As the Phils head into a crucial two-week stretch before the all-star break, pressure likely will continue to mount on General Manager Ed Wade to make a move to strengthen the roster in what still looks like a wide-open NL East. Wade's perceived failings at trade deadlines past--a track record we'll return to soon--comprise a large part of the brief against him held by a large chunk of the Philadelphia baseball public. His trade record at other times, though, has met with a more positive assessment.
Based on what's come in and gone out the clubhouse door through the first three months, however, maybe a little caution wouldn't be the worst thing. With all due caveats about small sample size, the value of having players in set roles, and different teams in different circumstances, the Phils have given up a lot of offense in Wade's 2005 deals thus far (Avg/OBP/SLG/OPS)...
Marlon Byrd (Was): 93 AB, .290/.343/.355/.698
Placido Polanco (Det): 60 AB, .383/.433/.483/.916
...while not getting much back:
Endy Chavez: 45 AB, .156/.208/.223/.431
Ramon Martinez: 9 AB, .111/.111/.111/.222
The Byrd trade seems mostly to have been a dump, with Chavez presumably brought on board to hold Kenny Lofton's place while the veteran centerfielder got healthy. And of course, the Polanco trade wasn't designed to bring back offense (though that still doesn't explain why Wade sought a player in Martinez who seems to do everything Tomas Perez already does, just less well); reliever Ugueth Urbina was the prize catch in the haul from Detroit. But Urbina's 11.05 ERA and five home runs surrendered in six appearances at Citizens Bank Park doesn't exactly help balance the ledger, at least not yet.