Too Soon to Upgrade? 10 Early Trade Targets for the Philadelphia Phillies
With just 19 games in the books to date for the Philadelphia Phillies, it's very early in the season and any trade rumors you hear at this point in time should be taken with a grain of salt. For a lot of teams it is simply too early to start dismantling their clubs, with the hope of postseason glory still within reach.
Take for instance the two teams atop the American League Central—the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals. Both were supposed to be cellar dwellers throughout the season and sell off their top stars at the trade deadline. In full fledged "rebuilding mode," people around baseball believe the Tribe will turn the likes of Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Fausto Carmona into top prospects and ditto for the Royals and veteran players like Jeff Francis.
Early in the season, however, we wonder where the Indians, who have a better record than the New York Yankees and the same record as the Phils, will be come the trade deadline at the end of July. That sentiment is echoed around the league, where every team in baseball is still in contention. There is a lot of baseball left to play.
That said, it's not too early to notice some of the best teams' greatest weaknesses, and in the case of the Phillies, those flaws are quickly becoming obvious. As I wrote here the other day, with Brad Lidge on the disabled list and Chase Utley recovering slowly, the bullpen and offense could become problem areas for the Phils.
Outside of Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras, the team lacks a reliable arm out of the bullpen. As the seventh inning carousel continues to turn and the likes of Kyle Kendrick, David Herndon and Danys Baez continue to get shelled, we fans are left wondering if a trade could be in the works sooner rather than later.
Of course, the same sort of woes ravage the offense. Without Utley the Phils are missing some spark and power and without Jayson Werth the need for a right handed bat has become apparent. As the likes of Raul Ibanez and Ben Francisco continue to struggle, could the Phillies make a move if for nothing more than to shake things up?
At the very least, it is worth taking a look at some of the players who could be wearing a Phillies uniform this season and making an impact down the stretch run.
Hunter Pence
1 of 10
Let's face it, the Houston Astros don't have to trade Hunter Pence and on some levels, you wonder why they would want to. Last year, they traded away their longest tenured players in Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman, and with Carlos Lee's contract expiring, there aren't many familiar faces in that Astros' clubhouse.
That said, if the Astros do decide to go with a youth movement, they may call teams to let them know that Pence is available. He's now 28 years old and quickly becoming very expensive. In just his second year of arbitration, he and the Astros battled his contract negotiations out in front of a mediator, with Pence coming out on top. The Astros will pay him $6.9 million this season, which may not be too much to handle. If he has another Pence-like season, however, the Astros may consider flipping him for prospects.
Of course, the Phillies are very familiar with Ed Wade, the general manager of the Astros, and may be willing to work something out. With Raul Ibanez's contract expiring at the end of this season and Ben Francisco having yet to prove that he can play every day, the need for a right-handed bat to play with Domonic Brown in the future may be emerging, and Pence fits that role well.
Heath Bell
2 of 10
With the Phillies visiting the San Diego Padres this week, Heath Bell hasn't appeared in many ball games. In fact, he hasn't had many save situations over the course of the early season, mainly because the Padres haven't been putting themselves in winning situations.
While Bell and the Padres have discussed contract extensions in the past, it's becoming more and more likely that he hits the free agent market as the top closer, and if that happens, the Padres surely won't be able to afford him. They could look to deal him at the trade deadline for a top prospect or two, and with the bullpen in flux, the Phils could come calling, especially if Brad Lidge has a setback in his recovery.
Of course, if the Phils were to target a closer like Bell, and I'm sure that Ruben Amaro will be making a few calls, it may be with the intention of signing said closer to a contract extension. Lidge's hefty option will surely be declined at year's end, and Ryan Madson will be hitting the free agent market. Though Bell will earn just about $3.75 million over the second half of the season, the Phils could be upgrading for the future as well.
Ryan Ludwick
3 of 10
Ryan Ludwick has struggled mightily since donning a San Diego Padres jersey, and to me, it's no surprise. As a guy who once hit close to 40 home runs with the St. Louis Cardinals, I thought it was painfully obvious what type of hitter he was—a right-handed power threat with the tendency to strike out. Why the Padres would want to add that type of hitter to their lineup in PETCO park is baffling to me.
On the other hand, adding his stick to the Phils' lineup makes much more sense. We all know how the ball tends to fly out of Citizens Bank Park, and hitting in a smaller ball park may take some of the pressure off of him. He'd be a nice platoon option in left field with Raul Ibanez and has handled a spacious right field in San Diego.
He'll be a free agent following this season, and with the Padres having come close to non-tendering him in the offseason, he wouldn't be too expensive. If acquired at the trade deadline, he'd cost the Phils about $3.39 million.
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Joel Hanrahan
4 of 10
I'm probably reaching a bit here, as Joel Hanrahan isn't scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2013 season and will be a relatively inexpensive option at closer for the Pittsburgh Pirates until then, but you have to like the fit. As I mentioned on the Heath Bell slide, the Phils are going to be dealing with a thin bullpen come the end of the 2011 season and may have to go out on a limb and overpay to get a quality arm like Hanrahan.
Now, why Hanrahan specifically, you ask? Simple. He's a very versatile arm out of the bullpen. When he was with the Washington Nationals a few years back he was still growing into his role and the Nats gave up on him far too soon. Now with the Pirates, Hanrahan has developed into a hard-throwing, late-inning reliever that has been effective against both left and right-handed batters—something the Phillies desperately need in their bullpen with Antonio Bastardo being the only semi-reliable lefty at this point.
With a lack of left-handed specialists projected to be available at the trade deadline, why not go out and get a guy that will not only help your bullpen this year, but also in the future, as your closer and setup man hit the open market?
Josh Willingham
5 of 10
I'm still on the fence about the actual availability of Josh Willingham come the trade deadline. Personally, I think the Oakland Athletics are a much better team than the way they are playing right now and could still be in contention come the end of July. That said, I think that he'd be the perfect fit in the Phillies' lineup.
Back when Willingham was a member of the Washington Nationals, we Phillies fans got to see a lot of him. The prospect of acquiring him back then was rather slim, as the Nats would want the Phillies to overpay for him. Now a member of the A's, the price wouldn't be as steep, especially since by the time the trade deadline rolls around, Willingham will be just half a season away from free agency.
Most importantly from a Phils perspective, he wouldn't be too expensive. He'd cost about $3 million by the trade deadline and has hit both left-handed and right-handed pitching well over the last couple of seasons.
Matt Capps
6 of 10
You may be noticing a theme growing here. I haven't selected any left-handed relief options for the Phillies to take a look at yet, and that is by design. Normally, the trade market for relievers does not shape up until teams are out of contention at the trade deadline, and even then, it's hard to project who could be on the move. Obviously, there are a few guys who we think may be available and that's the direction I'm heading in.
So with that being said, Matt Capps is another guy I think the Phillies will have a good look at. He was in the same situation as Josh Willingham as far as the Phils were concerned. Sure, they may have wanted to talk to the Washington Nationals about him when he was a member, but the asking price would have been far too steep. Heck, even the Minnesota Twins gave up a top catching prospect for him.
That, however, was a different situation. A lot of people don't have much faith in the Twins, citing their slow start as more of a reality check than a slump. If that's the case, dealing a guy like Capps, who is slated to become a free agent at year's end, would be a no-brainer, especially for a team with a so-so farm system.
With the amount of aces crowding this rotation in Philadelphia, the need for another reliever may not be apparent, but I'll respectfully disagree. With Jose Contreras pushing 40 and Brad Lidge spending more time on the disabled list than on the field, the Phils are left with Ryan Madson in high leverage situations. Adding another late-inning reliever is crucial, from my vantage point, especially if it is a half-season rental. Matt Capps could pay dividends for the Phils.
Juan Rivera
7 of 10
The Toronto Blue Jays must not be the biggest fans of Juan Rivera. They acquired him in a contract swap situation along with Mike Napoli (whom they subsequently sent to the Texas Rangers) from the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Vernon Wells—a steal for the Jays in and of itself. That said, he hasn't played much of the field since Opening Day (just six games) and Getty Images doesn't really have a decent picture of him in a Jays uniform.
Going through their own youth movement, I think the plan was to turn Napoli and Rivera into more valuable parts, but Alex Anthopolous was only able to deal the first. Come the trade deadline, that may change, as teams like the Phillies look to upgrade their team on different levels. Adding Rivera as a right handed platoon player, or even in a reserve role, could help.
He should draw some interest from the Phils, as he'll be relatively inexpensive come the trade deadline. A free agent after the season, he won't cost much in regards to prospects and money-wise should only cost the Phillies about $2.625 million.
Jon Rauch
8 of 10
I'm sure that Jon Rauch wasn't one of the first guys you thought of when you opened this slideshow, but personally, I'm a big fan of the versatility that he brings to the table. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in the offseason, and at first glance, I wasn't sure why. The only reason that I could think of was the fact that the Blue Jays were willing to give him a club option, but I'm sure a contending team took a look at him.
Nonetheless, the Phillies would be wise to give Rauch a look come the trade deadline. He isn't the dominating type of reliever that some of the guys I've listed are, but he has been a quality bullpen arm over the course of his career. Where some of the other guys on this list would push some of the Phils' top relievers down in their roles, Rauch would push them up, being more of a "Chad Durbin" type reliever than a "Brad Lidge."
What would appeal most to the Phillies is the cost. I'm sure the Jays wouldn't mind turning him into a prospect or two at the trade deadline, and by midseason he'd cost the Phils right around $1.875 million with an option for next season (at $3.75 million).
Michael Young
9 of 10
In all honesty, I'm not a fan of the idea of trading for Michael Young. For what he would cost in terms of prospects and dollars, it probably isn't worth it. That said, I am a huge fan of his versatility. If Charlie Manuel could learn to use him correctly, he could find the man plenty of playing time by resting guys like Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez.
Would it be worth it? Probably not. His numbers have been inflated from playing in that ballpark in Arlington and moving on to tougher pitching in the National League may not be the brightest idea. It would be foolish not to consider it, though.
Brian Tallet
10 of 10
Like the Minnesota Twins, the St. Louis Cardinals are a team that could be in trouble come the trade deadline. While they lead their division early in the season, questions about the quality of the starting rotation, the contract status of Albert Pujols and the back end of the bullpen loom over their heads. That could make a couple of pieces available.
One of those pieces is a guy that I find quite interesting: left-handed reliever Brian Tallet. He is the type of pitcher that flew through his arbitration years under the radar and last season was non-tendered by the Toronto Blue Jays after several years as a starting pitcher. The Cardinals decided to use him solely as a left-handed specialist, and to date, albeit a small sample size, he has excelled.
With Antonio Bastardo looking like the lone ranger in the Phillies' bullpen nowadays from the left side of the mound, the Phils could use a cheap left-handed option and Tallet could be their guy.
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