Phillies announce deal for Bowker
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Phillies announce deal for Bowker
Daily News staff
The Phillies formally announced the acquisiton of outfielder John Bowker from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Bowker will be selected to the major league roster and is expected to be in uniform for tonight’s game in Cincinnati against the Reds.
The trade was first reported by CSNphilly.com last night.
Bowker, 28, has spent the majority of the 2011 season with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he batted .306 with 27 doubles, 15 home runs and 76 RBI in 106 games. Among International League batters, he ranked seventh in hits (129), eighth in batting average and tied for eighth in RBI.
A left-handed batter, Bowker hit .336 against right-handed pitching for Indianapolis with 12 of his 15 home runs.
In 19 major league games for the Pirates this year (all in April), he hit .235 (4-17) with a double and two RBI. Sixteen of his 17 at-bats came as a pinch-hitter.
As a pinch-hitter in the major leagues, Bowker has a .301 (22-73) career average with four doubles, two triples, one home run and 12 RBI.
Originally selected by the San Francisco Giants in the third round of the 2004 draft out of Long Beach State University, Bowker is a career .237 hitter at the major league level with 25 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs and 73 RBI in 228 games for the Giants (2008-10) and Pirates (2010-11). He has played 73 games at first base, 36 in right field and 25 in left field.
To make room for Bowker on the 25-man roster, the Phillies optioned right-hander Michael Schwimer to triple-A Lehigh Valley following last night’s game and to make room on the 40-man roster, the club transferred right-hander Jose Contreras to the 60-day disabled list.
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Gload is toast. Has he had a hit in August? Any other left-handed hitter off the bench has to be an improvement!— Cornwall Citizen- A sentence or two on your insight into the move would a been nice. Does this mean Dom is not making it to Philly for the fall?— jpjack44
- I don't really understand this move, he is similar to Brandon Moss a guy they already have in their minor league system. At Lehigh Valley Moss is hitting .269 with 29 doubles, 23 homeruns, 78 RBI in 119 games. Moss can also play first base and the outfield. I guess the organization feel Moss can't produce. Still would rather see a more proven left handed bat picked up but that's the problem when you have the best record in baseball, last on the waiver wire. GO PHILS!— baseballbenchwarmer
- they are similar sticks, but Bowker has been a constant .300 hitter in the minors with power,Moss is not..Moss is more athletic and is better in the field, but they feel Bowker is the better pinch hitter....Loyalty is rarely shown to minor leaguers, just remember what happened to Mayberry Jr. this time last year...He could have filled the role when Mike Sweeney was signed..Just part of the game — bearsfriend
- Gload should have had his surgery months ago. He has not helped the Phils at all.— zeke128
- Hopefully Gload is DL'd as he's an auto out these days. I, for one, home Amaro holds his ground with Brown and does not call him up this year. Brown's head is not on straight and he could be a distraction that we don't need during the stretch drive. Amaro has showed Manuel plenty of latitude this year, getting Pence, calling up Brown the first time, etc. This time, I think Amaro's right and Manuel's wrong. Brown can refocus himself for 2012, perhaps.— eman
- As smart as David Murphy is I'm sure he can't find a reason for this any more than the rest of us. This pretty much tells Dominic Brown he won't be around long. No more crying from Charlie about wanting a right handed bat. All the Philles have signed since the Pence deal are lefties. Brown's number are better and the Phillies should learn to promote from within. The pitchers probably feel like ping pong balls bouncing all over the place. And the players should feel some sort of loaylaty to the Phillies??? Why???— rolenfan
- Gload to DL, Brown stays put and takes the winter off as he should. Brandon Moss is not ready, you rush him and he turns into another mess like Brown. Bowker has, very little, big league experience but he has some and should not be overwhelmed. Didn't cost us much and was much needed. As a pinch-hitter in the major leagues, Bowker has a .301 (22-73) career average, not bad and better than we have on the roster right now. Good job RAJ.
— Flyboy24 - Huh? You realize that Brandon Moss is 28 years old and has played parts of four seasons in the big leagues? (Bowker is only two months older than him and has nearly identical big league service time.) Moss is not some kid who needs triple A seasoning before he's ready to take his shot at the Show. — phillyl0
- Agreed..Brandon Moss is a decent player who can hit righthanded pitching...again, it's all about opportunities and making the most of one when you get it. — bearsfriend
- I agree. And don't forget you need a DH in the World Series, he provides a back-up there too. — Andy in E-town
- all i can figure is one of their scouts maybe sees something different about how Bowker is swinging the bat and they are just taking a shot here..i dont see it, but if this move somehow pays off id just have to tip my hat to the guy...
and no, this move has nothing to do with dom brown...but anyway, Brown refused to change his hitting style as the team wanted..he tanked in winter ball and went home...was mediocre here for 2 months and awful in the outfield, and now that he's sent down he's either moping or his head is just completely out of it...so what about that warrants bringing up Brown in september for an at bat here and there, when that was pointless last year? tell him to go home and work to be ready to mentally and physically to compete for the left field job next spring— jim715 - rolenfan, WTF are you talking about?
— ajjgc - So funny to read all of the nonsense from the armchair managers every day. Let's play the what if game all day long.— taxmannncometh
