Checking in on Phillies Prospects Traded to make the Rotation

""There are going to be times down the road when I'm going to wish we had younger players contributing at the Major League level," Amaro said. "And that's kind of where we're going to be shortly. We have a lot of veteran guys and they're going to have to be replaced. I understand you have to give up talent to get talent, but it's a hard and difficult balance. "

over 1 year ago Cormican 14 comments 0 recs |

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Glad he recognizes this.

I think the organization has to set an ironclad rule that they will not trade any top prospects at this year’s deadline under any circumstances. Not even if the team gets off to a slow start and finds themselves, say, four back in mid-July. We’ve already doubled down and tripled down. Quadrupling down has to be out of the question.

One of the really pernicious things about mortgaging the future is that it creates an impetus for mortgaging the future even more. Because we’ve traded so many prospects for veterans and have a better chance to win now than in the future, you’ll see a lot of people say “we have to win now so can’t afford to wait for any of our remaining prospects, they need to be traded too.” It’s like a feedback loop.

by taco pal on Jan 20, 2011 5:51 PM EST reply actions

Can never have enough use of the word pernicious.

by Cormican on Jan 20, 2011 8:18 PM EST up reply actions

I also like “deleterious” although I don’t think that would have fit quite as nicely here.

by taco pal on Jan 20, 2011 9:48 PM EST up reply actions

Well, trading Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia was deleteriously pernicious.

by Cormican on Jan 20, 2011 10:05 PM EST up reply actions

One of the really pernicious things about mortgaging the future is that it creates an impetus for mortgaging the future even more.

I’m already perniciously plowed, so why not get deleteriously drunker. Burp.

by j reed on Jan 22, 2011 3:56 AM EST up reply actions

Is it possible that the drafting and player development team is actually good enough to absorb the loss of top prospects every year?

by phatj on Jan 21, 2011 7:43 AM EST up reply actions

It’s possible, sort of, but if you keep pressing your luck, your luck will run out – even really good development people need to benefit from some luck to sustain success. Also, the best you can really do by “absorbing” the losses every year is to stay in place, like running up on the down escalator. You may prevent your organization from getting worse, but you’re not going to get back to the place you would have been if you hadn’t traded the earlier guys away.

by taco pal on Jan 21, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions

That article is a bit depressing

by Boundforbeach on Jan 20, 2011 7:39 PM EST reply actions

Gio Gonzalez and Gavin Floyd…

I am not a witch.

by RememberthePhitans on Jan 20, 2011 9:12 PM EST reply actions

Just to clarify

Not traded for this rotation, but just other arms given up in recent memory. The Phillies have populated a lot of slots in MLB pitching staves.

I am not a witch.

by RememberthePhitans on Jan 20, 2011 9:13 PM EST up reply actions

Glass half full

I’d rather have the Halladay-Lee-Oswalt-Hamels-Blanton rotation than the Hamels-Happ-Gonzalez-Floyd-Drabek rotation we’d otherwise be looking at.

Glass half empty

2 years from now I may really prefer that second rotation.

by Cormican on Jan 20, 2011 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

Hopefully Cosart & friends will make up the difference.

by taco pal on Jan 20, 2011 11:38 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah kudos to Arbuckle, Amaro, Gillick, etc. that we could trade away a pretty good starting rotation the last 5-6 years (Drabek-Happ-Gonzalez-Carrasco-Outman), and still have 4 top pitching prospects in the system, with several more who can be nice back end of the rotation guys.

by Cormican on Jan 21, 2011 10:38 AM EST up reply actions