Wow, Ruben, I’ve never seen this side of you before. I like it.
After months of rumors and speculation, the greatest will they/won’t they story since Ross and Rachel has come to an end, the Phillies finally realized what they were and sold off any player worth a damn.
So while the Hot Stove cools a bit, let’s take a look at all of the week’s much overdue trades. First up, Ben Revere is now running through the 6. The Phils nabbed two future bull pen arms in Albert Tirado and Jimmy Cordero and you can never really have too much bull pen depth. Tirado is the higher profile of the two players, signed out of the Dominican Republic, he posses some electric stuff and can really light up a radar gun, but his control leaves a lot to be desired. Tirado is currently ranked as the Phillies’ 15th best prospect according to mlb.com.
all in all, not a bad haul for a player of Revere’s stature, I’m really just glad to see him play on a contender for the first time in his career. Had he played in this city a few years sooner, he would of been adored rather than seen as a player with far too many holes in his game.
Next up, the Philadelphia fan favorite, Johnny Pap. This trade was all about addition through subtraction. The Phils didn’t bring back much in the way of prospects, Nick Pivetta was a top ten prospect for the Nats, he has some solid upside and a really good chance of hanging around in a professional rotation. The real prize for the Phils in this trade is getting Papelbon’s contract off the books, they did well to only get stuck with paying him for the remainder of this season. The trade also opens up the 9th inning for Ken Giles, which is something I am more than excited to see.
Like Revere, I look at Papelbon and can’t help but wonder what might of been. Had this team been what he thought it was when he signed his record contract, he could of been bigger than Brad Lidge. I don’t care what anyone says, Jonathan Papelbon is the greatest closer in Phillies franchise history.
And now for the biggey, kid Cole brings home a king’s ransom. This was the trade Ruben couldn’t get wrong. This was the trade that would restock the farm system and usher in a new age for the Phils. This was the trade that need to be a home run. And as of right now, the trade looks like it made good on all three of those things. Along with Cole, the Phillies shipped a once promising Jake Diekman and a couple million in cash for C Jorge Alfaro, OF Nick Williams, and P Jake Thompson, Alec Asher, Jared Eickhoff, and Matt Harrison. In this deal the Phillies brought back three of the Rangers’ top five prospects. The real gem of the deal is kind of open to interpretation as Alfaro, Williams, and Thompson have each been viewed as the top prize of this trade.
As far as I see it, Jorge Alfaro has the highest ceiling of all three. In the realm of minor league baseball, Alfaro is the best catching prospect not named Kyle Schwarber. he’s got plus power potential and power hitting catchers don’t come around every day. His play behind the plate leaves a lot to be desired, but dude’s got a rifle for an arm so he’s not completely lost behind home plate. Unfortunately Alfaro has an extensive history of injuries which, for someone who is only 22, does not fill me with much confidence. I can’t help but see shades of Tommy Joseph, but with that said Alfaro has a much higher upside than Joseph ever did. Unlike Joseph, a move to first base isn’t expected for Alfaro as he’s got allstar potential behind the dish.
I think Nick Williams has the highest floor of the trade’s big three. He’s got hand speed that would make the flash jealous and and enough strength to pull most pitches. He has decent speed and is capable of playing all three outfield position thanks to his arm strength. Williams is currently batting .300 in the minors and is showing an impressive all around game. Williams is projected to be an everyday outfielder for a big league club.
The Phillies also did well in acquiring Jake Thompson, the Rangers’ top pitching prospect. While his fastball isn’t all that, it currently sits in the low 90’s, his sinkers is so disgusting it’ll make you gag, its seen as his best strikeout pitch. He is projected to be a number 3 starter, with number 2 upside.
All five of the prospects acquired by the Phillies currently rank in the top 30 of their system according to mlb.com. Matt Harrison was also a solid get, if he can rebound from injury the Phils may be able to flip him for a few prospects. With a farm system that was more barren than the Sahara, this trade looks to provide some life.
After several deadlines and winter meetings of stupidity and ineptitude, its nice to see Ruben make some savvy moves for the future, but it all looks as though its just a little too late with Andy McPhail ushering in a new regime and mind set it seems as if Ruben’s job is all but gone.
With prospects now in the pipeline and young talent starting to produce in the big leagues, hopefully the Phils will be fightin again sooner rather than later.
Snowballs & Batteries 