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The Ken Giles/Astros trade talk today wasn't just talk. There was meaning behind all those words. AND THOSE WORDS HURT.
Told #Astros trading pitchers Vince Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer and Brian Fisher to Phillies for closer Ken Giles, pending physicals.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) December 10, 2015
A fourth player is headed to Phillies in Giles deal.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) December 10, 2015
In his first major trade as Phillies GM, Matt Klentak has sent closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros for four players -- two pitchers (Velasquez and Oberholtzer), a outfielder (Fisher), and an unknown fourth player. Unfortunately, unless that fourth player is actually Ken Giles wearing a fake mustache and spectacles, I'm not going to like this deal at all. From a purely emotional standpoint, at least. I love Ken Giles. With Cole Hamels now a member of that other team in Texas, he was my favorite Phillies pitcher. He was fiery and animated on the mound, and holy crap was he ever good. He was a good thing on a bad team, and someone I looked forward to watching.
Or I DID look forward to watching him, THANKS MATT KLENTAK.
I do have to divorce my emotions from this somewhat and try to see this from a baseball standpoint instead of a YOU BROKE MY HEART AND TOOK AWAY SOMETHING I LOVE standpoint. As much as I love Ken Giles, the Phillies don't need a closer right now. What they need as they rebuild are possibilities and potential. They know what Giles is, and since they don't need him (although they/me/definitely me may want him), they can trade him for those possible future pieces. And as the wise Victor Filoromo said via email earlier, four players is a huge haul for one guy, even if he is Ken Giles at the peak of his value.
This is the cost of rebuilding. You have to say goodbye to players you adore to create a team that can actually contend in the future. I will find new players to love. Though none of them will ever be Ken Giles.
We'll post the info on the mysterious fourth Astros player once we have it. And stay tuned for a trade breakdown from John Stolnis as he gives you actual analysis instead of "Emotional Blogger Says Goodbye to her Favorite Pitcher: A Play in Three Acts."