Phillies rumor mill update
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Phillies rumor mill update
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
In Ken Rosenthal's latest dispatch for FoxSports.com, he provides us with the latest indication that the expectations harbored by some Phillies fans about a Cole Hamels trade are unrealistic. Rosenthal says that the Rangers are unwilling to trade Mike Olt, Jurickson Profar or Martin Perez for a rental player. Olt is a guy who many fans have targeted as the Phillies' third baseman of the future, and you have to think that Ruben Amaro Jr. would target him as well. The 23-year-old entered Sunday hitting .292/.403/.574 with 22 home runs and 85 strikeouts in 281 at-bats at Double-A Frisco. Only problem is, the Rangers have asked him to play some first base this season, raising the possibility that they find a place for him at the position on the big league level. Conventional wisdom had suggested that Olt was blocked by Adrian Beltre at third and thus could be had in a trade.
The simple truth is that general managers are going to be reluctant to part with a legit prospect at a premium position in exchange for two months of a player, even one who is as good as Hamels. As we noted in our earlier breakdown of the trade deadline, C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee both landed Top 50 prospects, as rated by Baseball America, but both of those prospects were first basemen.
-ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Phillies' asking price for Shane Victorino is "very, very high right now." That isn't atypical of two weeks before the trade deadline. No harm in asking for the moon. In reality, though, the Phillies are probably going to have to settle for an uninspiring package. Take, for example, the Braves' trade for Michael Bourn last year. Atlanta gave up four players, none of which were in Baseball America's Top 100, or even among the organization's top five prospects. Brett Oberholtzer was ranked the ninth prospect in the organization by BA, but he projects as little more than a back-of-the-rotation starter or a middle reliever. Paul Clemens, a 22-year-old righty, might have a little more upside. Again, though, not a top prospect. BA didn't even have him in the Braves' Top 10. The other pieces were Juan Abreu, a reliever with command problems, and Jordan Schafer, who was once a top prospect but has struggled in the majors. And that was for a center fielder who was in the middle of a better season and who had another year left on his contract. If the Phillies can get a piece that can help them out of the bullpen or at the back of the rotation in the next couple seasons, it will be a successful trade.
Buy Phillies tickets 
Eagles in 3 weeks. Who cares— fman727- Then tell the Rangers to pound sand and miss out on winning a World Series. I don't believe they would play hard ball. You are underestimating his value BIG TIME— Joe Vegas
- Let's get rid of the only reason we watch the Phillies to see good baseball.— FlyersLosersFor38Years
- sorry to say but Phils lineup looks better without Utley and Howard batting 3rd and 4th— warbiscuit
- getting ready to start a website amaromustgo.com— bob brotzman
- Sign Cole. Get quality for Vic or live with him. Get us some bullpen help by dealing Brown and/or Blanton. Joe pitches well in LA tomorrow & they might be ripe for a deal w Billingsley hurt.— Ed3
- No one should ever mention the possibility of getting Bourn. His strength is as a leadoff hitter. Here in Philadelphia we have sworn a sacred oath to pencil Jimmy Rollins into the leadoff spot and nothing can change that, ever.— CallisonTaylorRojas
- I would not be against keeping Victorino for three or four years, signing Bourn for a like amount of time, and somehow subtract Rollins.
I think an outfield of Bourn, Victorino and Pence would be pretty good - at least there would be decent speed there.
That would almost mean that Hamels would be gone but we should be able to get a needed third baseman/third baseman prospect.
Galvis could get his turn to play SS.
The rest of this season should tell us where we stand with Utley. I have been impressed with how well he has been running. Utley is under contact through next year anyhow.
Ryan Howard should be 100% next year.
Their lineup would not be too shabby with the players mentioned above.
The key of course will be unloading Rollins. The Dodgers may be forced to get somebody like Rollins until Dee Gordon gets back from his injury. They are starting to fall off the pace after their hot start. It may be the window of opportunity we are hoping for.
That Justin Upton for Hunter Pence swap is an interesting concept. Both are having tough years but Upton has better fundementals. A change of scenery may be all these two players need.— candidly - Caleb Cowart and Peter Bourjos. Cowart appears to be what Ruben is really after from the Halos.— GOLDY2007
- when roob traded with his buddy then at houston for pence, he well knew that bourn was also available. he chose pence (could he not have got both?) because bourn was a better leadoff than rollins, and a better cf than victorino. the phillies have long had a philosophy of strict loyalty to favored players no matter what. now we have pence, who is what he is, and atlanta has the best leadoff/cf in baseball. and roob will not - as in NOT - sign bourn between seasons because that would mean his losing face, and THAT, not a winner, is roob's prime goal.— bubba church & granny hamner
- @DonW...no worries, not meaning to be argumentative either. You make a valid point. There will likely be some guys who take better care of themselves or play a less stressful position or are just genetically gifted but by and large getting PEDs out of the game will restore the norm to the game in all statistical areas including the age at which most players performance tapers off and they are gone from the game. We will see more of that over the coming 10 years and can look back at how it's played out.
@jt.......Hamels never missing a start in 4 years????? Wah?.....how about not being able to start the season right out of spring training because of an elbow being injected a few years back? What about missing 3-4 starts last season when he was on the DL for his rotator cuff? Fragile is as fragile does fellas.....I like Cole a lot but with his elbow and for 6-7 years? You will all change your tune about 2 years into that contract. Remember, we won a WS with Hamels and a bunch of 12-14 game winners named Moyer, Blanton and Kendrick. If you still have Lee and Halladay and can get 2 decent players for Hamels and open up payroll flexibility, I say do it. There will be a desperate team out there come the trade deadline.— Mark1npt - loud noises! cats living with dogs! artichoke salad!— Jerome99RIP
- Wow, a team saying they're unwilling to trade their top three prospects two weeks before the trading deadline. Who would have guessed?!? Let's see what happens when push comes to shove, if Hamels is on the trading block come July 31. The Rangers have bangers at every position and they need a stud pitcher to get them over the top. I can't imagine they wouldn't take a serious run at Hamels.— dblankj
- Which is why they should sign Hamels and trade Pence. Pence was brouoght in to bat fifth. Chooch has already proven to be a much better option to protect Howard in the lineup. Victorinos' contributions should not be discounted. He's had a bad year to this point. But, his track record suggests that this year is an abberation. He could probably be signed to a one or two year contract for much less than Pence would accept, and is a far superior outfielder.— maurysline
- PhillyinBmore.....Lamar left because he didn't get the GM job
when Gillick left.— associate
