Hunter Pence: Does the Phils' Trade Top Carlos Beltran's Move to San Francisco?

Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, but was Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants a better trade?

The Phillies announced the Pence trade after their series loss to the Giants and their shiny new toy, Beltran.

Both of these teams have been successful this season.

They both lead their divisions by several games. Both teams are expected to make it to the postseason, and they seem to be on a crash-course to meet in the NLCS once more.

Because both teams have made blockbuster deals, we must ask, which trade was better?

Which Player Has Done Better This Year?

This year has been a good one for both of these players.

Both were selected to the All-Star game. Both were considered the best bat available at different times. Both have been traded to teams ready to compete.

Carlos Beltran is batting .285 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI. He is also a talented situational hitter, batting .308 with runners on, .340 with runners in scoring position, .297 with runners in scoring position and two outs, and .750 with the bases loaded.

Hunter Pence is batting .308 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI this year. He is also a gifted situational hitter, batting .363 with runners on, .345 with runners in scoring position, .342 with runners in scoring position and two outs, and .333 with bases loaded.

Both of these players are doing very well. Beltran may have a bit more power than Pence, but Pence is a much better contact-hitter. Beltran has also had a history of injuries, which could lead to problems later in the season.

Advantage: Pence has had the better season.

Which Team Gave Up the Least for Their Player?

In their trade for Carlos Beltran, the San Francisco Giants traded Zach Wheeler, who is 7-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 16 starts for San Francisco's high Class-A affiliate in San Jose. Wheeler was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2009 draft.

New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson decided on looking for one top-notch prospect instead of two or three lesser ones, and Giants GM Brian Sabean obliged.

The Giants gave up an elite prospect for a two-month rental. They decided to trade a speculated talent for a proven one, and Beltran was the most they could get for Wheeler. The Giants did not surrender as much as they may have needed to.

In their trade for Hunter Pence, the Phillies gave up four prospects. They traded Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid and a player to be named later. Cosart and Singleton were their best pitching and hitting prospects respectively, although the Phils did not give up Vance Worley or Domonic Brown.

The Phillies gave up a considerable amount of talent for Pence, who will be under team control for three seasons. They managed to hang on to Worley and Brown, who have begun to prove themselves at a major-league-level, but there's no getting around the fact that they gave up a lot.

Advantage: The Giants gave up less for Beltran than the Phillies did for Pence.

Who Addressed the Needs of the Team More Completely?

The San Francisco Giants had a few needs. They desperately needed a bat, but they also needed a catcher and perhaps a shortstop.

Beltran addressed their need of a bat in a big way. His current stats lead the team in batting average, RBI, home runs, on-base percentage, hits, extra-base hits, total bases and many more categories.

However, Beltran is an outfielder, and while they are not going to have trouble finding a spot for him, the Giants did not address any of their other needs.

The Philadelphia Phillies needed a right-handed bat and a corner outfielder. They were looking for a long-term player, but they would settle for a rental.

Pence fits every single one of these categories. He is an excellent right-handed hitter who can hit for both power and contact. Pence is also going to be under team control for 2012 and 2013 as well.

The Phillies could not have asked for a better option, and they definitely got the most out of their blockbuster deal.

Advantage: The Phillies addressed their needs better.

Who Has More Postseason Experience?

Postseason experience is always undervalued, but it is vitally important to a team's success.

Beltran has enjoyed quite a bit of success in the postseason. He has hit 11 home runs in 22 games, including eight home runs in the 2006 postseason. The 34-year-old knows what it takes to win in the postseason, and that is going to help the Giants come October.

Pence has played all five seasons of his career with the Houston Astros, and the 28-year-old has therefore never made it to the postseason.

Beltran has had a lot more experience and success in October than Pence has, and it is going to be interesting to see how he performs under the pressure.

Advantage: Beltran has much more postseason experience than Pence.

How Long Will Each Player Be Under Team Control?

Each of these teams made a deal for the best player they could land, but which one will be with their respective team for the longer period of time?

Beltran's contract is over at the end of the season. He was considered a two-month rental option, which is why the Giants had to give up very little for him. While there is a pretty good chance Beltran will remain with the team after his contract ends, he could leave the team if he wants to.

Pence's contract is over at the end of the year too, but he is arbitration-eligible. Pence is going to be under team control until the end of the 2013 season, which is exactly what the Phillies wanted. Pence could also stay with the team longer than necessary if the team is highly successful (as we expect).

Advantage: Pence will stay with the Phillies longer than Beltran with the Giants.

Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies Is the Better Trade

The better trade of the two is Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pence is the better player, he is going to stay longer, he addresses the team's needs better and his trade to the Phillies is clearly better than Beltran going to the San Francisco Giants.