The final days of July are always a busy time of year for Ruben Amaro. Normally, the Philadelphia general manager is one of the league’s biggest buyers, but due to the team’s failures the opposite is true and the Phillies have been one of the league’s biggest sellers on July 31st.
Today the Phillies waved goodbye to two of their starting outfielders, shipping Shane Victorino to the Dodgers and Hunter Pence to the Giants.
Victorino was having one of his worst seasons as a Phillie, and now returns to his original organization, who lost the outfielder to the Phillies as a Rule 5 draft pick years ago. In exchange for the centerfielder, the Phillies picked up a pair of pitchers, Josh Lindblom and Ethan Martin. Lindblom is major-league ready reliever, who threw 47.2 innings for the Dodgers with a 2-2 record and a 3.02 ERA. He’s got some experience as a setup man, 23 of his innings have come in the eighth inning. He’ll be under control of the Phillies until 2018.
Martin was a prospect in the Dodgers’ system, going 8-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 20 starts at the Double-A level. He has a fastball that can reach the mid-90s, and has potential to develop into a major league starter.
The Hunter Pence trade was the biggest surprise of the day. The Phillies were shopping the outfielder, but a trade didn’t seem likely. The former Astro was the only starting outfielder under contract next season, and his absence now leaves the lineup without a legitimate right-handed power threat. In return for Pence, the Phillies receive catcher Tommy Joseph, outfielder Nate Schierholtz, and a third player to be named. 
Joseph is a 20-year old prospect hitting .260 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in Double-A. He’s considered to be one of the top prospects in the San Francisco organization. Schierholtz is an outfielder that has been in the major leagues full-time since 2009. He’s a career .270 hitter, and is ideally a fourth outfielder on a good team. Because of the Phillies payroll troubles, he could become a starter or at least a platoon option in the outfield next season.
The trade deadline passes later this afternoon, and the Phillies could still make a couple of moves involving guys like Joe Blanton (who the Orioles reportedly have interest in) and Juan Pierre. Cliff Lee’s name came up in some rumors, but at this point he’s unlikely to go anywhere.
Poor Rueben, If He acted about 2 weeks ago and he could have gotten better prospects and players in return for these 2.. HE missed the boat as usual as if another week in the Phils Season was going to make a difference on how they finished this year…
Relief Pitcher Josh Linblom is a legitimate Reliver and should help immediately and has some real upside as a 7th/8th Inning Set-Up Man to Papelbon..
OF Nick Shierholtz is a decent 4th/5th OF and a bench player who will probably be an everyday OF for the rest of this Season since the PHils have no one else.. PLrobably see an OG of MAyberry in LF, Pierre or Mike Martinez in CF with Shierholtz in RF which won’t scare any Pitching Staffs around the NL… Phils did dump some Salary adn will have to continue to do so as they probably Trade Blanton to try to create more $$$ for resigning Catcher Carlos Ruiz which will now become a Team Priority (or at lease should be)
How the hell would you know what he could have got 2 weeks ago ? You are such a fraud Paulman, with your baseless, factless, make believe nonsense posts.
T-4 minutes until a Dcar rant…..
mhenski – paul has been doing this for 5 solid years. you will one day learn to appreciate his sarcasm. he’s just trying to get you riled up.
With this tommy john guy being a touted cathing prospect, is the writing on the wall about Chooch?
Paul were you fielding the calls in Rubens office? This is what you wannabe gm’s do ‘he could have signed cole for 3 years $45 mill if he did it when I said’ and crap like that. What a joke, his buddy on hear does the same thing.
Tigers,Pirates,Reds,Giants,Arizona were all in the Market a coupld weeks back
but Phils too slow to react.. Talk about a GM Wanna-be, The Phils have one in
Reuben Amaro.. Say goodbye to Blanton and then at the end of the Season to CAtcher Ruiz, Polanco,Kendrick, Contreras,Pierre, Wittington.. Early Prediciton for 2013 — Phils 80-82 and a 4th Place finish like this Season behind the ANts,Braves & Mets as Phils start a decade of medicority..
In the market and offering what? What EXACTLY did they offer? Please confirm with the exact offer and your published source. You just make shit up. EXACT offer!
Paul how would you know if those teams wanted Pence, how would you know whether they talked or did not talk?
Your a total fuckin idiot
Espn is saying that the rangers are idiots for not giving up Olt for lee. Saying you have to go for it NOW. Absolutely right. Blanton still possible to orioles
because I know everything when it comes to Sports and Women.. When you have more teams in the Market to updgrade, your chances are much greater in getting a better return than waiting to the end after other teams made their moves nad Phils basically are giving both Victorino & Pence away..
nobody wants this goof pence for 15 mill a year or victorino who has an expiring contract and struggling at best at the plate.
get a clue
Chooch should be safe, I suspect the Phillies will want to keep Joseph in the farm system for a year or two before considering him for the big leagues. How long it’s going to take the organization to recover is going to depend on how many more players get traded. Blanton, Polanco, Kendrick, Contreras, Pierre, Wigginton are all oldish to old and expendable, a couple of them shouldn’t have been brought in in the first place so I don’t really have an issue. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the Phillies bring Ryan Madson back. It doesn’t seem like they’re really ready to blow it up though…if they had they would have traded Ryan Howard…even off the injury few teams would not give up their left arm for Howard.
I’m sorry Paul I don’t we what exactly they could have gotten two weeks ago
FAILURE, of a trade deadline. Traded both of our All-Star outfielders, & still didn’t get any upgrades, or good young talent for our starting 8, for now or the immediate future. We got more arms, that aren’t going to help us now, or next year. They better hope that Lindblom can help this BP, immediately, because they’re going to have problems. He is wild & gives up the HR ball. We got a catcher, albeit a promising one, that we won’t need until 2014, at the earliest. Also got, Shierholtz, who is a 4th, 5th outfielder at best. We got ZERO of either teams, top prospects. We still have Blanton. We failed to trade Lee, because we were too greedy, to pay any significant part of his salary (Per Rosenthal & Heyman). We still have Rollins, Pierre & Wiggington. FAILURE. I understand that they HAD to get rid of Victorino, because he wasn’t coming back, so I’m not too upset what with we got, but the Pence deal, I’m not happy with. We got a back-up OF, a marginal Pitching prospect, & a Catching prospect, that we won’t need for at least 2-3 years, especially if they are going to bring Chooch back, in 2014. He might be a goner, next year. Who knows? Amaro had an opportunity to ship out several players, but failed to do that, failed to get any position prospects, & failed to improve the immediate future. We still have the waver trade deadline, to get something else, but I doubt we can do anything of significance now. If Montgomery was smart, he’d fire Amaro, because, I wouldn’t want him rebuilding this team, starting in the off-season. I’m sorry, but the dude is an inept failure of a GM. He trades too much, gives too much in $$$, & gets Stugots in return for trades. Proof is in the pudding, boys. If you don’t agree, you are blind, & delusional & you don’t have a clue of what you’re talking about.
DCAR you mention that you and the rest of us were stoked with pence… You also mention that he was exposed here in the pressure cooker. You are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT that he was exposed! Guess what…. The scouts from other teams saw that to… I’m pretty sure they saw what you saw. You didn’t complain when they gave up a lot to get him because he wasn’t exposed a nice player in a small market.
Also, they can’t rebuild! They are the yanks, red sox now. They have to feed the dragon. They have to produce a huge revenue and have a chance to win… That’s the economics of it.
They will get more for Blanton in compensation pick that the orioles were offering… This according to Jim Salisbury … But then again you knew that. Also, conventional wisdom ( I mean the feeling around baseball) is that it might be easier to deal lee in the off season or keep the big three together. Pence and victorino clear 25 million, Blanton 8. They can go over the tax for one year and it won’t kill them. But the second year the tax doubles.
havenoclue, you just can’t help yourself, to be the smart @$$, know nothing, @$$hole, that you are, can you. I don’t know it all, & never claimed to. But I know alot more than you, & have proven it MANY, MANY, times! Instead of failing to try to nitpick, & rip everything Paul & I, factually, & truthfully state, why don’t you try to school yourself & get your facts straight. I’m not even going to lower myself anymore, with the name calling, because everyone sees what a know nothing, irrational, delusional, stepford, that you are.
1st off, WE ARE NOT, the Yankees, OR the Red Sox! Both have a much more revenue coming from their TV deals, & the Yankees own their own TV network, but I guess you know that?!? Our new TV deal, won’t kick in until 2015, but I guess you knew that too?
2nd, everyone, everywhere, stated, they didn’t get enough, nor good enough of prospects for Pence, but I guess you couldn’t see/ hear that, through your man-love/ apologist attitude, towards Amaro?
Lastly, you say they cleared $25M, by trading Vic & Pence, & 8 for Blanton. Those are assumptions & you failed to mention, that really has ZERO affect to all of the escalating contracts of Howard, Utley, Rollins, Lee, Chooch, ETC, ETC, that makes those saving a MOOT point, but YOU KNEW THAT, right?
BTW, with all of this monster $$$ & renue we have/ getting, since according to you, WE ARE, the Yankees, & THE Red Sox, how & where are we going to fill, all of the holes, we need to fill in the off-season?!? We WILL NEED, an entire outfield, 3B, 4-5 BP pieces, & 2-3 starters, depending on what happens with Lee, Halladay & Worley’s off-seasons. Worley & Halladay have health???? Lee quite possibly, still will be traded. IMHO, we still will need replacements for 2B & SS, VERY SOON. So where exactly do we find the assets, trade pieces, & prospects to fill, ALL THOSE NEEDS, in ONE off-season?!? We are going to HAVE TO, trade Lee&/or Rollins! We have ZERO POSITION prospects! We got ZERO in yesterdays trades! Our position prospects are all low A & being converted to different positions (Ruf- 3B/OF, Valle-1B). But you KNEW THAT! Where are we getting good OF’s from? If we couldn’t afford Hunter’s $14M-$15M arbitration, how are we going to afford Bourne, who already stated he wants $100M contract. Hamilton, will get more & is an addict, & is 1 binge away from being out of MLB. Upton will get about the same, or more than Pence. The rest of the FA’s are a bunch of bodies & aren’t improvement, or anything special. BUT YOU KNEW THAT, RIGHT?!? But hey, it’s easy, let’s just throw out ridiculous $$$ & contracts again, & be right back where we were this year, because we are the Yankees, & The Red Sox. RIGHT ON, bring on 2013—– with inept Amaro, at the helm. I’m all in, because we are the Yankees, & The Red Sox!!!!! BUT YOU KNEW THAT, HUH HAVENOCLUE?!?
On another note, Amaro & Montgomery have STATED MANY TIMES, that it’s stupid business, to pay the luxury tax, because it’s $$$ going towards nothing.
*paraphrase* They aren’t paying it! We are in semi-rebuild, & if Mayberry & Brown continue to show what bums that they are, it will be a complete rebuild. Especially with the ages, health, & diminishing skills of Polanco, Rollins, Utley, Howard & Halladay.
They will go over for one year. The second year they won’t. They are getting huge tv revenue starting next year. Stick to the facts please not your opinion. They are going to be on the same revenue league as Yankees, sox, rangers and anglels. Fact. They will make one more run with this group but they will NEVER go back to a rebuilding year…EVER! He landscape has changed
Please stick to facts.
Using Paul as your comrade… ENOUGH SAID!
IDIOT, THEY ARE NOT GETTING A NEW TV DEAL UNTIL 2015! Are you that stupid, stubborn & irrational, that you never want to be wrong?!? I always stick to the facts you stubborn jack@$$! You get YOUR facts correct! It’s 2015, go do some research, before you try to sound like you know what you are talking about, you imbecile! And yes they will rebuild. What do you call, what they have to do, if the rest of this team, doesn’t improve?!? It WILL be a rebuild, you moron! They have already started. Are you f^#@ing blind, along with delusional & irrational?!? BTW, nobody is my comrade, I have my own mind & brain. The only reason I used him as an example, is he & I have been spot on for 2 years now. Deal with it, nitwit! You are the biggest ROCKHEAD, that I’ve ever encountered in my life!!!!
Also, if you listened to Amaro last night, & last weeks interviews, he clearly, & strongly stated, “That they can go over the luxury tax, if they wanted too, but they WILL NOT!” What part, OF WILL NOT, doesn’t your rock head understand?!?!? Those are his words not mine, & Montgomery has backed his comments, several times! YOU DOPE!!!
Right 2015 they can’t afford to rebuild that’s a fact… Will not happen, some in the know (Scott Boris) and others say the deal will be bigger than the deal the dodgers got… Something like 4-5 billion.
The focus has to be on moving Lee. That would give them the best opportunity to fill in a hole with a good young player or prospect. That could be a haul from the right team, but it will probably entail them eating a portion of his contract. Getting that 25 or some portion of it off the books will give them the flexibility that they need to begin to rebuild. Without Lee and Blanton, you would still have Halladay, Hamels and Worley. Kendrick would be 4 and Cloyd 5. Although, I would like to see them make a run at Edwin Jackson. He is having a nice year for the Nats and he will be a free agent. He might command a high salary due to what is available. But if Lee is gone, it is a possibility.
Hey genius, what do you call dumping salaries, in the off-season needing to add 3 starting OF’s, a 3B, 4-5 BP pitchers, possibly 2 starters, depending on Lee’s status, 3 bench pieces, quite possibly a 2B & more than likely Manual’s job status?!? That’s defined as a rebuild, imbecile! There is nothing wrong with being incorrect about things. Stop being such an irrational, stubborn, delusional, argumentative, nonsensical, imbecile! Use your freaking brain, for something more than a noggin space filler!!!! I want them to rebuild a good, young, winning team again, don’t you freaking understand that. I’ve been saying for 2 years now, what was going to happen, & what needed to happen, & I haven’t been wrong yet!
You are never wrong, damn we are more than halfway done 2012 and you only have a few months to have your one wrong thing for the year.
It’s not rebuilding when you bring in free agents at high dollars… Rebuilding is a total youth movement. Go sit in Paul’s moms basement and work on your fantasy team.
Bugs if the rangers get knocked out early the will pay for lee… They are getting out maneuvered by the angels.
hac, have a little class! You never know about family members! Don’t be an @$$HOLE! BTW, I don’t play fantasy baseball. You’re the one who lives in La La, fantasy land. IT’S A REBUILD!!!!
Nope… You will be correct if their payroll goes below what.. About 100 mill. If it stays in the high 100’s it can’t be. They believe, HAVE TO BELIEVE that they will have a shot the next few years. You don’t sign a pitcher for 144 and rebuild… They are in it to win it. Can’t afford a half full stadium like Washington … And speaking of Washington… They better win now! They have some good young players who are going to want to be paid and those empty seats don’t bode well for them!
Phils Core of 7 Players (Doc,Lee,Hamels,Papelbon,Howard,Utley & Rollins)
will account for approx $130 MIllion for Player Payroll for 2013 which leaves about $40 Million for the remaining 18-20 Players on their Roster..
It will take about $8 Million per season to re-sign C Ruiz but Phils will shed Polanco’s, Contrerars,Kendrick, Wigginton’s and hopefully Blantons to give them some flexibility
Paul it will take $5 million for the Phillies to bring back chooch next year because the organization has a 2013 $5 million option on him.
Kendrick is not going anywhere I dont think.
Mhenski stop using real factual information… He makes stuff up. Phil’s have a team option for 13 at 5 million according to baseball reference .com… But his arguments work better when he can invent shit. I’m sure rueban seeks his counsel on many things. Also chooch will be 34. With the latest deal they have 3 young catchers, one to dangle for an of or 3B and two to man the ship or maybe two to dangle while they pay a aging chooch a good but not extravagant salary. Make no mistake chooch is an ALL TIME Philly without a doubt, but the business of baseball says a 35 year old CATCHER is not the same as a 35 year old first baseman
cigar. there is an article on philly.com saying he may play some 3rd next year
Who chooch? Yikes!
It may end up with galvis and Rollins over there …. Would be great defensively??? Assuming the pitching comes back, strengthen the pen and go pitching and defense?
Where are all the comments?
They have been dropping off Bugs for about 2 weeks for me.. Every time I pull up commment history to read comments, it shows the first 1-2 comments that were posted but nothing else.. It’s crazy and hope they get it fixed for you can’t have any conversations or repsond or see who wrote what…
Log off then log back in. It’s a pia
I have been avoiding the site, and not commenting because of too many virus issues. It sucks, because with camp opening I wanted to see everyones thoughts on the Birds, but can’t afford to have another virus from this site shut me down.
My Bad on Phils having $5 Million Option, so thats $135 Million for core 8 Playters on the team with about another 35-40 Million for the remaining 15-18 Players… Plus if they can’t move Blanton in the off-season, than thats $144 Million for 9 Players leaving then about $30 Million for the remaning squad..
Paul, my olive branch to you is Baseball-reference.com you can get real details on players contracts blanton is a FA after this season.
I know you are a fan but sometimes having real info can help, can make you see why decision makers do what they do. Make you see they aren’t dumb , help you see that they have a plan etc