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.
Bill Conlin is a monster.— andrewfrombrooklyn- Wow- no discussions allowed about Bill Conlin... I don't like the selective censorship.— kjuggs77
- now let's see if Phils can get back Singleton and Cosart and Gose and Villar (and yes, even Happ)--all traded to the Astros ..fans can mock Wade all they want but with the clueless Rube, an over-the-hill core of players and a decimated farm system, wouldnt be surprised if the Astos win a WS before the Phils do again— warbiscuit
- Wading in mediocrity.— jamesdugan
- Welcome home Ed. Mission accomplished.— Lil Ratman
- No, just like i am not happy to see that Fat Bill Conlin raped children.— feudal_nobility09
- This should make a lot of people happy. They have this bizarre irrational affection for Wade because he drafted a few good players with 10 years of high first round draft picks.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- Billy C has been doing more than the buffet ..— stoky
- Why o Why?— WestPhillysMostWanted
- There was a lot of young talent brought in and developed on Wade's watch. That part of the game he was good at. Making personnel decisions and trades at the big-league level was not his forte though. So seems like a good move to bring him in to provide some scouting, etc.— JimG
- Special Consultant means he basically does nothing and gets paid for it.— neddyflanders
- I thought he was still working for the Phillies. Every year he was given us a piece to get us a World series .— Kerz
- Some posts congratulate Wade for getting top Phillies prospects in trades. Others note World Series team built with mostly Wade prospects. Others have to call him a loser. The funniest are the ones who actualy feel he was double agent.— Don w
