Pence deal: Future is now
When Joe Klein was farm director of the Texas Rangers, he was called out of a staff meeting one spring training evening in 1982 and given a heads-up. The team was about to announce that two of the system’s best young pitching prospects, Ron Darling and Walt Terrell, were being traded to the Mets for veteran outfielder Lee Mazzilli.
Pence deal: Future is now
Paul Hagen
When Joe Klein was farm director of the Texas Rangers, he was called out of a staff meeting one spring training evening in 1982 and given a heads-up. The team was about to announce that two of the system’s best young pitching prospects, Ron Darling and Walt Terrell, were being traded to the Mets for veteran outfielder Lee Mazzilli.
Klein, livid, returned to the conference room. “This meeting is [bleeping] over,” he told the stunned aides, slamming his fist on the desk before heading straight to the bar to quench his hot anger with a few cold beers.
If the Phillies development people have similar reactions when they see their best and brightest bundled up and shipped out of town, they keep it to themselves. Or maybe they’ve just gotten used to it by now.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced the latest future-is-now deal moments after the Phillies beat the Pirates last night, making official what has been rumored for days.
The Phillies are getting All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence from the Astros plus $1 million in cash.
The Astros are getting four minor leaguers including a pair that have the potential to cause real remorse in a few years: Righthander Jarred Cosart and first baseman Jonathan Singleton. The Phillies also agreed to throw in righthander Josh Zeid and a player to be named later.
(Klein’s unhappiness, by the way, turned out to be well-founded. Mazzilli, who never wanted to leave New York, was traded to the Yankees before the season ended. Darling and Terrell went on to combine for 247 big league wins. A Rangers team with hopes of contending ended up losing 98 games.)
Amaro conceded up front that he had paid dearly. But the reality is that he had little choice.
The Phillies have a $175 million payroll and the best record in baseball. They also got a rude reminder of how vulnerable their lineup can be when Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum of the Giants thoroughly dominated them Wednesday and Thursday nights. They didn’t score an earned run in either of those games.
The reality is that the Phillies lineup, as it existed, was flawed. It was too lefthanded. It sorely lacked the righthanded bat that’s been missing ever since Jayson Werth departed for free-agent riches in Washington.
Pence can be that bat. He increases the chances that the Phillies will be able to cash in on one of the remaining years in their window of opportunity.
Domonic Brown might be someday. John Mayberry Jr. might be someday.
Pence is right now and that makes all the difference.
No, he may not be the kind of hitter that will force teams to pitch to Ryan Howard. But as his 62 RBI this season attest, he is the sort of hitter who has a knack for driving in runs if teams pitch around Howard to get to him.
Pence isn’t perfect. He doesn’t have the kind of power teams ideally like in corner outfielders. But he’s an all-out player who should be popular with the fans. He will help Howard but, more importantly, he will help put the slugging first baseman into a position where he can help himself.
One of the most impressive things about Howard on his way toward winning the Most Valuable Player Award in 2006 was his ability and willingness not to swing at pitches he didn’t want to swing at. He was willing to take a walk and he took them a lot, 108 of them, one for every 5.38 at bats.
That ratio has been steadily dropping ever since. Last year he walked once for every 9.32 at bats. That’s probably understandable. After signing his big contract extension, it would be only natural for him to feel the need to take the team on his shoulders.
Howard has been more patient this year, with a walk for every 7.8 ABs so far, and the acquisition of Pence should only help that. If it makes him more comfortable to let the hitter behind him take care of business, that will also be a benefit.
It will also allow manager Charlie Manuel to achieve the balance in his lineup that he talks about so often.
There is absolutely a risk here, but that won’t come into play for at least a couple years. Besides, you can say whatever you want about Amaro, but he isn’t afraid to aim high. And if there’s another parade down Broad Street late in October, will anybody really care about all those chickens that might someday come home to roost?
The Phillies want to win now.
They’ve put themselves in a position where they almost have to win now.
And Hunter Pence improves the odds.
It’s said that a starting pitcher’s job is to give his team a chance to win. The same could be said about a general manager.
Now it’s up to the players.
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Why does everyone keep referring to Werth as if we lost a great hi. Have you noticed that he hitting 219!!!!!— joeynick- Trades are meant to be "win,win" . The cost effective money decision the Phillies need to concentrate now is scouting. They are not going to have favorable draft positions in the near future ( one hopes), but they can make good decisions.— Tom Mangan
- You can't seriously be comparing Lee Mazzilli to Pence. Mazzilli was only ever an allstar because the Mets were disaster and league rules required each team to have an allstar. Mazzilli was simply the best of a bad lot. He was a low end corner OF or a 4th OF/1B and pinch hitter. Singleton is a potential stud, who though trying to play LF is a future 1B. Cosart has health issues and there have been a fair amount of people that have downgraded his projections of a future #1 to a #3 or #4. I think the Phils gave up a fair(#1,#3 prospects in the system, keeping their #1 pitcher Colvin) amount and long term it should help Houston rebuild and they needed it with a farm system that is among the worst in baseball. I do like how the Phils have taken the approach of the Braves in the past of half the time dealing pitching prospects that have injury questions and keeping more of the guys that don't. All in all it's a good deal for both teams over the long haul with the Phils making out big over the next few years and the Stros 3-5 years from now.— JBS67
- Prospects vs. a solid chance to win in the next few seasons? How often do even first round picks in baseball make it to the big show for even just a few seasons?
Look the Phillies have 2 more years with this core group of players before the decline starts. Holding on to a 19 year old isn't the answer. If they make it to the bigs the odds they will be all-stars is very slim. We're making a run for the WS again. Worrying about some 19 year old's potential isn't what needs to be the focus right now. Continue to win and sell out the ball park and things will take care of themselves.— PhillyJimi - How has Pence hit in CBP?— filzfan
- The Phils had Werth on 2009 & 2010. They batted around .245 in the WS against the NYY and they batted .216 last year against the Giants -again with Werth. Is Hunter Pence going to make Howard, Utley and Rollins hit better? I don't think so. That what Milt Thompson, Greg Gross and the inventor of hitting, Charlie Manuel, are suuposed to do. The book is out on the Phils - no fast balls in the zone and off-speed stuff in fast ball counts. The hitters have refused to or do not know how to adjust.— Ed Rendell Nixon
- This is not a right now move. Beltran is or would have been a "right now" move. This is a move to set the OF for the next several years. Murphy needs a few more years out of school!! But the reality is that the defensive play of Brown was as bad the bats going silent against the Giants and has already been mentioned Cain and Lincencum are righties so the lefty / righty stuff doesn't wash. Giants lost last night to the Reds who beat Wilson in 11.....they may not get to the NLCS this year.— Northcountry
- it was a right now and later move. — philly sports
- So where does Pence play? Right or left? What about next year? Do they send down Brown and he comes up to be our starting left fielder next year? Pence is under contract for a few years, so I don't see this about now, but about the next 2-3 years (where the Phils need to remain popular to pay down that debt we read about earlier in the year).— bobcitydoc
- Agree with Special Agent Fox Mulder of the X-files: Murphy is displaying his New York background in discussing a trade that took place almost 30 years ago. Definitely, some anger issues here and to even imply that Mazzilli is equivalent to Hunter Pence is ludicrous. He was the best outfielder available other than Beltran who would have been a rental, and frankly, the Mets might not have moved him to either the Phillies or Braves, considering how angry their fan base is at present. As for the Giants, teams should never try to build their own teams to counter one other team. Anything can happen with the Giants, who might not even get past the Braves in the playoffs. Phillies need to keep winning and clinch early to give the Big Three starters ample rest and let the chips fall where the may. BTW: when Wade gets fired at the end of the season, will the Phillies admit he was a secret agent for them?— chuckw
- Great news that Pence is joining and we didn't have to give up the Vanimal or Brown in exchange. Send Brown back to Triple A to mature and look for him in 2012 to play left field when Raaaaauuuul is gone.
As I see it, we are in good shape with Ben F. and Mayberry on the bench to fill in as needed.— pajamas - Hunter Pence is a big Dallas Cowboy fan....— Bummy Davis
- GREAT closing sentence: "Now it's up to the players." No more excuses. Minor-league RF has been replaced with an All-Star. When Polanco comes back, we'll have our team at its best. If that's not good enough, blame the players.— filzfan
- Murphy is trying to look cute with the Lee Mazzilli anecdote. No need for that. This was a good trade, period.
— EL Zorro - Great trade for Pence.
Phils should bat Utley 2nd, and Victorino 3rd to break up the lefties.— frank105
