Hunter Pence to Phillies

[mothershipconnection]

Thanks Phils for taking the Astros best hitter out of the lineup just as they happen to face our Brewers.

 

Except that they also overpaid to get him and will therefore help make a division foe better in the future. I was hoping they'd keep Pence since we'll still beat up on their crappy team even with him. Since the Astros have money, I don't want them making smart moves, because they could restock and then take the division over in a few years.

[StearnsFTW]

I don't think Pence is a free agent until after 2013...so two years and change of Pence, though he'll get raises in arby and won't be must of a bargain salary-wise. Two top fifty prospects and two lesser guys is a decent haul, but Pence fills a significant hole for the Phils, will be there for a while, and the two good prospects are still very young, in the A+ FSL I believe. The road to the world series got tougher in the NL, sadly.

Philly is a well-run team now, but I sure remember them being mired in mediocrity for years on end. Meanwhile the Astros are in that hole that we can remember all too well...and just lost a guy who is one of the few things to be excited about.

Ed Wade spreading his own special brand of love around.

 

Probably not a coincidence.

[owbc]

Thanks Phils for taking the Astros best hitter out of the lineup just as they happen to face our Brewers.

 

Except that they also overpaid to get him and will therefore help make a division foe better in the future. I was hoping they'd keep Pence since we'll still beat up on their crappy team even with him. Since the Astros have money, I don't want them making smart moves, because they could restock and then take the division over in a few years.

Although indications are that the Astros will be in the AL West by that point. So it might not matter.

[Roscoe Chill]

You want to know who's overrated? Most every prospect.

[fondybrewfan]

You want to know who's overrated? Most every prospect.

You have a point there. Wil Inman anyone?

 

The guys the Astros got are in low A and are only putting up OK numbers; it doesn't seem like they are lock by any means and certainly won't help the Astros any sooner than maybe late 2012 early 2013

 

[SoCalBrewfan]

I've read the Phils are sending down Dom Brown so Ibanez will continue to play, meaning it's less of an upgrade than it might have been. Still, Pence is under control until after 2013, and Singleton and Cosart will probably still be in the minors when he hits free agency. According to most experts, they're top 50 prospects in all of baseball, and two of the top four in the Phils system, immediately become the top of the Astros' weak system, but both guys have things to improve upon. I don't think it's as clear a win for Houston as many seem to, unless they have money troubles I am not aware of and think they can't affort Pence's arbitration cases.

EDIT: In response to above, both Singleton and Cosart were in the Florida State League, so high A not low A. Still, not likely that either sees the bigs until '13 at the earliest.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Thanks Phils for taking the Astros best hitter out of the lineup just as they happen to face our Brewers.

 

Except that they also overpaid to get him and will therefore help make a division foe better in the future. I was hoping they'd keep Pence since we'll still beat up on their crappy team even with him. Since the Astros have money, I don't want them making smart moves, because they could restock and then take the division over in a few years.

The Astros still have a weak system, and they have Ed Wade at the helm of their operations. At this point, I'm not at all about to get concerned with what the Astros might be doing 3-4 years from now. It's actually looking like the Pirates are more of an immediate threat the next few years, especially if Pedro Alvarez starts living up to expectations.

[GAME05]

Wade won't be around to see any of the prospects materialize. even if their new ownership group makes a splash in free agency, that team is still bound to lose 90+ games for the next three years. no GM can keep a job through that unless his name is Bando.

[wisniewski]

Ed Wade made an ok deal for Pence, but not 'great' by any means. Singleton has serious potential but was blocked at 1b, Cosart (24 years old) has major maturity issues and even Phils fans will tell you is overrated, and not sure who the PTBNL will be. The Phils tried Singleton in the OF where he failed, so he was a goner.

 

The thing I don't get is that with Pence still under contract past this season why Wade didn't ask for someone closer to MLB ready? Seems strange. It also seems strange he included cash to the Phils to keep them under the luxury tax AND he makes so many deals with the Phils.

 

Personally, I think Pence is overrated. People make it seem like he was the only good player on that team for years, and that's simply not the reality.

 

Lastly, why is Wade taking a hardline stance on Barmes?

[DuWayne Steurer]

Pence is a very good, but not really a 'great' player. He's not in the class of a Braun or a Tulowitzki. I think Pence is thought of as over rated because he's been the best player for several years on a pretty bad team.

 

Interestingly, I didn't know that Pence had been originally drafted by the Brewers in 2002 in the 40th round. Probably wasn't looked at as much of a loss when he didn't sign and went to college at the time.