Joe Savery and the 5 Players the Philadelphia Phillies Should Trade
No, I am not going to say trade Vance Worley. I know some people have thrown out that idea, and I have to say that makes almost no sense. He is one of the few young pitchers the Philadelphia Phillies have that are actually big league-ready now. His ERA is the lowest of all qualifying pitchers and he has nothing but upside.
Secondly, contrary to popular opinion, the Phils are not really in need of much big-league help They have a strong team of hitters that are working their way out of a slump. While I don't believe that the 10-run game last night will become the standard, I also don't believe that scoring two runs a game will become their standard operating procedure.
But the Phillies do have the opportunity to let go of some of their minor league players who will never contribute to their major league roster.
With that in mind, let's get started.
Joe Savery
1 of 5
This guy may not be too well known for people that don't follow the Phillies' minor league system. But for those of us who do, we all know Joe Savery.
He was the Phils first-round pick out of Rice University in 2007. We originally drafted him as a pitcher, but that was not to be. His numbers in Reading, the Phillies' Double-A affiliate, were pretty good. He went 12-4 with a 4.41 ERA.
After earning a promotion to Reading, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, however, he got destroyed. This led to his conversion to first base and designated hitter, where he has performed beautifully.
His current numbers at Class A Clearwater are outstanding. In 38 games, he is hitting .320 with a .346 OBP. Now I know what you're saying. Why would we want to trade away a strong bat when our offense is getting older and not producing?
Well the problem is that he has been converted to a first baseman and a DH, two positions the Phillies will not have open anytime soon. He is behind two very strong 1B already, in Matt Rizzotti (who I will address later) and Ryan Howard. He is part of a logjam that needs to be relieved.
Matt Rizzotti
2 of 5
Now here's a guy who excites everybody who knows anything about the Phillies' minor league system. Rizzotti's a 6'5", 255 lb hitting machine, currently tearing up Double-A Reading. His numbers there are unreal. With a batting average of .351, an OBP of .420 and an OPS of 1.036, he is slugging his way to Triple-A in no time.
Did I mention he has also belted eight home runs and has a sweet .938 fielding percentage?
This guy is a monster who is only hampered by one thing. Sadly, that one thing is Ryan Howard, and Rizzotti isn't going to dethrone "The Big Piece." All those great stats mentioned above make him an unnecessary first baseman who could be big-time trade bait as the deadline approaches.
Brad Lidge
3 of 5
2008's Golden Boy is 2011's whipping boy.
After a forgettable 2009 and 2010, Lidge was ready to shoot for another perfect season in 2011. Sadly, it wasn't to be.
His injury has sidelined him for the entire season so far, and others have stepped up in his absence. Jose Contreras will come back and take over his role, as either the setup man or middle reliever, while Ryan Madson maintains a stranglehold on the closer role.
When Lidge comes back, will there be a place for him?
Danys Baez
4 of 5
No one will give us anything for this guy, but I want him gone. His inability to miss bats is aggravating. At this point, I would rather the Phillies pay someone to take him.
For some reason, "Ol Cholly" thinks he belongs on a major league roster.
I'm cool with that, just not ours.
Joe Blanton
5 of 5
Now this is the face of a guy who is just happy to be in a rotation he has no business being a part of. The No. 5 starter of the future for the Phillies is Vance Worley.
I am so sick and tired of hearing about Joe Blanton's consistency or his ability to eat innings. For the money we are giving him, $8.5 million, we need more than a sometimes-healthy inning eater. While Worley may not be a polished pro, he couldn't possibly do worse than Ol' Joe.
This guy is the most likely to go, and now that the Phillies have Worley, they can look to pick up a strong outfield bat before the deadline.
