Phillies wave good-bye, finally, to their stumbling rebuild

The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten rid of the last piece of their failed rebuilding attempt.

The last stumble of the Philadelphia Phillies rebuilding project after their 2008 World Series championship has finally been passed. It was perhaps little noted last week anywhere but in Philly, but on Saturday of the week ending Aug. 16 the Phillies lost Nick Williams to Cincinnati on waivers.

Williams was the last of six players to depart the organization after being acquired in the Cole Hamels trade of July, 2015. To review the actual start of the Phillies rebuild, beginning in late 2014, in eight months, the Phillies moved three of their biggest stars from the ’08 champs, Jimmy Rollins, Hamels, and Chase Utley, out of town.

This was a sad time, but considered by many Phillies watchers a bit late. Those trades and what followed in the next five years have hammered home to Philadelphia baseball fans the fact that senior team management has been, and currently is “part of the problem” with who wears their favorite team uniforms.

That means, yo, as Phillies fans would put it, that Ruben Amaro Jr. and Matt Klentak as general managers have both made consistent personnel moves best described as one step forward, two steps back.

Put yet another way, only two current players on the Phillies roster have resulted from trading three of the most important players in team history.

Only one player directly traded for Rollins, Hamels, or Utley remains in the current Phillies dugout. That is starter Zack Eflin, a pitcher who is seven games below .500 for Philadelphia. His career ERA is 4.70. He was one of two players received for Rollins.

One other player among the ten acquired for their three fading stars has been very important for the current Phils: Catcher Jorge Alfaro, part of the shipment for Hamels and a reliever, eventually became part of the trade for current star J.T. Realmuto.

Well, you may say, now the rebuild really is over, and at least Klentak did get Realmuto. And Bryce Harper. Right?

OK, maybe, but Klentak has, bottom line, built a .500 team in…five years (minus a couple of months). And he gave up a bit too much for Realmuto, who is not yet re-signed for next season and beyond. And it is widely known that Phillies managing partner John Middleton was the prime mover in the Harper acquisition.

Finally, what about Klentak’s current bullpen?

Maybe this is unfair to both Amaro and Klentak at some level. After all, neither traded away Aaron Nola. A couple more players drafted on their watches have made the team, and….

You tell me.

At least the rebuild is finally over.