Phils trade for Michael Tucker

by dajafi on Aug 28, 2005 3:35 PM EDT in News

By now you've probably heard that the Phillies acquired veteran outfielder Michael Tucker from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for 19 year-old pitching prospect Kelvin Pichardo. The move represents a slight upgrade on the current big league bench, but a strong case can be made that Ed Wade passed up a better in-house option by not recalling Shane Victorino from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Tucker is a 34 year-old lefty hitter who has mostly struggled this year, batting .240 with a .689 OPS. He has done well in a pinch-hitting role, with 10 hits in 29 at-bats (plus four walks; Pat's and Geno's might sell vegetarian cheese steaks before you see Endy Chavez draw four pinch-walks). For his career, he's just a .252 pinch-hitter, but given that Tucker was more or less a full-time starter between reaching the big leagues for good in 1996 and 2004, this doesn't necessarily mean anything more than the good work he's done in the role this season. He can play all three outfield positions, though considering this is also true of Chavez and Jason Michaels, it's hard to see how this gives Charlie Manuel much added flexibility. (Indeed, it might just confuse him.) Finally, Tucker is finishing out a two-year contract; he'll be a free agent this November, and with a number of Phils outfielders (Victorino, Chris Roberson) ready for the majors, he presumably won't be back.

I don't know enough about Pichardo to offer any insight as to whether the Phils gave up too much to get a marginal guy like Tucker. I do know that I'd rather see him coming off the bench late in the game than Tomas Perez, who has been even worse as a pinch-hitter (6 for 33, .182 avg, .452 OPS) than he's been overall (.250, .595 OPS). But I'd rather have seen Victorino recalled than either of them. A switch-hitter, the 24 year-old Hawaii native is hot right now with an active 22-game hitting streak. Through Saturday, Victorino is batting .310 with 24 doubles, 16 triples (!!!) and 18 homers as well as 17 steals. That's a .911 OPS in his first full season at AAA.

The most frustrating aspect of Phillies phandom is the team's ongoing fixation with "veterans." No matter how many times David Bell falters, no matter how many Tim Worrells and Terry Adamses demonstrate they've got nothing left, and no matter how well green rookies like Ryan Madson in 2004 or Robinson Tejeda this year perform, the default thinking of Ed Wade is always that the guy with the smaller type on his baseball card is a better choice. The success of the Braves, with their rookie-laden roster, or the Marlins' winning it all two years ago with Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera in key roles at age 20, just doesn't seem to register.

FREE SHANE VICTORINO!!!

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re: Phils trade for Michael Tucker

Theoretically, this is the worst trade in the history of baseball.

1- Tucker is not a good hitter
2- We traded a 19 year old with some upside
3- Trade made so late to severely limit potentiality of any meaningful help resultant from it
4- There are better in house options (as cited)

The odds were against Pichardo ever pitching for us, but who knows? At 19, he probably should not have been back in GCL for a second season and at that young an age there is always room for development.

Clearly, Brian Sabean understands Wade's lack of regard toward young, Latin pitching prospects (see also: July 2004, Ricky Ledee AND Alfredo Simon for Felix Rodriguez) and was able to get a prospect for a zero value expiring contract big leaguer on a team that has no realistic chance to make the playoffs.

If Victorino, a 24 year old with speed, power and improving on-base skills, currently in the middle of a 22-game hitting streak, in what is by far the best year of baseball he has ever played professionally; if he does not receive, at the very least, a major league callup (he's not on the 40-man, folks), it will represent complete and abject failure to recognize and reward talent as well as mismanagement to such a degree that in other businesses, someone higher up would identify this and literally terminate whoever failed to capitalize on this opportunity to make a potentially impactful addition to the area which needed the most help.

by j.karnoval on Aug 28, 2005 4:30 PM EDT reply actions

Victorino and the 40-man

I was wondering if this has something to do with why they brought someone in from outside. I'd think they could just transfer Thome to the 60-day DL, but I don't know enough about roster legalese to say for sure.

Otherwise, the devil's-advocate position might be that Victorino has thrived playing every day, and might not immediately take to a situational-player role "in the heat of a pennant race" (quotes are used to illustrate that I think this part of the argument is BS). If you're of the mindset that the keys to successful pinch-hitting are patience, knowledge of the pitchers and focus on game situations, I can see the logic of not bringing up a guy who might try to do too much and/or is used to being out there on a full-time basis.

Of course, the problem with the Phils' by-the-book MO is that they never actually test out these presumptions, and their track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence that they've subjected any decisions to rigorous analysis or debate...

by dajafi on Aug 28, 2005 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

don't get it

I guess Tucker is better than anyone currently on the major league roster. But jeez, Victorino is free. They at least could've got someone who can play the corner infield spots.

by WholeCamels on Aug 28, 2005 5:24 PM EDT reply actions