Phillies trade Byrd to Reds, add to pitching depth

WITHIN a 2-week span before the end of 2014, Ruben Amaro Jr. has jettisoned two everyday players from the Phillies' lineup.

A dozen days after Jimmy Rollins officially was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the general manager sent outfielder Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitching prospect Ben Lively on Wednesday. The Phillies also sent cash to Cincinnati to complete the deal.

Byrd, who turns 38 in August, hit a career-high 25 home runs in 2014. He also struck out a career-high 185 times; only Ryan Howard struck out more among major league hitters.

Byrd hit .264 with a .757 OPS in 154 games for the last-place Phillies.

"It was a tough year last year in Philly," Byrd said in a conference call on New Year's Eve. "We went hard all year long and finished up the way we did. I don't think anybody was happy with it. I'm going to a contender and have a chance to win."

Byrd, who was drafted by the Phillies in 1999, rejoined the team last winter as a free agent, signing a 2-year, $16 million deal, with a vesting option for a third year.

According to CSNPhilly.com, the Phillies will send the Reds $4 million as part of the trade. On the surface, it might seem like a steep price to pay; but in reality, the Phillies could save $12 million by completing the deal.

Byrd is owed $8 million in 2015 and will earn another $8 million in 2016 if the third-year option in his contract vests. Byrd needs only 463 plate appearances in 2015 for that option to automatically kick in.

In addition to shedding some salary, the Phillies have added another young pitcher to a growing inventory.

Lively, who turns 23 in March, is the fourth pitching prospect Amaro has acquired through trades in the last 3 weeks. Righthander Zach Eflin and lefthander Tom Windle officially arrived to the organization 12 days ago in the Rollins trade, while lefthander Joely Rodriguez was acquired from Pittsburgh in exchange for Antonio Bastardo at the winter meetings.

"We are short, particularly at the upper levels, in starting pitching," Amaro said after the Rollins trade. "We have to be able to pitch to win and we have to be able to develop pitching, long-term. That's why it was important . . . We're starting to create a little depth at the upper levels of the minor league system, because we're real short there."

Lively was rated the eighth-best prospect in the Reds' system by MLB.com. The 6-4 righthander was Cincinnati's fourth round pick in the 2013 draft.

Lively split the 2014 season between Class A Bakersfield and Double A Pensacola, going 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA in 26 starts. He struck out 171, while walking 52 batters in 151 innings.

He could join Eflin, Windle and 2014 first-round pick Aaron Nola at Double A Reading to begin his first year in the Phillies' organization.

While the Phillies have addressed their lack of starting pitching depth in the upper levels of the minor leagues, they could still use help in that area on the major league roster. Their current projected five-man rotation likely would be Cole Hamels (on the trade block), Cliff Lee (limited to 13 starts last year because of injury), Jerome Williams (pitched for three organizations in 2014), David Buchanan (20 career big-league starts) and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez (zero career big-league starts).

Last weekend, several reports surfaced that the Phillies had agreed to a minor league deal with veteran lefthander Wandy Rodriguez, who turns 36 this month. Rodriguez, a former mainstay of the Houston Astros' rotation who pitched in only six big-league games in 2014, went 11-10 with a 4.16 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) with Pittsburgh in the last three seasons.

Additionally, CSNPhilly.com reported that the Phillies could be on the verge of signing veteran righthander Aaron Harang. Harang, who turns 37 in May, went 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA in 33 starts in Atlanta in 2014.

If they do join the Phillies' rotation in the coming days, Rodriguez and Harang are probably no more than placeholders until the likes of Nola are major-league ready. If the veteran starters are successful, the Phillies could easily spin them in trades this summer.

Meanwhile, with Byrd gone, the Phillies have a vacancy in rightfield. Domonic Brown, who arrived in the big leagues as a rightfielder, most likely will be shifted back to that position from left. Some combination of Grady Sizemore, Darin Ruf and Rule 5 draft pick Odubel Herrera could see regular playing time in left.

Herrera, 23, is leading the Venezuela Winter League in hitting. In 56 games with Tiburones de La Guaira, Herrera is hitting .370 with a .427 OBP, .987 OPS, six home runs and 112 total bases while going 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.

As a Rule 5 pick, Herrera must stay on the major league, 25-man roster for the duration of the 2015 season or be offered back to his original team (Texas). With Byrd gone, Herrera should have the opportunity to stick.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese