Houston Trade: Phils Get Brad Lidge

I guess I like this move... I also like getting myers out of the pen, but losing bourne hurts a lot. You cant replace what he could do on the basepath..

I like the trade. If Lidge is Lidge then we just got one of the better closers in the NL AND we essentially landed a top of the rotation starter while we were at it by getting Myers back from the pen. If Lidge is the combustible Lidge from 2006 and the beginning of 07 then not so good.

Weren't we looking at a similar trade back at the trade deadline this season?

No trade is without risk. Bourn could turn out to be Willie McGee, Costanzo could be a 25-HR guy in one of the four corners, Geary... well, we know what Geary's deal is.

But given the risk, I think this was a very solid move. Lidge can dominate. The strikeouts, we all know about. His second half wasn't as good as his first half in 2007, but I would guess his knee injury had something to do with that.

(Still, after the Garcia fiasco the Phillies had damn well better make sure he has the clean bill of health.)

Bruntlett has his value off the bench, and that's it.

The big deal here is that Myers goes back to the rotation. Simply put, there was no starter available, certainly not at $20.5 million owed for two years, remotely as good as Myers. So you've got a shift in the closer role from Myers to Lidge, which is probably about even, and a massive upgrade from whoever would have slotted in after Hamels, Moyer, Kendrick and Eaton--let's say Durbin--to Brett Myers.

Lidge is only under contract for one more year, but that doesn't particularly bother me; if he's effective, you extend him, and if a Mathieson or Bisenius or whoever else emerges, that's your closer going forward.

I like.

This is an absolutely fantastic trade for the Phillies. Bourn is never going to amount to anything  significant as a major leaguer. He's your classic speed guy with no power, a below average hitter that will play good defense and can steal bases. While I think Geary will bounce back from last year, 2006 was a fluke as well. He's a 4.50 ERA reliever. Costanzo has yet to show an ability to hit at any level and I'd be very surprised if he ever becomes an impact player as well.

Lidge is a top tier closer and is the classic needs-a-change-of-scenery guy. I expect he'll be just as good of a closer as Myers was or would be. Even more importantly, this move means Myers will be in the rotation. He has far more value there. Bruntlett is our new (f)utility infielder. No complaints there, I suppose.

Right now the Phillies rotation looks like:
Hamels
Myers
Moyer
Kendrick
Eaton

with Lidge, Gordon, Madson out of the pen.

That looks pretty solid to me. They could certainly use another starter, as I think it's a good chance Kendrick falls back down to earth (or worse) or that Eaton repeats 2006. The bullpen I think can be filled out with internal candidates or cheap pickups. Zagurski could be back and I'd really like the Phillies to give Yoel Hernandez a shot.

Perhaps even more importantly, the Phillies still have money to sign free agents. They need a third baseman or right fielder. The bargain route would be Brad Wilkerson or Geoff Jenkins to platoon with Jayson Werth, both of whom wouldn't cost draft picks. There aren't really any reasonable options at 3B. Lowell is going to get paid way, way more than he deserves. I think the most reasonable top tier free agents for the Phillies would be Andruw Jones, Milton Bradley, or even... Barry Bonds*?

*Bonds will almost certainly be signed for less than he's worth, since many teams won't want him. I certainly don't like him as a person, but he's a damn good baseball player. The Bonds' circus in Philadelphia would be annoying and the prospect of a Burrell/Bonds corner outfield is scary. That said, I'd probably still take him.

It's also worth noting that if Lidge turns in a good year this year, he's almost certainly a type A free agent in 2009. That means if the Phillies fail to resign him, they'd get a freebie first round pick. Factor that in and this deal looks even better.

He had 18 SBs with very few ABs. Did he get a bunch of SBs pinch running?

I think the trade is good for the Phills. Lidge can be a great closer and they didn't give up much for his upside.

So the Phillies get their high-strikeout, combustible closer from Houston, and Ed Wade gets his proven veteran middle reliever and speedy, punchless outfielder.

The cirrrrcle of life!!!

I agree with the notion that this move is better for getting Myers back in the rotation than it is for acquiring Lidge himself.  Lidge vs. Myers in the 'pen is a wash, I think.  But having a solid to excellent #2 in the rotation could be huge.

Probably don't know how good this deal is until Lidge's first pitch after the first HR he gives up in CBP. But, it's hard not to like Myers back to the rotation, for all of the reasons everyone's already listed.

Hopefully the change of location will help Lidge get back to his stuff from 2005.  And we got a decent utility player also.  I like this trade a lot.  We get a top tier closer (hopefully) and a utility player that has proven that he can hit at this level.  We gave up a corner player that may/may not make it in the big show.  Let's be honest, his swing  is a disaster and one littler thing wrong with it and he's in bad shape.  Plus he and the curve ball don't get along.  We also lost Bourn.  Great speed, but hacks like a Canadian lumberjack and when he does make contact, maybe it gets out of the infield.  And no big deal over Geary.  His one great year was over two seasons ago.  To be perfectly honest, I think we totally hosed the Astros here.  We get two players that can produce and they get three that may or may not.... at some point.  After all of the stupid ass things that Wade did in Philly, it's ironic that this is his first move.  Karma rules!  Honestly, what probably helped us here is that Wade knew thee three players and was convinced in his head that they can be key parts of the Astros' lineup.  Maybe next week we can send him a pair of A-ball guys for say.... Roy Oswalt...  Come on Ed, you know you want to pull the trigger!

Another positive is that we didn't lose our first round pick...yet.