Phillies hire Ed Wade (again)
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Phillies hire Ed Wade (again)
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
Ed Wade is back.
The Phillies have hired their former general manager as a special consultant, the team announced Tuesday. Wade will scout at the major- and minor-league levels and assist in salary arbitration.
Wade, 55, was fired as Houston GM this winter. He still had two years remaining on his deal with the Astros.
Often the brunt of criticism, Wade actually built the foundation that is the current Phillies before he was fired in 2005. While GM, his staff drafted Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Brett Myers.
While with Houston, Wade often dealt with Ruben Amaro Jr., a close friend professionally and personally. (Wade is godfather to one of Amaro's daughters.) The Phillies acquired Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence in three separate deals with Houston. Currently, four of Houston's top six prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, are former Phillies.
Because of those deals, fans jokingly referred to Wade as a double-agent.
"That certainly will be insinuated," Wade told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm prepared for the remarks that I only traded with the Phillies so Ruben would give me a job if I got fired."
The last trade looks particularly favorable to Houston, as Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart are ranked first and second in the Astros system. Domingo Santana is sixth. Those three players were dealt for Hunter Pence last July.
From The Inquirer archives: Former GM Wade set Phils in motion (March 29, 2010)
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Once Wade got fired, the Phillies seemed probable. he had two losing franchises while there so I am sure no owner was eager to hire him.— Clem
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- Sorry OP. Had to get this at the top. Really philly.com? Really newspapers? You pulled out every weapon in your arsenal to attack PSU and Paterno, but you have been harboring a monster this entire time. Unreal! Not even permitting comments on Conlin's last articles. I knew the media was full of hypocrites, but this site (and ESPN) have taken it to an entirely new level. I don't think I can even accurately and forcefully represent my outrage here. What a disgrace. — Penfold18
- Good thing the Phillies acted on this quickly, I hear Wade was on the short list to replace Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator. All in Dream Team!— Scope33
- Can you please remove all of Conlin's articles? It's sickening to have to see his name every time you want some Phillies news. Ed wade stuff I'd over rated. No one asks what he was hired to do. He worked for two franchises whose goal was to keep payroll low and build the farm. He did exactly that in Philly until the organization was ready to try and win. In houston he was told to get rid of all the players that would be getting raises and he did exactly that while getting what ownership wanted, young minor league talent. The phillies brought him back to do what he does well which is work in scouting. — UncleStosh
- Two words to ratings - Dom Brown— KwaiChang
- It's hard to hate on Ed Wade anymore considering that he did as much as he could to try and help the Phillies win the World Series the last two years (Oswalt, Pence), and actually did help them win it all in 2008 (Lidge). However, it's unfortunate that Rube will no longer have such a favorable trading partner to give the Phils whatever they need at the trade deadline.— scribbles
- There goes the neighborhood.— Larry Byrd
- Ed Wade left the Phils to Gillick with the core players to win a WS and a deep and talented farm system; the Rube took a WS-championship from Gillick, struck out 3 times in hail mary attempts to win again while decimating the farm system, resulting in an overpaid team athat is the oldest in baseball with a less-promising future than the Nationals or Marlins .. and yet all you losers applaud the Rube and criticize Wade— warbiscuit
- Wade and dream team are in Miami.— mikemaddog
- Maybe Wade and Amaro should switch jobs. Would be interesting to see what old Ed could do with $175M to play around with.— Sam Crow
- Wade is godfather to Rubens daughter thanks Ed for Pence Lidge and Oswald now those trades make sense.— jbarrylee
- Wade is godfather to Rubens daughter thanks Ed for Pence Lidge and Oswald now those trades make sense.— jbarrylee
- He was/is a 'plant.' Literally and figuratively.— 24sDad
