The Phillies may several significant moves today, their first really bold moves this off-season. Here is my take:
First, the team traded shortstop Freddie Galvis to San Diego for soon-to-be 22 year-old right handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos The Padres had been rumored to be interested in the slick-fielding Galvis, and the dealw as finally completed today.
I'll miss Freddie. Not only was he the best fielding Phillies shortstop since Jimmy Rollins and Larry Bowa, he was a really nice guy the few times I met him. He was a leader in the clubhouse, and kept it together last summer when the club was faltering.
He hit 20 home runs in 2016 and his offensive production slipped this year. The biggest knock on Freddie was his on-base percentage, or lack there of. The Phils are really into analytics now, and his numbers weren't good on the analytic side of baseball. But I wonder if those numbers also indicated how many runs he saved with his nearly golden glove.
Another factor in the deal was that Freddie can be a free agent after the 2018 season. He is 28, so he can play a while yet. The Phillies like J.P. Crawford, a true shortstop who also played a little third base and second base last summer. He is around six years Galvis' junior, so it made sense to go with the younger prospect.
In return, the Phils got De Los Santos back from the Padres. He went 10-6 last year at double-A ball. He was rated as San Diegos' 13th best prospect in their deep organization. Their farm system is rated as the 3rd best in major league baseball. He is projected to be a No. 4 or 5 starter.
I guess I like the deal. They needed to make room for Crawford. It signals that Cesar Hernandez will probably stay, at least until the July 31st trade deadline next summer. The organization will keep 2B prospect Scott Kingery at Lehigh Valley until after may 1, due to service-time issues, so I'm thinking Hernandez was start at second base for now. After Kingery is promoted the team can either deal Hernandez or use him as a utility guy, a young Andres Blanco-type,
Getting a young arm is always a good thing. The Phillies badly need a top of the rotation guy, so if they eventually trade Tommy Joseph and one of the outfielders, hopefully they get pitching back there too.
The more surprising move was made after the Galvis trade when the Phils signed free agent first baseman Carlos Santana to a 3-year contract. Santana, 31, spent eight years with the Indians. He is more than a power hitter- he also walks and his on-base percentage is high ( another plus on the analytic side).
Santana is a surprise, as it was rumored the Red Sox were courting him. His signing brings stability to the line-up. Santana is a No. 3 or No. 4 hitter. He will give Rhys Hoskins better pitches to hit. He was a Gold Glove finalist this summer,so, although he has played third base in the past, first base is his best position.
The Santana signing may also sway other free agents down the road ( Manny Machado, Bryce Harper) to consider the Phillies after next season.
So what happens to Hoskins? Certainly it means he will play left field, which he did a decent job doing last season. He will be a Greg Luzinski/ Pat Burrell-type of fielder. At least he can start working with the coaches in the outfield during spring training, knowing that left field will be home.
I like the idea of a four-man rotation in the outfield, with Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams and Aaron Altherr along with Hoskins. But I'm betting the Phils end up trading one of those three.
To me, I would play the smooth Altherr in center and Williams in right.Trading the talented Herrera makes sense, if you trade any of them. He has enormous potential, but he is an immature, sulking guy at times, going brain-dead on the base-paths and batter's box at times. He can be athletic in center field, yet also takes adventurous routes to balls.Worst of all, he doesn't hustle all the times, and no matter how many times the coaches talked to him, he seemed to play better for a while, then would slide back again.
Herrera would get you the most back in return as well. Put him in a package with Hernandez and maybe you get a solid starter in return. I wouldn't deal Williams or Altherr, certainly not Hoskins, who is the face of the franchise now.
I just hope new manager Kapler and the entire organization doesn't fall in love with Herrera's "potential" and overlook his faults, especially the hustle issue. Altherr hit 19 homers last season with limited action, and Williams was an RBI machine during the second half of the year. We only saw the tip of the iceberg with each, whereas we pretty much know what Herrera can and can't do.
At least the Phillies are doing something. They still have work to do. Joseph is a goner. And the catching situation needs to be addressed. Out of the trio Rupp- Knapp- Alfaro one has to go. It will be interesting to see what happens from now until spring training in February.
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