Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 9:31 PM | 22 comments |
 

Phillies Trade Jaramillo for Paulino
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Ronny Paulino has hit .278 with 19 home runs and 128 RBIs in parts of four seasons in the majors.

The Phillies swapped catchers tonight at the winter meetings in Las Vegas.

They traded catcher Jason Jaramillo to the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher Ronny Paulino. Paulino will compete with Chris Coste to be Carlos Ruiz's backup. Coste's name also has been mentioned as a potential piece in a trade that could net them Mark DeRosa. Perhaps this trade is a precursor to that one. Regardless, Lou Marson had passed Jaramillo as the organization's top catching prospect, so it wasn't a shock to see the Phillies trade him. Jaramillo wasn't expected to make the big-league club in 2009, and the Phillies couldn't have both Marson and Jaramillo playing in triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The Phillies said they expect Marson to open the season in Lehigh Valley, where he will play on an everyday basis and get more seasoning.

Paulino, 27, split last season between Pittsburgh, triple-A Indianapolis and the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates. In 40 games (27 starts) for the Pirates, he hit .212 with two home runs and 18 RBIs, and threw out 26 percent (8 of 31) of potential basestealers. In two full seasons with the Pirates in 2006 and 2007, when he was the Pirates' starting catcher, he hit a combined .286 with 17 homers and 110 RBIs.

Paulino hit .306 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 30 games for Indianapolis. He spent time on the disabled list with a right ankle sprain, which included a rehabilitation assignment with the GCL Pirates. Originally signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent, Dec. 29, 1997, Paulino has hit .278 with 19 home runs and 128 RBIs in 304 career games.

Jaramillo, 26, hit .266 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 115 games for Lehigh Valley. The Phillies selected him in the second round of the 2004 draft.
Posted by Todd Zolecki @ 9:31 PM  Permalink | 22 comments
22
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:42 PM, 12/10/2008
    I though Marson was in the running for that spot also?
    — RobC
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:47 PM, 12/10/2008
    RobC - I would expect Marson to be in Lehigh - its likely they want him to be a starter, not a backup, so they probably want him to get more starts behind the plate in LV.
    — Gary Varsho
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:48 PM, 12/10/2008
    Now there's a stunning deal for you. We traded a .266 hitter for a .212 hitter. WOW! They must have needed to replace Taguchi's hitting. Oh I get it he's an interpreter for Carlos.
    — Wally 24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:53 PM, 12/10/2008
    No come to think of it that was what Rod (under the Mendoza) Berrajas was for. Tis a puzzlement for sure.
    — Wally 24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:59 PM, 12/10/2008
    Seriously now. Marson has to figure in next years roster. He's a star in the making. While Ruiz is an exellent defensive catcher he still lacks in offense. A good comparison would be Clay Dalrymple to Johnny Bench. I think you'll see Ruiz move into Coste's role and Marson become the more dominant player.
    — Wally 24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:21 PM, 12/10/2008
    How many Gms's and assistant GM's does it take to pull off a good deal? We have swapped catchers. We are waitng for the announcement the Phillies send a PITCHING prospect J Happ along with a second prospect to the Cubs for a utility infielder who can play college quarterback. This trade will help the Cubs qain another frontline pitcher. The Phillies leave with no additional pitching. Welcome to the Amaro rein
    — jmagee1202
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:29 PM, 12/10/2008
    Yikes, mlb.com reports that the Mutts are on the verge of landing Putz to setup for Rodriguez.
    — NJLouis66
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:01 PM, 12/10/2008
    Relax people- this is a depth deal- Jaramillio hit .266 at AAA- this other guy was in the majors (or at least close, he was in Pittssburgh). As for making a deal right now, consider this: in the starting lineup for the clincher, the Phillies had five draft picks (Howard, Utley, Rollins, Burrell and Hamels), a minor league free agent (Ruiz), an end of February free agent signing (Feliz), a late January free agent signing (Werth) and a Rule 5 pickup (Victorino). The point is this- huge signings make great headlines for the uneducated masses, but real fans know they don't always lead to titles- Ask A-Rod about that. Lets save the critiques of Reuben for the end of the winter.
    — KMG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:09 PM, 12/10/2008
    Ho-hum... moves like this and Mayberry aren't even news.
    — gilbyrocks
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:29 PM, 12/10/2008
    amaro is a stanford boy he is a genius and regarded by many the most intelligent gm at the winter meetings.. amaro is very intelligent he graduated from Stanford I bet no other GM at the winter meetings graduated from Stanford.. amaro is setting all the other Gm's up he is like a Cobra waiting for the right time and place and then he will strike like a confident venomous cobra and we will be so happy and song for joy... dont forget amaro is a Stanford boy and he is really smart...
    — donofrio
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:48 AM, 12/11/2008
    You're absolutely correct davegas. Paulino is a terrible catcher. Like I said in another posting, it had to be a favor to John Russell. By the way, if the rumor is true re: the signing of Chan Ho Park, this is a plus for the Phils. He'd give us that multi inning set-up reliever and spot starter that we need. The guy's a quality pitcher. We really need to sign Ibanez. I've been watching him on mlb.com archives and he's one hell of a ballplayer. Much better that Burrell. If Utley misses a couple of months, Ibanez would end up hitting in front of Howard. He KILLS lefthanders.
    — jp
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:03 AM, 12/11/2008
    Guys: We traded a non entity who had no possibility of ever playing for us in the big leagues for a guy with major league experience. He will be our opening day back-up (if he beats out Coste, or if COste is traded) until they give Madson a bit more seasoning in managing pitchers. This is not a major deal, nor anything to get excited about.
    — jeff gross
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:19 AM, 12/11/2008
    Also the fact that Jaramillo is 26, and Paulino is 27 and a proven starter as catcher in the major leagues... and that jaramillo hit .266 at age 26 in triple AAA.. I say Paulino is the better catcher.
    — johnnysanz3
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:47 AM, 12/11/2008
    Anyone else think "donofrio" really likes Stanford? I'd say he went there, but clearly his post precludes any such notion. Also, Paulino will hit .300/30/120 this year. Mark it down. Wait, I mixed up the numbers. He'll hit .120/3/30.
    — B in DC


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