MLB Trade Deadline: Philadelphia Phillies Going for It All, Acquire Hunter Pence

Just days after the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants make a trade for Carlos Beltran, the Philadelphia Phillies pushed hard to acquire Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros.  

To get Pence from the Astros, the Phillies gave up a good chunk of their top prospects: top pitcher Jarred Cosart and top fielder Jonathan Singleton, along with Josh Zeid and one more player to be named later.

On the year Pence is batting .308 to go along with 11 home runs and 62 RBI. Or in other words, Pence produces. He is producing huge numbers in a place where the franchise is struggling to get wins. Adding a bat like Pence to the Phillies lineup makes them even more deadly when they arrive at a ballpark.

This is huge news for Phillies fans, no matter which way you look at it. The team picks up an exceptional outfielder and hitter in Pence, adding huge stability to their outfield and another powerful production bat to their lineup.

Did the Phillies give up too much?

Absolutely not. The Phillies were in a position where they were good, but needed one more piece to put them over the top.  

Losing top prospects can be a huge blow to small-market teams. The Phillies are not a small market, it is just the type of trade the team needed to solidify their postseason run and increasing the chance for a World Series run.

A great aspect about getting a player like Pence is that he is under contract through 2011 and cannot become a free agent until after the 2013 season. So unlike the Giants giving up a top prospect for a two-month rental in Beltran, the Phillies have Pence for at least two more years.

Not only did the Phillies shore up their offense and defense for the rest of this year, but also for years to come.

Phillies fans should be happy you got Hunter Pence over Carlos Beltran. Beltran is injury plagued and may not make it through the season. If he does get injured, the Giants are out a top prospect and do not even get a draft pick in return. With Pence locked up, the Phillies have a chance for the next three years if something were to go wrong.  

Playoffs

The Phillies now set themselves up for a phenomenal playoff run. They have one of the most, if not the most dominant pitching rotation in all of baseball, to go along with a lineup that is a threat from top to bottom. That can never be fun to go up against as an opposing team when your season is on the line.

If you did not have the Phillies as World Series favorites before, I think you have something to look at. If you do not have the Phillies as World Series favorites now, I would check your pulse because the Phillies are for real.