The Phillies are at it again acquiring Hunter Pence from the Astros yesterday.
What is it about the City Of Brotherly Love that attracts star athletes? With the lone exception of the 76ers, Philadelphia sports teams are on a roll. Whether it’s the Flyers grabbing headlines by trading both Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to clear room for latest new goalie Ilya Bryzgalov or the Eagles slipping in the back door to land Jet corner target Nnamdi Asomugha, it’s become all about Philly. Speaking of which, the Phillies are at it again, making another big splash in dealing for former Astro right fielder Hunter Pence yesterday.
Before we get into the steep price the Phils were willing to pay the majors’ worst team, nobody does business quite like the NL East frontrunners. It looks like the former ’08 World Champs should run away with the division after their latest acquisition. Pence won’t blow you away by any stretch but the All-Star is a good hitter, who uses the whole field. On a terrible team, he still was hitting over .300 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI’s.
“I think he’s a very hard, hustling player,” Phils manager Charlie Manuel said of the 28-year old who will supplant Domonic Brown in right and bat fifth in support of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. “I think that he likes to play. He gives you everything he’s got. He’s got talent. He’s got power. He’s strong the other way hitting the ball. He’s a good player.“
No doubt Pence should benefit from a better lineup and as hitter friendly a ballpark as there is in baseball. A sharp contrast to his only major league team, Houston. He’ll get a chance to shine in October on the perennial favorite to represent the NL. The Phils boast a four ace rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. Need more convincing? Utley is finally rounding into shape and Howard is as clutch a slugger as you can ask for. Throw in true pros Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco and it’s a no-brainer for the newest Phillie. Where would you rather be? On a last place roster whose future looks bleak or on a team full of All-Stars with a chance to win a World Series?
“He asked me how I liked it,” last year’s Cy Yound winner Halladay said. “Of course, with me it’s been everything I thought it would be. I think he’s excited to come here and play.“
What’s not to like? Pence went from a 35 win disaster to an MLB best 66. A differential of 31! Instead of looking up at a very winnable NL Central 22.5 out, his new team entered tonight five up on the injury depleted Braves. The red hot Mets at 55-51 would be tied with the Pirates, only two and a half out. Unfortunately, they’re in the NL East still 11.5 behind the Phils- chasing wild card leader Atlanta. The Amazin’s have crept within six and a half but can’t afford to slip up. They’re trailing the Nats 3-0 on former Phils’ right fielder Jayson Werth’s 12th dinger in an otherwise awful first season in D.C. At last check, Atlanta had four on the board against Florida.
Already new Phillie teammates Howard and Rollins have gone yard in support of Lee, who’s shutdown the Pirates thus far. Pence is 0-for-2 with a groundout and a fly out. Hopefully, he’ll adjust quicker than ex-Met/new Giant Carlos Beltran, who’s 1-for-10 with six strikeouts, including his first at bat in a game San Francisco trails 5-1 to the same Reds that rolled over- dropping four in succession to the Mets at home for the first time ever. Usually, it takes some time for new players. Give it a couple of weeks as the calendar turns to August.
“I appreciate the love the fans have given me,” an emotional Pence expressed. “It’s been a wonderful time in Houston for me. I’ve had great memories and a great time playing for them. It’s the only organization I’ve known. It was a good time, and I think there’s going to be a bright future for both myself and the Astros organization.”
While he has a new challenge, the Astros’ rebuild is underway after dealing away their best player for three prospects and a player to be named later. They also agreed to pick up $1 million of his $2.3 million salary so the Phils wouldn’t hit the $178 million luxury tax that the Yankees routinely eclipse with a payroll in the neighborhood of $200 million. Instead of trading much rumored Domonic Brown, Philadelphia sent Jarret Cosart, Jonathan Singleton and Josh Reid to Houston.
Cosart is a starter who was 9-8 with a 3.92 ERA with Single-A Clearwater. The 21-year old was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 38th round back in ’08.
“We view him as a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher,” Astros’ GM Ed Wade said. “He’s at High A at this point in time, still a young developing player, but we felt that if we had a chance to get a top-of-the-rotation starter and a 30 home run guy in a deal like this, it made all the sense in the world. They were the two key pieces for us.”
That “30-home run guy” Wade’s referring to is 19-year old Singleton, who Philly took in the eighth round of the ’09 MLB Draft. On the same team as Cosart, he was hitting .282 with nine homers and 47 RBI’s over 92 games. Respectable numbers for a teenager.
“He’s certainly one of the top prospects out there, one of Philadelphia’s top prospects,” boasted Wade, who also promoted outfielder J.D. Martinez, who was tearing up Double-A. The 2010 Minor League Player Of The Year was batting .340 with 13 dingers and 71 RBI’s in 87 games for Corpus Christi.
“You put it on a pedestal your whole life, and when it actually happens you’re in shock,” an excited Martinez explained to MLB.com. “I’m still freaked out.”
The third prospect is relief pitcher Josh Zeid, who was grabbed two rounds later in the ’09 Draft by the Phils behind Singleton. After struggling as a starter, he’s made a seamless transition to the bullpen, posting a 2.25 ERA in 10 games at Double-A Reading. Wade views the 24-year old as a potential set up man for former Yankee and current closer Mark Melancon, who’s best known in Staten Island for closing out the Low-A Baby Bombers’ second consecutive New York-Penn League championship in ’06.
On trading a homegrown star, Wade heaped praise. “This is a bittersweet moment for us as an organization. Everybody connected with this organization takes pride in what Hunter Pence has done for us, the way he’s come through the system and represented, not only our team but the city of Houston as admirably as he’s done.
Time and circumstance dictates that you have to do some tough things sometimes, and this certainly ranks among them.”
