MLB Trade Rumors: Gio Gonzalez Could Be a Target for Philadelphia Phillies

A few days ago I wrote an article about what the Phillies could have looked like if they hadn't traded Gio Gonzalez in that Freddy Garcia trade. What I didn't realize when I wrote that article was that according to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies are now in the mix to acquire the left-hander from the Oakland Athletics.

Rosenthal makes the point that if the Phillies acquire Gonzalez, it would make Cole Hamels expendable. Essentially, they would be able to use Hamels to reimburse their farm system from the hit it would take while acquiring Gonzalez.

I do understand this point in theory, but I do have some concerns about the perceived swap. Gonzalez has had a few very good years. However, he has been pitching in Oakland which has been historically friendly to pitchers. Therefore, his numbers might be a little bit inflated.

I know that the other side of that argument is that he is pitching in the American League, so if he came to the National League, his numbers would also improve.

However, I think that my biggest concern about any type of set up like the one presented above is what I have been saying about the Phillies all along. They are getting older very quickly, and in a few years, the Phillies might look entirely different than they do right now. I do not know how good they will be in a few years.

The Phillies need to be in the best position to win right now because that is how they have positioned themselves. I think that Hamels, even though he is not under team control for as long, puts the Phillies in the best position to do that. Even though he had slightly fewer wins than Gonzalez, Hamels had better numbers across the board while pitching in a hitter's ballpark.

I know that it might be shortsighted, but the Phillies seem to be in a position to win right now. Because of that, they need to make decisions that are consistent with that goal. In this case, Hamels is better right now, and should thus remain a part of the team.