The Phillies will be shooting for the stars come the July 31 trade deadline; Houston Astros all-star right fielder Hunter Pence to be specific. A report by CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury on Friday stated that Pence would be the Phillies main target.
If the Phils were able to acquire Pence it would be nearly impossible to find a flaw with this ball club. However the All-Star outfielder will come with a hefty price tag. Pence is the Astros’ best and most marketable player, so you had better believe it will not be easy to pry him away. Houston would probably demand some combination of Domonic Brown and Vance Worley, and possibly Jonathan Singleton, a minor league first baseman and outstanding hitting prospect.
At first glimpse, the price might seem too much but if the Fightins get Pence that would significantly reduce the Brown’s role. As far as I’m concerned, getting Pence would eliminate the need for Brown, so I believe it makes sense for the Phillies to give up Brown in the deal.
In the case of Worley, if Roy Oswalt comes back healthy this year (yes, that is a BIG if), Worley would be the club’s number five-starter and probably not even make the playoff roster. And as far as Singleton, why not trade prospects for proven talent. Anybody begging for Kyle Drabek’s return?
Pence would be a crucial acquisition, and more valuable to the Phillies than any other names rumored to be out there such as Melky Cabrera of the Kansas City Royals and Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets. Pence is a better player and he is younger.
The rightfielder would be the much needed right handed bat which the Phils have needed all season long. The Phils could put him in the fifth spot in the lineup and force teams to start throwing fastballs to Ryan Howard. Pence would give the Phillies more punch in their lineup with his .310 average and 62 RBI’s.
Also Pence would be under contract until after the 2013 season so he would not just be a one-year rental player like Beltran. At 28- years old Pence has established himself as one of the premier outfielders in the National League. Picking up Pence could be a deal that has the perfect combination to win now and build for the future.
The biggest problem with getting Pence will be staying under $178 million luxury-tax limit. The Phillies are currently only $3 million
under the limit and Pence is due about $3.45 million by the end of the season, although depending on the terms of the deal the Astros might have to pick that up. Ruben Amaro Jr. has shown in the past that he does not necessarily mind spending over the limit in order to get the player he wants as he did with Cliff Lee in 2009.
Signing Pence will also make it financially more difficult to re-sign Cole Hamels and Jimmy Rollins who both have contracts that expire at the end of the season. Still the Phils will deal with that when the time comes and it should not deter them from going after Pence.
The Phillies have held on to the best record in baseball for basically the entire season. however come playoff time this pitching staff will need some run support to get to the ultimate prize. Adding a player of Pence’s skill to our outfield and our offensive line-up it would help insure that the bats won’t fade in the playoff as they did last year.
While the idea of Pence in a Phils uniform is an exciting image, it will be very difficult to get the deal done. Right now, it seems that the deal is more likely not to get done, but the Phillies and Astros have completed blockbuster trades in the past and we’ll see if Amaro still has the magic in his bag of trade deadline tricks.
Brown, Singleton & Colvin for Pence. Get it done Amaro!!
I don’t want to lose Vance.
I am so sick of watching Brown lets move him. He looks like he has never played the outfield. Right field is right field on any level. He had the excuses last year, then they shipped his .145 BA from winter ball. When is enough enough. I am trying to win NOW! He cant help me this OCT. I dont CARE about 3 years from now. I care about this OCT! He wont be better than Pence this year or next or maybe ever. That lineup is getting hot. Especially Ruiz and Utley. Throw Pence in there and wow!
RAJ has something up his sleeve. Stay tuned.
I seriously dont understand some of these fans…how can anyone say worley is untouchable but will trade brown? i mean its really gettin annoyong…dom brown has been an “untouchable” for the last 2-3 years! no trading brown for halladay, lee, or oswaltno one even heard of worley until he made spot start last year! cmon people….now lets think here…all gettin rid of brown would do is open the door for possibly 2 starts in the postseason…whereas if you traded worley for pence you could have brown comin off the bench, and then when ibanez leaves next season, move brown to right field and then ya have your corner outfielders for thge next 3-5 years! i mean i know brown is starting off slowly, but look at in his first season, he was 9-0 at one point with better stats then worley, kendrick was also a stud in his rookie year….dom brown has the chance to be an all star every year for the next 10 years, and has way bigger upside than hunter pence himself…worley would be our 4th starter for the next 5 years, at best….thank god raj runs this team and not the fanbase….worley, cosart, for pence, if it takes 3 and they have to give up singleton also then so be it…dont get rid of brown for anyone
**happ was 9-0** browns first year and hes 23…takes time
Drabek was untouchable…How’s that working out for toronto??
This lineup doesn’t need another left handed bat. Not to mention Pence has one of the strongest arms in the league. This deal is a no brainer, Singleton?? Really?? I’ll drive him to Houston
PENCE ISNT THAT GOOD…..GEEZUS H CHRIST….YOUR ARTICLE MAKES IT SEEM LIKE THEY ARE DEALING FOR PUJOLS…..PENCE IS A VERY GOOD PLAYER BUT NOT WORTH DEALING 3 OF OUR TOP YOUNG PLAYERS….GET THE H-LL OUT OF HERE MAN….
I WOULD NOT DEAL WORLEY AT ALL…NO WAY…A 22 YR OLD ARM LIKE THAT COMES AROUND NOT TOO OFTEN…. AND HE GETS TO LEARN FROM SOME OF THE BEST IN LEE, ROY AND HAMELS….
I WOULD DEAL DOMONIC BROWN AND SOME OTHER PROSPECTS AND KEP SINGLETON AS I BELIEVE HE HAS A HIGHER CEILING THAN BROWN AND COULD SLIDE INTO LF WHEN IBANEZ CROKES..
I mentioned Pence and Orioles OF Adam Jones for some time now..
for a couple of reasons,
#1) They are young and can part of the club for the foeseeable future and not just a 3 Month Rent a Player.. (remember that Ibanez is in his final season with the Phils and they need to get his replacement too)
#2) Both players can solidify the Batting Line-up as #2 or #5 Hitters and add some Pop, Speed and Consistent Hitting to the line-up while being very good Defensively and can even steal 20-30 bases for you
Now the Phils will overpay for whoever they acquire as it is a real Sellars Market this Season with so many teams look to add to their Rosters for a Playoff Push. To me the real question really remains, do you give up a little too much to help solidify your OF and Batting Order for the next couple of Seasons (Pence or Adams), or do you give up a little too much for a 3 month Rental player (Beltran)..
Make an upgrade but do keep in minf 2012 and beyond
A Deal of Worley, Brown and a Prospect (Defratus, Rizzoti or Singleton)
should be a good deal for both the Astros and Orioles as they rebuild
@jott, ”WHEN IBANEZ CROKES” lmao
first off people hear that a prospect is good, and expect them all the be ryan braun when he gets to the majors; that does not happen, ever. Secondly, pence is an all star, and will be one, every single season. He is not pujols, but his season average numbers are identical to matt kemps, his average season is 290, with 84 runs, 25 hrs, 15 sbs, and 90 rbis… and that is in an astros lineup that has probably been the worst in baseball for years. He will be better than werth was in this lineup, and you get him for 3 years. I would not want to trade brown personally, but if they had to, they can, especially if they can extend pence for a couple year… pence is worth it
Spot-on Zoltek,
OF’s Pence or A Jones are not 1 year wonders, these players have been consistenly productive over their entire 4-5 year Careers which is why I don’t mind if the Phils overpay a little for at I think you know what your getting in both of these players for the next 3-4-5 years and not just a older,renta a player who doesn’t fit into future plans.. Phils can afford to give up young ptching prospects since they will have at least the Big 3 back for next season and beyond if they lock up Hamels.. You have to win now but keep an eye toward 2012 and beyond (Ibanez,Polanco,Rollins) are all not getting any younger
paulman,
Where have you seen the A.Jones is available? I have read hundreds of articles and not one mention.
Thanks Zoltek for beating me to the punch. Pence is a very good hitter in a much bigger park and a much worse liineup. He is plus OF too. He is perfect for the Phils who are looking for some RH pop.
Jake- Singleton can’t play in the OF. They tried that early this season in the minors and he stunk up the joint and stopped hitting. He started to hit when he moved back to 1B this year. He won’t ever make this team, because of Howard, so why not move him while he has value?
PS- ALL CAPS? REALLY?
He is in his final year of his Contract with Orioles which hurts the interest in him a little bit around the league. A team would not only have to trade a lot to get him but also be very confident that they can work out and sign him to a long-term deal.. I belielve the Phils are one of few teams that can do this…(the Red Sonx and Yankees love this Jones but Baltimore will not trade Jones to a division rival) and are looking to trade him to a NL Team but want 3 high-level prospects in return.) SF Giants is another team in the hunt for him and I can’t tell you why there is little or no mention of him , but I have been talking about him since May as a possible player for Phils to pursue..
I don’t thnk Baltimore can re-sign him and he want’s to play for a winner and bigger market team..
Paulman,
Your comments are always thoughtful and much appreicated as always.
I did some digging on Jones. He is not a FA after this year he has 2 years of arbitration eligibilty left similar to Pence.
http://www.masnsports.com/amber_theoharis/2011/05/when-will-os-lock-jones-into-long-term-deal.html
He is 3 years younger than Pence and seems to be untouchable from what I could find…lets just hope.
pence is also a high motor utley type player as well, which makes him more desirable to me than adam jones. Jones is probably more talented, but will probably be tougher to get, being that baltimore is on the way up, while houston is on the way down. I personally dont think the phils need an RH bat as much as people think right now, but when the playoffs come, they will certainly need one.
To Repski,
I stand corrected and you are right about A Jones Free-Agency Status..He has 2 more abritation years left with Balitmore before he can become a Free-Agent
So it’s very unlikley he is part of any Trade from the Orioles… my bad and thnx for the correct info.. I will have to fire my Baltimore Source ..
paulman, care to change your prediction phils win 92 games, second in nl east behind braves, “lite” hitting lineup, below average bull pen, Hamels not an elite starter, phils over hyped, need I go on?
He ain’t man enough jakedog. Phils might not get to 119 like I predicted, but they’ll get close. 110 is my final offer.
Phils are on a roll, no doubt..At this point I would say 100-102 games should be very attainable where they finish up with..Still is 1/3 of the season to play and a lot can happen over 2 months + time..Braves have 6 games head-to-head with the Phils and will need to win at least 5 of them if they want a real chance to catch Phils, but we’ll see what happens and what teams make what moves here as the Trading Deadline approaches but the way everyone is right now, The Phils are the favorites but stil have some question marks about OF Depth,RH Bat and maybe Bullpen depending if Lidge/Contreras can return and to what level.. (Stutes,Bastardo, & Madson have been fantastic but need at least 1 more reliable arm).. It should be an exciting final couple of months as the Braves,Brewers,Cardinals,Pirates,Reds and out west where the Giants,Diamondbacks and even Rockies all batlle for playoff spots
The NL Central Teams will end up beating each other up just to make the playoffs as the Brewers,CArds,Pirates,Reds will be battle tested but beat up..
The 2 teams that match up best versus the Phils in a PLayoff Sereis are Giants and Braves due to their multiple left-hander Relief Pitchers they can throw out at you over a course of a game and series
Phils Have never played or hit very well out in San Francisco and the Braves Staidium is a pretty good PItchers park also , thoguh the Phils have played well there in the past (and especially Howard,Victorino & Ruiz)
Cliff Lee getting hit around again, He’s really gotten the ball up the last couple of starts and has giving up a lot of hits… 50 PItches through 2 innings is not good…
I don’t care if they get rid of Worley or Singleton for Pence, but now Brown. I feel Brown will be better in the long run, and with Ibanez being a FA after this year, we could afford Pence next year and have Brown to replace him. Have a stud OF. Pence is 28 as well. Brown is only 23, and just starting to scratch the surface. Anyone else (not really ANYONE else), but not Brown.
wow too many things to comment on. Paulman, trading Brown and Worley is ABSOLUTELY not happening. that destroys their payroll next year because instead of having a #4 starter and a starting OF playing for 500k each you have to go get a veteran for those spots.
bugsy – no offense but i don’t think you completely know what you are talking about with Singleton. he wasn’t hitting because the Phillies tried to change his swing. as soon as he went back to his old swing he started hitting again. he was moved from LF because he injured his ankle. he didn’t “stink up the joint”. he was moved because of his ankle injury and learning to play LF with an ankle injury, and trying to get your swing back because the phillies f’ed it up was too much to handle at one time.
daggolden – it doesn’t matter if you care about now. the phillies are a business, and they DO care about 3 years from now. and 5 years from now and 7 years from now. that’s how you run a business. you don’t just trade future assets for instant results until you have no future assets left. it’s pretty simple. there’s a balance they are trying to reach.
for everyone on here. Domonic Brown is NOT GETTING TRADED. let it go. it doesn’t matter what you think of him, everyone in baseball thinks he is a star in the making. if you can’t see it it’s because you are a typical casual fan who needs instant gratification. im not saying he is 100% garanteed to be a star. but he certainly has the tools. look at his numbers in july. he is having great at bats with a good amount of walks and doesn’t strike out a lot.
I like quinnys idea about keeing brown and moving him or pence to LF next year. I would offer singleton, cosart, and maybe a vet like mayberry or fransico for pence. But I think trading worley brown and singleton is just too much. Also I would commit suicide if we got beltran. I also agree with hot97x. I think this team needs a bat instaed of an arm, but both would be nice.
Brown will never be a star. Bank on it. He is a butcher in the outfield, & his swing is retarded. I just don’t see it. Hopefully i’m wrong if we keep him. But I think he will be moved. New rumor is, the Phillies are talking to Chicago for my boy Carlos Quentin. He would be perfect here. Power, solid hitter & outfielder. The only downer is he strikes out a ton, like Howard & Burrell.
I have also heard that the White Sox may just blow up the team, and i would really like to have Carlos Quentin. he is under team control thru next year so at the least you would have him for 2 pennant runs. i still wouldn’t, and don’t think the phillies will trade Brown for him no matter what. any deal they make they are going to try to center around Worley, or high prospects not named Cosart.
that was meant to read high A prosects, as in guys that are currently in clearwater.
Brown does need to change his swing, its pretty messed up. I was thinking about the trade and I would give up worley and cosart and maybe another prosect for pence because brown and singleton are too valueable. I feel like our pitching in the future will be fiine, but our hitting wont. Our pitchers are younger than our players so developing hitting prospects is key.
You can’t give up Worley or Brown. Even if Oswalt comes back, he seems pretty set on retiring after this year and then what? More importantly, Polanco is probably going to be out for the rest of the season/post-season. 2nd base is more importantly and it will cost less. Sometimes I honestly still wish JA Happ was here…Oswalt just seems like a demotivated guy that puts baseball 4th or 5th in his line of priorities and I don’t know how motivated he is to even get back into the game.