Phillies’ Rebuilding Fuels Trade Fears
Regarding a number of misperceptions by the faithful during this restructuring period, one side effect is anticipating never-ending deals to acquire more prospects and/or to make room for the Triple-A talent of the Philadelphia Phillies if the losing continues.
Adverse Reactions:
When a prescribed remedy fixes a problem, it doesn’t always come without unpleasant complications.
In Major League Baseball, like other industries, many decisions are repetitive. For instance, a manager employs his closer in the ninth inning, and the front office sends the better player back to the minors and keeps their second choice because he’s out of options. And these are only two basic examples among the many. Moreover, the opinions expressed here have their basis in these patterns repeated in all MLB organizations. Yet keep in mind, no writer is in the room and franchises only reveal so much. But they have tells.
During the weekend, Double D, a poster from another site, showed concern regarding general manager Matt Klentak and the duration of the rebuilding process. Well, since management in the big leagues doesn’t often have luck with a three-year timeframe, they expect an adventure of four or five campaigns if things work out.
By design since 1965, teams on the bottom draft first and the champions go last. In other words, the champs grow old and drop in the standings. Ergo, Double D, organizations dread restructuring with decline in attendance, their fan base, their revenue streams and the albatross of expensive contracts. But finishing in the basement with little hope of recapturing past glory is the final straw before the moving of aging stars for youngsters.
If you review some Phillies sites, you’d see why some locals have concerns about trading Aaron Nola; for instance, Klentak should give the Angels whatever they want for that Mike Trout fella. Yeah, they’d take Nola, Odubel Herrera, Aaron Altherr, Tommy Joseph, Nick Williams and Vince Velasquez. We could get the best player in baseball and might be in the mix for a Wild Card like them. It’d be like dealing Cole Hamels and Ken Giles for Trout. What?
On a few threads, you’d see dealing Nola would produce the take the Phils got for Hamels. No way! Hamels was 31 then and Nola’s 24. They owed the southpaw $86 million or so, while Nola’s getting slightly above the MLB minimum ($0.544 million).
How ’bout Giles? He was 24 and making less money than Nola. Well, they moved a closer for a starter and potential ace, who could handle the ninth if the rotation gig didn’t work out.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “You sweat out the free agent thing in November, then you make the trades in December. Then you struggle to sign the guys left in January, and in February I get down to sewing all the new numbers on the uniforms.” – Dorrel “Whitey” Herzog
During 2015, the Philadelphia Phillies executed phase one of restructuring by moving veterans for MiLB talent. The goal, Double D, was to add those prospects to the farm system along with Rule 5 pickups. Basically, a numbers game. And even though the Phillies had a vague idea outcome-wise, those players needed success for a job with the parent club. In other words, a combination of natural ability, hard work, opportunity, motivation and mental toughness would lead to filled positions on the red pinstripes.
While the difference for the second phase was having reliable players for as many roles as possible, the execs hoped for a few gems. Well, they got dependable youngsters like Jerad Eickhoff. But the organization also uncovered some surprises who by reaching the majors this summer have something to play for: catcher Jorge Alfaro and Williams. So, the plan, Double D, is to use free agency and trades for the remaining holes in the lineup, starting staff and the bullpen.
Swapping the pearls among the regulars and the rotation is a listen-only proposition. Klentak is not open to initiating those moves: The dealing for youngsters is not an open-ended situation despite the standings. Presently, the GM is concentrating on shoring up weaknesses by acquiring vets on one-year contracts for 2018. In other words, Nola is the ace going forward, Rhys Hoskins could be the slugger, and Herrera is the hitting star so far, even though he is Jimmy Rollins on steroids: J-Roll didn’t go and neither will El Torito.
IN OTHER WORDS: “What we have are good gray ballplayers, playing a good gray game and reading the good gray Wall Street Journal. They have been brainwashed, dry-cleaned and dehydrated!… Wake up the echoes at the Hall of Fame and you will find that baseball’s immortals were a rowdy and raucous group of men who would climb down off their plaques and go rampaging through Cooperstown, taking spoils… Deplore it if you will, but Grover Cleveland Alexander drunk was a better pitcher than Grover Cleveland Alexander sober.” – Bill Veeck
Next: A Wild Card for 2018's Phillies Rotation
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “(Greg) Maddux is a master. He carved us up. He didn’t give us anything good to hit.” – “Trader Jack” McKeon
To sum up, the most important part of rebuilding is having some diamonds among the other valuable stones. However, you don’t trade a gem for a handful of maybes or one superstar who isn’t enough where he is. And while Hoskins and Herrera project to be the offensive engine, Mackanin once compared Nola to Greg Maddux – potential-wise. So, Double D, why would you part with a young Maddux? You wouldn’t!