the while fielding his position well. Another thing Gibson brings to the Joe GIrardi-led club is the ability to throw deep into games. Excluding his first start of the season on April 1, Gibson has pitched at least five innings in every one of his 19 starts, a feat even his new rotation-mate and Phillies ace, Zack Wheeler, has not achieved this year.

“For us, the one thing — not only [can he] win [you] games — he can give you length out there, as far as innings are concerned.”

Dombrowski went on to say that Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler were really the only two guys who could provide length with Zach Eflin currently sidelined:

“Having a person like him that can give you a chance to win the ballgame on an every-start basis — but also give you that length — is extremely important for us as we move forward.”

So far, so good in the Gibson-Phillies era.

The July 30 trade deadline was surely a frenzy for all teams throughout Major League Baseball, especially the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies essentially made a deal with about a minute to go — when they reacquired infielder Freddy Galvis from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor-league pitcher Tyler Burch.

About an hour before the deadline, the team finalized a multi-player trade with the Texas Rangers that landed them starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, close Ian Kennedy, and a minor-league pitching prospect.

The most notable player Dombrowski had to give up in return was former Phillies top pitching prospect Spencer Howard. Before Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals,  Dombrowski said on SportsRadio 94 WIP that it was difficult to part ways with Howard, given he is still a young player:

“If we were going to trade him, we needed to get another young person back. We just couldn’t trade him and be in a position where both players would be a free agent within a year.”

Gibson is signed through 2022 with a team-friendly $7.7 million salary, while the 15-year veteran Kennedy is set to hit free agency. The young player the team ultimately got in return for Howard was the Rangers’ 2017 second-round pick — right-handed pitcher Hans Crouse, someone Dombrowski is pleased with:

“We liked Hans Crouse a great deal. I thought that made sense for us.”

In 13 starts this season at Double-A Frisco, Crouse went 3-2 with a 3.35 ERA, 54-19 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, and an impressive 0.902 WHIP across 51 innings. If he can eventually replicate that success at Double-A Reading, Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and in red pinstripes at the big-league level, the sky is the limit for the California native.