After all the posturing over the past few days regarding the starting rotation, it appears Pat Gillick had one more move up his sleeve. This morning, the Phils traded pitchers Gavin Floyd and Robinson Tejeda as well as minor league outfielder Michael Bourn to the A's for Barry Zito.
Zito slots right into the Phillies' rotation as their ace, moving everyone else down one. Floyd, Tejeda, and Bourn are a big price to pay, but with the health of Cole Hamels and the off-season trade for Aaron Rowand, the Phils think they had the depth at those positions to make this deal.
Asked about the trade so close to opening day, Gillick said, "I'm always trying to make this team better. Last I heard, the Mets were closing in on Zito, but now we've snatched him from our division rival."
More analysis of the trade can be found here.