Phillies outfield options dwindling
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Phillies outfield options dwindling
Ryan Lawrence, Daily News Staff Writer
On Saturday, Cody Ross found a new home. The well-traveled, useful, righthanded-hitting outfielder signed a 3-year, $26 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Less than 24 hours later, fellow free agent Nick Swisher also came off the market.
The Cleveland Indians signed Swisher, a switch hitter with power and a strong plate discipline, to a 4-year, $56 million deal. The contract includes a vesting option that can push the contract to 5-years, $70 million.
Michael Bourn is the only high-profile free agent bat that remains unsigned. He is not a fit for the Phillies.
So where do the Phils go from here? Are they really going to run out an outfield platoon of Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. in rightfield and Darin Ruf and Laynce Nix in left?
I still have serious doubts about that, considering the Phils have been burned in each of the last two years by having too much faith in uncertain commodities in the corner spots (rightfield in 2011, left in 2012).
But here’s what we do know: the price of outfielders is sky high.
Here’s a sampling of the (guaranteed) dollars committed to free agent outfielders this winter:
Swisher: 4 years, $56 million
Ross: 3 years, $26 million
Josh Hamilton: 5 years, $123 million (Angels)
B.J. Upton: 5 years, $75.25 million (Braves)
Shane Victorino: 3 years, $39 million (Red Sox)
Angel Pagan: 4 years, $40 million (Giants)
Melky Cabrera: 2 years, $16 million (Blue Jays)
Torii Hunter: 2 years, $26 million (Tigers)
Ryan Ludwick: 2 years, $15 million (Reds)
The Phils obviously did not feel comfortable with most or all of those numbers. (They were reportedly outbid by $20 million by the Braves for Upton).
In an offseason that began with the Phils without a single, everyday outfielder, they’ve added one in the first seven weeks of the offseason: center fielder Ben Revere.
Revere, of course, was acquired in a trade. Since all of the above players are free agents, it’s worth remembering that just because that market has dried up, the Phils can still trade for an impact, outfield bat.
But before you begin dreaming up an idea of Justin Upton – he really is the perfect candidate, young, righthanded with power and speed, team-friendly contract – let’s remember the price the Phils had to pay for Revere.
The Phils dealt their two big trade chips for Revere: Vance Worley and Trevor May.
Revere was probably no higher than fourth or fifth in the Phils’ list of preferable center field options. So let’s assume they offered a similar package to Colorado for Dexter Fowler and were turned down; it’s a reasonable assumption since Fowler can be had in a trade and the Rockies want pitching back.
If a package centered around May and Worley wouldn’t get you Fowler, how much would a guy like Upton cost? A lot.
Not only are free agents cashing in this winter, but so are teams that are selling off proven parts.
The Mets traded 38-year-old pitcher R.A. Dickey, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, to Toronto for a lucrative package led by former Phils prospect Travis D’Arnaud, baseball’s top catching prospect, and righthanded pitcher Noah Syndergaard. They were ranked the No.1 and No.2 prospects in the Jays’ system by Baseball Prospectus earlier this month.
The Rays traded pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis for an ever more lucrative package, headlined by outfielder Wil Myers, one of if not the top hitting prospects in all of baseball.
So if a team wants to swing a deal for the 25-year-old Upton, who is owed $38.5 million in the next three seasons, they better be prepared to unload the farm. After signing Ross, there has been speculation that Upton, the on-again, off-again human trade rumor, could be had in a trade; ditto his teammate, lefthanded hitting Jason Kubel.
It’s all about supply and demand; since more than a handful of teams would love to add Upton (Texas has both a bounty of top prospects and the need for an impact outfielder), the Diamondbacks could probably name their price and get it, too.
Would you deal Jesse Biddle for Upton? How about Biddle and Tommy Joseph? I imagine you're not as excited about the idea of Upton now.
Even a deal for the lesser bats on the trade market would be costly.
If the Rockies are asking the world for Fowler, you’d imagine they’re not going to unload his teammate, Michael Cuddyer, for middling prospects or Triple-A arms. Ditto the D-backs and Kubel.
Add the fact that the Phils have already depleted some of their trade chips in making two deals this month (for Revere and Michael Young) and it’s difficult to imagine them swinging a deal for a high-profile bat. Then again, it’s never a good idea to bet against Ruben Amaro Jr.
But given the cost of outfielders this winter – both on the free agent and trade markets – it might be a good idea to set yourself up for another low-risk, high-reward-type addition.
The Phils have already gone that route a few times this winter.
Here’s a name like that I might consider, so long as he can still play 7 innings a game in the outfield: Lance Berkman.
Yes his health has been a serious issue recently, but he did hit .301 with a .412 OBP, .959 OPS, 31 home runs and 94 RBI in 145 games with St. Louis in 2011 as an outfielder. He would surely come cheap.
No, Berkman, who turns 37 in February, is nowhere near the perfect solution in the outfield. But there are no perfect solutions remaining and, if he’s healthy, he’s an upgrade over what your current corner outfielders.
But that’s just a random name I’m throwing out there. Because at this point in the winter, that’s really all that’s left on the outfield market.
- i think you're wasting your breath, high water. Some people just love to be negative, know-it-all, or even worse... BOTH.
— Momjeanz 
Revere is a 2007 1st round pick. Batted 300 at every level of minors. Scored 70 runs and stole 40 bases in 2/3 of a season. 24 years old and under team control.
Young is a 323 lifetime hitter with RISP. He didn't have to come to Philly. He has a point to prove to Texas and to most of his critics. He is Chase Utley ... with an attitude. The kind of impassioned leader that might just be the spark this team needs.
Adams is perhaps the best 8th inning guy in baseball. Phils lost 12 last year when leading after 8. In contrast Atlanta only lost 2 with Venters and Kimbrel. Awesome addition.
Lannan is durable and consistent. Easily a solid 4 or 5.
Thrilled if the Phils go with Ruf in left and Brown/Matberry in right. We will get 20/80 at both positions. And it will cost us very little.
Plenty of talent, if healthy to get to the playoffs.— zubzub- Gose (traded for Wallace)--age 22 -may be future Bourn or Revere - made major league debut with Toronto
Cosart -- rated #50 best prospect 2012, age 22, future quality major league pitcher
Villar --age 21 -ranked top 100 prospect by Baseball America
Singleton --last ranked #34 best prospect
Domingo Santana -- 23 hrs, 97 rbis for A for Astros, etc etc etc— warbiscuit - 2012
Philadelphia 81-81 17 GB
2013
Philadelphia 73-89 28 GB
2014
Philadelphia 67-95 31 Gb
Enjoy...— warbiscuit - Season ticket holders for the Phillies should be furious. Here we go again. They are trying to convince us that Dominic Brown is Darryl Strawberry. The reality is the Phillies desperately need a power hitting outfielder, they really need 2 outfielders. Stop complaining about the cost and sign someone.. There was no excuse for not signing Nick Swisher— coolcomic
- Agreed. Maybe they didn't want to surrender the 1st round pick. After all, they will need the player they draft to trade later for a marginal to sub-par veteran to fill a gaping hole in the lineup created by Amaro's incompetence. Or- maybe they don't want to have any players willing to work the count and put pressure on opposing pitchers. — Copper34
- Considering all recent developments in the outfield market and the Phils remaining need for a power hitting right fielder, my prediction is that the Phils will sign Scott Hairston who will provide better offensive production as part of a right field platoon with either Brown or Nix. Soriano is still a less likely possibility, and Stanton or Cespedes are still remote possibilities.— onthebucks
- Hairston had a good year but his career numbers are right around where Mayberry is (actually worse than Mayberry's in some areas). Johhny Gomes was making about what Hairston made this year and is a similar player. Gomes signed for 2 years, 5 million per year. Even at 1 year Hairston is going to want too much. I don't see the point. If they sign Hairston and don't trade Nix you're likely not going to see Ruf. — s
- I think the funniest thing I have ever read is Warbiscuit stating "generally I 'm just ahead of many of you". I will concede when it comes to repeating stupidity and cutting and pasting-you maybe at the top of the heap.
Other than that you have proven that it is not Ruben that is clueless. Name ONE star that has been traded away by Amaro.— Smoothellc - smoothelic: "Name ONE star that has been traded away by Amaro."...D'arnaud, Singleton, Cosart, May, Gose, Villar, Santana, etc (yes, some will be All-Stars, some quality major league players)...
now, name ONE young star that has been acquired by Clueless Imbecile in 4 yrs ..the only 1 of 30 teasm to not acquire or groom a single elite player since 2008...wake up and smell the cofee you ignorant nitwit ; it's not just me who understans what's happened --it's any objective reporter outside of Phila who can tell you this team is mediocre trash— warbiscuit - Not to mention the fact that those guys have VALUE. They are real prospects (unlike Tommy Joseph) that could be traded for good players (if we had a GM with a brain). Instead they were swapped for a doofus OF who we knew struck out too much and a half-season of Oswalt. Can't wait until they fire that smug idiot. — Copper34
- Phils are the only 1 of 30 teams to not acquire or groom a single young elite player since 2008..— warbiscuit
- Phils do not have a single young elite player on entire 40-man roster except for Hamels— warbiscuit
- The Phillies don't have a core of younger talent. They do have a bunch of players with high contracts who came up very small last year. That being said, do you want to try to win next year or trade them all for prospects? I can't stand a lot of Ruben's moves, but the trades and signings this offseason seem solid to me. Do you honestly think that ross or swisher would be a vast improvement over what we have now? I don't. Compare the numbers of those two and whoever we put in the corners and I guarantee you they'll be very close. Prospects are prospects for a reason. We needed some good complementary parts at this point and that's what he's getting.— johnhenry
- None of the players you name are stars-not one is a star today--they may be at some point--so at this point you can not say they were bad trades. Anyone of them can break down, fall off a cliff or become a star. If none of them become stars-were they bad trades?
A lot of trades are made that look one way and turn out another-because you don't know the results until the results are known. What we know is Oswalt, and Pence helped win games and they got to the playoffs-what have the traded players won with their teams?
What if Joseph becomes an All-star or a HOFer-what do you cay then?
— Smoothellc
