Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is just a couple of days away, and it seems all but assured that the Phillies will be sellers for the second straight year. What do the Phillies have to offer other teams? Which players are most likely to be ex-Phils by 4 p.m. Wednesday? Let’s take a look.
Cliff Lee (Stays)
Lee is probably the most valuable asset that other teams would want and pay a high price for. The ace has been one of the few consistent bright spots on the team in 2013, posting a 10-4 record with a 3.05 ERA. Lee also made the All-Star team for the second time in the last three seasons.
Lee is still one of baseball’s elite pitchers, and he’s proven in the past that he can be a serious difference maker in the postseason, carrying the 2009 Phillies and 2010 Rangers through the playoffs to World Series appearances.
Given Lee’s performance this year and his previous track record, the Phillies could get an impressive package in return for the lefty if they were interested in moving him. However, the sense around baseball and the sense I get personally is that the Phillies don’t want to move him.
Ruben Amaro likes to keep his pitching staff well-stocked with top of the line starters. Even though some that believe Lee will be traded will point to the fact that the organization just paid top dollar to get Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to sign, the reality is that he’s an unproven commodity.
If the Phillies want a shot to be competitive next year, a great way to start would be to have a deep starting rotation built around Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Gonzalez, and Kyle Kendrick.
Chase Utley (Stays)
Chase Utley isn’t what he once was, but he’s still a pretty solid player. He’s finally figured out a way to cope with his knee issues, and he’s still got a little bit of pop left in his bat. He’s hit 13 homers this year, two more than he had last season, and is on pace to hit more than 20 for the first time since 2009.
The former All-Star has a reputation for being a smart player, and he would bring invaluable playoff experience to any contending team looking to make a run. The Phillies could certainly flip him for a decent return.
However, the Phillies seem to be completely uninterested in moving Utley. Infact, all signs point the team agreeing to a contract extension with the second baseman.
While I believe the Phillies will (and should) keep Cliff Lee, it just doesn’t make any sense to me to hang on to Utley.
If Utley really wants to be here that badly, he can re-sign in the off-season. Trade him now, give him the opportunity to play meaningful baseball for the rest of this season with another club, and then bring him back for another try over winter. But the idea of just throwing another contract extension at the feet of a guy who is going to be 35, has a degenerative knee condition and hasn’t been completely healthy in nearly four years is a recipe for disaster.
Carlos Ruiz (Stays)
Ruiz is another guy whose name has come up in trade discussions, but I don’t see the Phillies moving the popular catcher.
First, Ruiz just hasn’t had a good year. He’s hitting just .253 with only nine RBI’s through 46 games. He hasn’t hit a home run, and only has four extra-base hits. He’s still got good value as a defensive catcher and as a guy who can handle a pitching staff, but I don’t think that’s enough for the team to get a return that justifies dealing him.
Ruiz is a guy who shouldn’t cost much to re-sign, and given his history with the team and the value that he has to this pitching staff, I think he’s a guy that the team will want to keep in the fold for a couple more years. They don’t have any better option at the position for next season; top prospect Tommy Joseph doesn’t appear to be close to contributing anytime soon.
Jonathan Papelbon (Goes)
Papelbon has been the only reliable figure in the team’s bullpen, converting 20 saves in 25 opportunities with a 2.21 ERA. The closer is a big-time reliever who thrives on performing in big moments, and any team in need of late inning help would certainly be interested in adding him.
I think there’s a good chance that Papelbon gets moved. He’s made some negative waves several times throughout the season, beginning in Spring Training when he stated that the Phillies lacked leadership within the clubhouse. Then once the regular season began, there were several incidents where Papelbon threw his teammates under the bus after he had blown a save. Now after Sunday’s game, Papelbon came out told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that he didn’t come here for this welcome a move to a winning franchise.
When asked what it would take to turn the team around, the closer stated “Oh, man,” he said. “We could be here all day.”
When asked if he wants to remain in Philadelphia, Papelbon said: “No, I would like to stay here. But if I’m going to have to put up with this year after year, then no, I don’t want to be here. Why would you? Why would anybody?”
Papelbon sounds like a guy who wants out, and I think the team could very well be willing to grant his wish. They’ve got to make at least one significant deal that brings back a great deal of talent, and if they’re going to hang on to Cliff Lee and Chase Utley, Papelbon is the only other tradeable guy on this roster that can net a high return.
I also would love to see the Phillies get out from the rest of Papelbon’s contract. The 32-year old has lost a bit of velocity this season, and there’s no telling how much longer he’s going to be on top of his game. It’d be a serious issue for the club if they were stuck with a declining, expensive Papelbon for two more years.
Michael Young (Goes)
There’s been a decent amount of reported interest in the veteran third baseman.
Young is a glorified singles hitter at this stage in his career. He’s got very little pop left in his bat, and its been a struggle for him to find the gaps all season. He’s still a smart hitter, he can work a count and give a decent at-bat, and he’s got some good playoff experience but he’s not a difference-maker for any team.
Still, the Phillies should have little trouble flipping Young’s expiring contract on a team looking to add a veteran bat.
Delmon Young (Goes)
Delmon won’t command a team’s top prospect, but the Phillies should still be able to work out a deal for him.
Young has been decent for the Phils, hitting .266 with seven homers and 29 RBI’s. He had a strong postseason in 2012, he’s playing on a very cheap expiring contract, and he’d be a very serviceable bench piece or DH option for a team.
Check out G. Cobb later today on Lunch Break with Rhea Hughes at 12:30 on Comcast Sportsnet. You can also check out G, Cobb on Comcast Sportsnet television this afternoon on Sportstalk at 5pm.
Hamels, & Brown stay, everyone else can go kick rocks! Ruiz stays? Are you an idiot Denny? Lee & Utley, are the only ones right now, that have any value? You don’t have a freaking clue! Come on! Nobody is untouchable! This is an embarrassing disgrace!!!!!
Haha yes DCar, I realize they all should be traded…but to clarify, when I wrote this I made my picks of who stays and who goes based on what I think Ruben will do, not based on what I would do.
Gotcha, Denny. Basically just venting my anger, & frustrations, with this abortion of an organization. Sorry for taking it out on you. LOL!
I agree Dcar. I’m keeping Revere, Brown & Hamels. Several can or should go if the price is right (Lee, Utley). The rest should go to get out from their contracts or just to acquire a prospect before they walk as a FA for nothing. The Phils will regret not trading Lee this year. His value will never be higher than right now & by the time they are legit contenders again, Lee will be long past an “elite” pitcher.
We can forget about ridding ourselves, of the overpaid, mutt Rollins! He’s refusing to wave his no trade clause. “There are still a couple things I would like to be number one on the lists of in this organization,” Rollins said, “so until those things are done, I’m not going anywhere.” I’m glad to see winning & playing team, disciplined, unselfish ball, is his 1st priority. Can’t stomach this selfish, non-hustling, mutt! #2 worst, unwarranted, overpaid contract, right behind the big POS! Crapelstiff #3! Been going nuts for 2 years now, & it looks like things are going to stay the same, until Ruin 2morrow is sent to Siberia! This delusional front office, & ownership, is more worried about keeping named has-been’s on the team, rather than properly rebuild, because they think all of their fan-base, are stupid, gullible, & pom-pom wavers, like some on this site, want to see it, & won’t come to the park otherwise! But what they fail to realize, is if they come back into next season, with the same mutts, with a few more band-aids, Spackle, & has-been’s, like they did the last 2 years, the attendance will dip even further than this year! They suck, they are overpaid, old, broken down, & need to be purged, & until the f^#@ing dumb SOB’s get that through their thick, inept, imbecilic minds, nothing will change, & we will continue to suck elephant balls!!!!
OOOH, it’s inevitable, the injury excuses start spewing in! I guess getting off to a 12-16 start, fully healthy, didn’t matter? GTFO! NO EXCUSES!!!!
Trading papelbon, young and young get you prospects that make you better in 2015-2016 if they pan Out, so basically u get single a prospects.
Trading utley and or lee gets you mlb ready prospects. Reub trades either utley or lee book it
Young & Young, get you stugots! They have ZERO value! We’d be lucky to get a low level, single A prospect, with a low ceiling, for each! Crapelstiff ruined his trade value, with the 5 blown saves, & his big mouth.
This whole thing starting with the top RAJ down to the coaches (excluding sandberg) to the players to the minor league coaches, talent eval, devel, etc. blow it the fock up start over this blow out patch mentality is bullshit! All reuben cares about is the $$ oh and wanting to spend 60mil on an unknown sounds REAL fishy when you need so many other position players plus who the fok is this dude anyway get real STOP BUYING PHILLIES CRAP AND STOP GOING TO THE GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and Denny I agree with all your choices except JR goes, howard goes eat the friggin $$and let the youngbloods play afterall you have 60mil to throw on an exiled unknown from cuba than u can eat the bums remaining contract! Once you free up the cash go get some real rated free agents not like the bullshit reuben got this yr the mike adams trade was brutal DO YOUR HOMEWORK REUBAN!
Don, Rollins can’t be traded, unless he waves his 10-5 NTC. He said, no over the weekend. Howard is untradeable, no matter how much $$$$ they eat, & they ain’t eating $#!t. BTW, Ruin 2morrow is incapable of doing homework. He’s an over-matched, inept, unqualified, boob, that shouldn’t be running a paper route, let alone a MLB organization!
I think this is about right unless someone offers an insane prospects deal for Lee…which I don’t see happening. Although I could see Lee and Utley or Lee and one of the Youngs or Lee and Rollins in some package that brings in a lot of previously unattainable prospects, but that’s the only way. It might be interesting to Papelbon or some other deal with the Red Sox that would bring Victorino and a pitching prospect back to Philly. (maybe Renaudo)
Another possible trade partner out of the mix! Detroit traded, for Houston closer, Jose Veras. Teams being told Utley is off the market. Lee & Young, to Boston being discussed, but they refuse to trade any of their top prospects. BWAHAHAHA!!!! We ain’t going to do anything productive, or of significance, to better this dreck. Amaro is a cruel joke, & other Executives know it. GTFO, you POS!!!!
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman hears that the asking price for left-hander Cliff Lee is “extremely high.”
“[Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is] telling people it’ll take you three or four best prospects, plus you’d have to take all the money,” a competing executive told CBS Sports on Monday. Lee, 34, is owed $25 million in 2014, another $25 million in 2015, and he carries a $27.5 million vesting option (or a $12.5 million buyout) for 2016. He seems likely to ultimately stay put in Philadelphia.
Ruin 2morrow, is a worthless, useless, inept, POS!
I can’t deal with that Heyman quote. If Boston offers you a package including either Bogarts or Bradly Jr, you have to take it.
In other news: Asche is up to .295 on the season.
.318 in June
.330 in July
Nothing against Michael Young, but I hope to see him in the Phils line up on Aug 1st.
Agreed but I see no way Bradley goes anywhere and I think bogarts is a 3rd baseman and we have asche & Franco.
Cody Asche – 3B – Phillies
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Phillies are planning to call up prospect third baseman Cody Asche.
Related: Michael Young
Source: Jeff Passan on Twitter Jul 30 – 12:20 PM
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that “every indication” says the Phillies won’t settle for anything less than prospect infielder Xander Bogaerts as the center piece in a trade with the Red Sox involving Cliff Lee.
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox are “the biggest player” for Lee at the moment, but there’s nothing to indicate that they are willing to part with Bogaerts or even Jackie Bradley, Jr. Unless someone budges by Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, it appears the southpaw might stay pat in Philly.
Related: Red Sox, Cliff Lee
Source: Nick Cafardo on Twitter
Seems like the writing is on the wall athat Lee, Utley and Paps will still be here next year. Roughly the same team minus the Youngs and maybe Chooch. Asche at 3B and who knows what he will do in RF. He will have some money to spend.
And who knows what they will get from the Cuban pitcher. Scouting reports are all over the place on that guy.
Staff – Hamels, Lee, Kendrick, Gonzalez, Biddle
Biddle is not mlb ready and will not be next year either.
What they need to do is eat some of Lee’s contract to get a deal for Bogaerts as the centerpiece done. Bogaerts is a SS, but many project him to transition to 3B due to his size (6’2). I believe Boston is already playing him there in AAA the last several games. I hope they don’t miss this opportunity to get a top notch prospect(s) for Lee. Hate to see him go, but the time is now IMO, his value will never be higher.
If this POS GM doesn’t do anything to better this team, & get younger, he needs to be sent to the chair, plain & simple. For him to ruin any chance to rid this team of Lee’s contract, by insisting on Bogaerts, or bust, is just plain stubborn, arrogant, & imbecilic! Boston has at least 7-10 prospects, that would upgrade this teams youth, immediately. They have 3B Middlebrooks (struggled this year, but is a very good prospect), 3B Cecchini, OF Bradley (minor upgrade to Revere), OF Brentz, & Pitchers Workman, Webster, Barnes, Ranaudo, who all good prospects, are ready, or will be by 2014. They also have several highly ranked A level prospects. This stupid bastard, is overvaluing, these bunch of mutts, & is asking for the moon! Lee is 34, making $25M, get 3-4 of those prospects & move on. He’s idiotically, refusing to trade Utley, Rollins & Young are refusing to wave their NTC (@$$holes), Ruiz, is untradable, & the owners, as of now, are refusing to swallow any salaries, to make trades! Total ineptness & incompetence! Look forward to nothing, & 5 more years of garbage, & mediocrity, if they don’t blow this up, & get some good prospects in return!
Jake Peavy to the Red Sox! There went the Lee trade! F^#@ YOU AMARO!!!!!
I think that both teams are going to look back at this as a missed opportunity. Peavy and his 4.28 ERA is not a difference maker even if he could manage to stay healthy. He is an upgrade from what they have, but Lee would have been the difference maker for them.
As far as the Phils guy, Jayson Stark had said that they were discussing Bradley Jr, Cecchini, Barnes and another SP for Lee. They could have restocked the farm system in one move.
I like Lee a lot but I feel like this move would have made a lot of sense. Who knows how far the discussion got.
That’s the thing.. In typical Phillies fashion, its a bad year to be selling. From the bio genesis scandal to the two wild card system, not a lot of teams are making moves. I am not a Reuben fan by anyway shape or form, but its hard to peg this completely on his shoulders. To me he is not wrong for demanding Boegarts or bust.. Now they could trade Lee in the off season when there is more of a market, hopefully.
I’ll reserve judgement until 4 pm today, but if the Phillies don’t move a number of players I think it’s a huge missed opportunity. Ruiz, Young and Young will walk for nothing. We’ll be saddled with a declining and seemingly uninterested Rollins for another year. Crossing our fingers for Utley and Howard…again and watching Papelbon and Lee becoming average pitchers (Paps is already) with humungous salaries, and steeply less trade value. I was ok with Amaro signing some vets to one year deals to make a final run with this core. It didn’t work out and I’m ok with that too, but for the whole fan base and management to see it’s over and not make any significant moves to get younger and plan for the future is not good business.
Well stated Everz. Since it seems like Utley will be staying, we are basically a Chooch signing away from the same team with a spot to fill in RF.
Maybe Asche will be a monster!
Heyman reporting that Phils/Utley talking 2-3 year extension for $13 mil per.
same pile of mediocrity will be on the field for 2014… Amaro and the front office ONLY care about filling the seats with names like Howard, Lee and Utley and selling merchandise….. no need for them to rebuild and put together a winning team… that would put them back another 2 years where they might lose money…. I hate AMARO!
cbssportsline reported that the Phillies could have dealt Lee to the Red Sox for 3 of their top 10 prospects, but Amaro said no because they wouldnt include their #1 prospect who is untouchable…. I will take 3 top prospects from the Sox for Lee and free up his $$$$$.
I wouldn’t deal cliff lee to any team for say their number 5, 7 & 9 prospects either no fkn way. Most prospect outside a teams top 3 won’t be mlb ready for 3-5 years and are unproven. Fuck that.
I wouldn’t trade lee for anything less then a potential 2014 starting mlb player with pop and then some.
Lee will have trade value and probably more next year and or the year after.
Utley was our major asset this year and our gm won’t trade him which is moronic
Further most prospects outside an organizations top 3 turn out to be slop. Why trade lee just to get bodies. You get studs or you don’t do it period. Bogarts and Bradley are potential studs and surely weren’t offered.
Big mistake by reds IMO. They won’t make the playoffs anyways
sad reuben didnt have the fore site to trade chase and make our of better… his situation was our defining moment and biggest asset to move to get our team better for the future. sad really is. lee was never going anywhere and chooch, young and young wouldve got you the bag that peanuts go in just the bag at best.
huge failure today
at bare minimum we shouldve got the bag for m young to ensure asche gets a fair shot
Everybody stays! Let’s get extension talks going with the Youngs and Chooch! Why not tack on a couple years to Crapelbon’s contract too.
Gentlemen, welcome to purgatory. Total disappointment in Amaro. Mhenski, I agree, you at the very least had to get rid of the deadweight in Young, Young and Ruiz (looks a little different w/o atteral doesn’t he? Taking my 2 yr. old son to his first game on Saturday, where earlier in the year I was hoping to see a pennant race against the Braves, than later hoping to see some young guys playing after purging the dreck off the roster at the trade deadline. Guess I’m just hoping he see’s the Phanatic at this point.
enjoy everz. fun time at the ballpark regardless talent especially with kids. brought my daughter a week or 2 ago for the first time (she is 8 months) she had a good time except when everyone cheered (loud noise scared her and made her cry) and fortunately for me , mom & her and in typical 2013 phillies product there was only 2 or 3 times people cheered
I am wondering how much Montgomery and Gilles had to do with not wanting to eat any of Lees contract? I remember they hated doing it when Phil’s traded thome… Also, maybe they felt they had a better chance of getting a return with young and chooch on the waiver wire.. Very, very disappointing however you look at it
this team and front office is the pits…. a perfect opportunity to inject youth and give this team and fan base a direction and positive future…. however, the greedy and incompetent Amaro and the other goons in the front office will bring back the same glup of dog feces in 2014 and produce another heap of bovine excrement for the fans to watch…. much like Andy Reid, Amaro has worn out his welcome and needs to be booted out of this city.
Some of you cats act surprised, that that POS didn’t make any moves, & failed again to make the team better! He’s a F^#@ING incompetent loser, who’s incapable of doing his job! I’ve been saying it for 3 years now! Now maybe you guys will believe it! Be prepared for more of the same as the last 2 years, for the foreseeable future, until Ruin 2morrow is fired, &/or these bozos sell the team! Hey at least we’ll get to look forward to 2-3 more years of Utley, & his declining skills, & decaying body! I wave my fan clause, I want to be traded! F^#@ AMARO, Monty & his AARP club!
I am not surprised he didn’t make a single move. He’s a clown.
How in the hell, does he not at least trade the expiring contracts???? HOW?!?!?!? Did he really think he was going to get premier prospects for Ruiz, & the Young twins. He was offered 3 of Bostons top 15 prospects & an A prospect (P Workman, 3B Cecchini, P Anthony Ranaudo, +) for Lee & he turned it down, because he was insisting on Bogaerts! LA wanted Utley, & were willing to trade Pederson & Lee, & he didn’t make Utley available! NYY wanted Young & Ruiz, & Amaro said no! With those 3 moves alone, would have partially rebuilt the entire squad, with young quality players. A 5 tool OF, a 4 tool 3B, & 3 MLB ready pitchers now, & by Spring training. Not to mention, the high ceiling, A prospects they could have gotten for Ruiz, Young! What an inept, stupid, useless, worthless POS!!!!!!! Now he’s going to resign Utley & Ruiz, lose the Young twins for nothing, & we’re stuck with Lee & Crapelbon’s contracts. Their are no FA upgrades the next 2 years, except for the same has-been, to be overpaid, band-aids, & stiffs. We have no good prospects, that are going to be ready until 2015, except maybe Asche?, Martin? Morgan? Joseph? Franco ain’t ready! Biddle ain’t ready! We will have the same ?????’s, & if’s going into next season! No BP, old, declined core, no good proven 3B, ???? OF, need to fill 2/5 of a starting rotation! Halladay is done, Lannan is a bum, & needs to be let walk, KK is arbitration eligable, & not worth what he is going to receive, & who the f^#@ knows what the Cuban defector is going to bring us, but an unwarranted, overpaid contract!!!!! This team is done for at least 3-5 years, unless they fire Amaro, & blow this slop up!
I think there was a lot of false reporting around the redsox offers to the phillies. i hear they offered 0 top 10 prospects for him.
as i stated utley was the guy you trade and if he really turned down pederson for utley he is a total idiot
You heard wrong! Multiple reports, including Salisbury, Heyman, Rosenthal, Gammons, to name a few, said Workman, Cecchini, Ranaudo where offered, & Ruin 2morrow insisted on Bogaerts, Bradley as a starting point, & that’s when the Sox said adios! Word out of LA, they offered Pederson & Lee/Stripling for Utley! Wake up! He is, was & always be, incompetent, inept, & incapable of doing his job. No more defense! Go listen to his interview on WIP, & that’s all you need to know. Bumbling, studdering, delusional, imbicile!
where are you getting the Dodger info? Why would they trade their top prospect and first or second best SP prospect for 2 months of Utley?
That deal make zero sense.
Stark & Olney mentioned it & it was all over twitter. The Dodgers think they can sign him, & they have the $$$$ to overpay. Makes all the sense in the world. Keeping a 34 year old, damaged, declined player, soon to be FA, not trading him, & negotiating a 2-3 year extension, 13M per, makes ZERO sense, & is flat out idiotic!
I never saw that on Twitter and I was on it all day yesterday and searched for that today.
I mean the trade makes no sense for the Dodgers. If they think that he wants to play in LA, then they can wait until the off season.
In reality, the Red Sox were a “non factor” for Cliff Lee before they landed Jake Peavy, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
You can still complete trades into august…
Heyman reporting that Cashman called on Young, but Amaro refused the offer of the prospect and Amaro also told him that Ruiz was not available.
Per Herman, Yankees offered kahnlee, a double a pitcher for young and yanks pay youngs contract, amaro declined,
Amaro should gave done this deal, per some reports kahnlee has a high ceiling as a reliever, should have gotten something for an expiring contract, especially since you want the rook to see action at third
Agreed. Kahnle has some control issues with 30 walks in 41 IP, but also 52 Ks in that span as well.