Sell-off plan starting to pay off for Phillies
Phillies seeing results of trading away 2008 core
PHILADELPHIA » As an organization that has too seldom enjoyed prolonged periods of success, the Phillies would be understandably slow to permit one to end.
They were division champions in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, when their ballpark was newer and crammed every night. Their players were rock stars, saluted by 2.6 million in a parade, emboldened to spit vulgarities into microphones. They were world champions once, in a World Series a second time. They weren’t as much players as heroes, or neighbors, or, at least in some corners of the front office, family.
Finally, though, it would be time.
Finally, they would have to stop waiting for aged, injured, graying former champions to resume playing to Hall of Fame standards. Finally, they would move.
Matt Klentak knew what happened. It’s why, within about five minutes of being introduced as general manager, he was quick to acknowledge one reason why he could make it all work.
“I want to thank Ruben Amaro Jr.,” he said at his introductory press conference. “I want to acknowledge what Ruben did during his entire time here. I think that he did a marvelous job of helping reshape the future of this organization.”
That’s how it happens, in a batting order, in a front office. One guy tries to get on base, the next tries to move him over. Together, they try to score. Technically, Amaro did nothing more for Klentak than Ed Wade had done for him, back when Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels were being developed. The only question was how much Amaro could regain once he started arrang-
ing those expensive stars on his flea market table. As it is becoming to look, it was substantial. And while it is hardly the only reason, it is one explanation for why the Phillies are a half-game out of first place at Memorial Day weekend, a standard baseball-season checkpoint.
The sell-off, belated as it was, is starting to turn a profit.
“What we have seen through the first 40 games or so is that we have had some players take big steps forward,” Klentak said. “Odubel Herrera is hitting. Jorge Alfaro has developed into a real presence behind the plate. Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez have demonstrated that their performance can match their stuff. And our bullpen has really been solid, one through eight.
“If we continue to get those kinds of contributions, I would expect that we’ll remain competitive.”
If Jake Arrieta pitches as he has, he will be a Cy Young Award candidate, and that had nothing to do with the end-of-era selloff and everything to do with John Middleton being willing to invest $75 million in a player. But the Phillies would not be nine games over .500 and on a pace for 97 wins without some stars-for-prospects gambles.
Alfaro, who has caught 10 consecutive potential base-stealers, has been such a defensive presence that he is being likened to Pudge Rodriguez, but only with a better arm. He came in the deal with Texas for Cole Hamels. So did Nick Williams, who is hitting .444 as a pinch hitter with two home runs and seven RBIs.
While Jon Papelbon technically was not a part of the 2007-2011 core, he was hired for $50,000,058 in 2013 in the last attempt to extend that party. The Phillies eventually were able to dump him in Washington for Pivetta, who has allowed one run, struck out 25 and walked two in his last 19 innings. It was a similar exchange of established value for
promise that Klentak used to acquire Velasquez, who is averaging more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings, when he grabbed him from the Astros for Ken Giles.
Jimmy Rollins had already crafted a reasonable Hall of Fame candidacy by the time he’d deteriorated into a sub-.250 hitter. But in 2014, the Phils were able to offload him to the Dodgers in a deal for Zach Eflin. The right-hander, 24, has a 1.56 ERA in three starts this season.
In Cesar Hernandez, Rhys Hoskins and Maikel Franco, the Phillies are winning with some organically developed talent. Carlos Santana was a pricey free-agent buy. Herrera was a Rule 5 gem. Aaron Nola, who should be an All-Star, was a high draft choice. Successful baseball teams need multiple talent pipelines. But the Phillies would not be contending without Alfaro, Williams, Pivetta, Velasquez and Eflin.
Not all of the selling-off was successful. The Phils received nothing of value for Chase Utley. They held
onto Ryan Howard so long that they couldn’t move his contract. They received rubbish in return for Chooch Ruiz and Shane Victorino. But Ben Lively, acquired for the useless Marlon Byrd, could still help, once he returns from the disabled list.
“I really love our players,” Gabe Kapler said. “I love coming to work every day. I ride the emotion that they ride. And the guys that are having a lot of success, I’m celebrating with them. What I’ve learned in the first quarter of the season or a little bit more is we have a lot of good baseball players. They prepare really well. They work really hard and they love playing together.”
The Phillies have had two modern-era bursts of excellence, each surrounded by a world championship, 28 years apart. Because they were finally willing to give up on one, they have a chance at another.