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)
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Comment removed.
There will forever be a constant in baseball...Once you're in, you're in.— CornerPretzelGuy- I think it's incumbent on the Phillies ownership selling the idea of GM Wade on some up and coming team with loads of talent......I think most of you know where I'm going with this........— DelawareRiverRat
- Hooray!! I missed last place. Things just weren't the same on top.— justacarpenter
- Let the losing begin.— Relocator
- Failing Forward: The Ed Wade Story, next on Lifetime.— snakeplissken
- Comment removed.
- One of RAJ's kids is engaged to Cossart and Ed is working to arrange the dowrey.— NewMick314
- i think everyone is "under-estimating" the prospects the phillies gave up
to acquire pence and oswalt-dont be surprised if the phillies are seriously haunted by both trades, but in particular, the pence trade.
we are talking, some seriously great talent, that someday everybody, will be saying-why did the phillies give up so much talent, for barely an above average ball player?— flyers11 - Its evident that the team/franchise is regressing.Not signing and bringing winners here will clear the table that Pat has helped built. Soon the ballpark will be empty again and ownership saying we are a small market.— martin710
- Warbiscuit is on the money! Now lets dump Cholly the Chimp and hire a field manager that can distinguish the difference between a squirrel and dolphin and communicate without grunting and begging for chewy treats:-) Until Cholly goes fishing, the Phils are on an uphill escalator.— daystrum
- i hated wade following his trade of polly to detroit. but gillick was ever so overrated and ruben? well, just talk to some of the more knowledgeable people around baseball about him. the phillies of '08 had fire. still had spark in '09. there's not even a flicker there now. i don't care how many games they win or how many times they sell out cbp - it's spark and fire that win world series. but in the BUSINESS of sports, winning the big kahuna comes a far second to how many bags of gelt you carry off at season's end.— bubba church & granny hamner
good one! But I think the Hallmark Channel might be a better network for Ed's Story— K-McCord- one cannot deny that Wade left the Phillies the foundation for the World Series win and its current run. He is obviously a good judge of talent, so welcome back.— Paul Deon
- Are there going to be any Bill Conlin stories in the sports section?— andrewfrombrooklyn
