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Philadelphia Phillies: Trading for Competition

By Tal Venada

If He Reaches His Potential, Velasquez Will Be the Ace of the Staff. Photo by Eric Hartline - USA TODAY Sports.
If He Reaches His Potential, Velasquez Will Be the Ace of the Staff. Photo by Eric Hartline - USA TODAY Sports. /
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Eickhoff Has Earned His Rotation Spot with Durability, Consistency and All-Out Effort. Photo by Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports.
Eickhoff Has Earned His Rotation Spot with Durability, Consistency and All-Out Effort. Photo by Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports. /

After the first half of 2017, the front office will reassess their needs and in-house talent to determine the bottom two slots of the rotation for August, September or 2018; and general manager Matt Klentak of the Philadelphia Phillies will promote the top two candidates from the acquired arms in this competition at that time.

Tomorrow’s Rotation:  

Under the umbrella of one major decision, a number of choices, big or little, is not uncommon; but a misfortune or one major miscalculation could sour the overall outcome.

Eventually, the aging stars could no longer produce the magic of 2008, or – for that matter – remain healthy for an entire 162. So the plan was mostly to deal them for pitching prospects at Double-A and Triple-A. Basically, the red and white employed a numbers-game strategy: Management picked up as many arms as they could to increase the odds of finding a few gems.

For the 2014 MLB Draft, the Philadelphia Phillies changed direction by selecting college-level hurlers they could fast-track to the parent club. Aaron Nola joined the red pinstripes 13 months later, and he toed an MLB rubber for the second time the day after Cole Hamels‘ masterpiece against the Chicago Cubs. By that time, however, only three smaller moves had preceded the Hamels trade to the Texas Rangers.

In the lunchroom of a local manufacturing firm, a group of white-collar workers discussed the young pitching on the Phils. One boisterous guy pointed out the success of Jerad Eickhoff, who came from the Texas organization, and the barely tapped potential of Vince Velasquez. The flamethrower – the office worker verbalized – came from the Houston Astros in the Ken Giles swap. What happened to him?

"IN OTHER WORDS:     “I think anything is possible if you have the mindset and the will and desire to do it and put the time in.” – Roger Clemens"

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