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Phillies' spending for prospects a steep price to correct mistakes

When the Phillies parted with Chase Utley on Wednesday night, gaining two midlevel prospects in the deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, they also agreed to part with a significant amount of money to reach that accord.

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.Read more(Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

When the Phillies parted with Chase Utley on Wednesday night, gaining two midlevel prospects in the deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, they also agreed to part with a significant amount of money to reach that accord.

Money might not buy happiness, but it has been necessary for the Phillies to spend a lot of it in the last year to purchase freedom from contracts that anchored them to the past and clogged the roster for the future.

In trading away Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd, Jonathan Papelbon, Cole Hamels, Ben Revere, and Utley since last December, the Phils put themselves on the hook for between $50 million and $60 million in the deals, the exact amount of which will be determined by how well and for how long some of those players perform in their new homes.

What the Phillies received in exchange for those six players - and Jake Diekman, who was part of the Hamels trade to Texas - might make the investment worthwhile, but that won't be known any time soon. They got back 13 prospects and also had to assume the contract of a non-prospect, Rangers veteran Matt Harrison, who was owed $32.6 million but has been able to pitch just nine games since 2012 because of what could be career-ending back problems. (The Phils did assume an insurance policy on Harrison's contract, too, so they might get some rebate eventually if he can't pitch, but how much is unknowable.)

By itself, the Utley trade is a great example of how the Phillies have done business as they try to complete a three-step transition from glory years to gory years to full rebuilding. From the Dodgers, in exchange for the best second baseman in franchise history, the Phils got a versatile, light-hitting triple-A player in Darnell Sweeney (who was called up immediately) and a 6-foot-4, single-A righthander with a 4.20 ERA in John Richy.

What the prospects have going for them - and what Utley does not - is youth, of course. They are 24 and 23, respectively, and could turn into something more. They were not among the best prospects in the Dodgers organization, but represent a reasonable return for what might be a short-term rental, even if an accomplished one.

To get this deal done, the Phillies had to agree to pay a $5 million roster bonus owed Utley if he does not spend 15 days on the disabled list this season with knee problems. They also had to pick up approximately $400,000 of his remaining 2015 salary, and a $2 million buyout for next season if the Dodgers don't choose to pick up Utley's option. (That option would be around $11 million. His full vesting option of $15 million, which would have required 500 plate appearances this season, is unattainable.) As a special parting gift, the Phillies also had to give Utley a $1.13 million "assignment bonus" for waiving his right to veto a trade.

In that one little deal, ownership signed off on what might be an $8.5 million gulp. They were going to be liable for a good bit of it anyway, but nevertheless, it's a lot of money for Darnell Sweeney and John Richy.

Well, big deal. It's not our money, but it is certainly money that John Middleton and cousins Jim Buck and Pete Buck had to invest to help get the team out of jail. That accumulated $50 million to $60 million over the last nine months is a steep price, and the question is whether it represents the depth to which ownership is now committed to moving forward or an utter indictment of the way the team was run in the last 10 years, championship or no championship.

The truth is that it is probably both.

When the team hired Andy MacPhail in June to take over as its new president, Middleton said the Phillies were looking for a new direction and new ideas. Giving away money to paper over past mistakes is probably not something he'd like to continue.

It will take a while to learn whether general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and his scouting staff did well in the trades. They were unable to shake loose the top prospects from any organization, but the 13 players they got average 22 years of age, were mostly at the double-A level, and 10 of them are pitchers. (Eight of the 10 are 6-4 or taller, and one hopes that's not the extent of the Phils' newfound dedication to analytics.)

So, this is how the party that stretched from 2007 to 2011 really ends. It ends with the caterer showing up with the bill. The Phillies are paying it now, and the bill will keep growing, particularly since there are still two guests who haven't left yet. Keep that checkbook handy.

Exchange Rates

Between payments made to trade partners and large contracts absorbed in return, the Phillies have committed more than $50 million in trades during their rebuilding. Here is a breakdown from each trade.

      1st year      

Player   Contract details   of contract   Cash paid in trade

Jimmy Rollins   4 years, $44 million   2012   $1 million

Marlon Byrd   2 years, $16 million   2014   $4 million

Jonathan Papelbon   4 years, $50 million   2012   $4.5 million

Cole Hamels   6 years, $144 million   2013   $9.5 million

Also acquired Matt Harrison in trade   $32.6 million

Ben Revere   1 year, $4.1 million   2015   $1.5 million

Chase Utley   2 years, $27 million   2014   $3.5 million*

TOTAL   19 years, $285.1 million      $56.6 million   

*–could increase depending on bonuses and exercising of 2016 option. Source: Baseball ProspectusEndText