Philadelphia Phillies: Jason Vargas trade better than it looks
With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, several deals are being made. Strangest of all is the New York Mets sending Jason Vargas to the Philadelphia Phillies.
It’s not often that a pair of division rivals come to an agreement on a trade. However, on Monday the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies agreed to terms on a deal that would send Jason Vargas to Philadelphia in exchange for catcher Austin Bossart.
Phillies starters have struggled this season, ranking 27th in MLB in fWAR. Their ERA (4.59), FIP (5.07), WHIP (1.37) ranks 16th, 27th, and 18th respectively. Despite all of this, the Phils are just 1.0 games behind the Washington Nationals in the division.
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Sure, adding Jason Vargas to the mix is far from an exciting deal. His 13-15 record and 5.26 ERA while with the Mets look quite miserable on the surface. However, if you delve deeper into his stats this season, Vargas has pitched much better than you might actually think.
This year, Vargas has taken the mound 19 times, 18 as a starter. In that span, he has a decent 4.01 ERA and features a 6-5 record. In his 18 starts, Vargas has allowed ONE or fewer runs SEVEN times. He’s allowed TWO or fewer runs 11 times.
Compared to his current Phillie teammates, Vargas’ ERA, FIP, and WHIP are significantly better.
- Philadelphia Phillies: 4.59 ERA, 5.07 FIP, 1.37 WHIP
- Jason Vargas: 4.01 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 1.27 WHIP
With this in mind, Vargas is actually an upgrade for a Phils team that is under immense pressure to make the postseason for the first time since 2011.
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What’s more, all the Phillies had to give up to get Vargas was a prospect with no real big-league aspirations. They also get to pay the rest of Vargas’ $8M salary for this year. For 2020, Vargas has a club option with a $2M buyout.