Bobby & Sal, Together at Last

If you look at the players involved in the trade the Phillies made on Sunday with the Yankees, you would think the Bronx Bombers saw the Phillies as the little kid in the candy shop.  The Yankees got an All Star right fielder in Bobby Abreu and a starter in Cory Lidle who will have a huge impact on the extremely shaky bottom half of the Yanks rotation.

If you are a Phillies fan, you know this deal wasn't as simple as the players swapping teams.  This is a trade which signifies the dark cloud of Ed Wade's tenure finally passing.  Not that Bobby was necessarily part of that, but this move signifies a real change.  Bobby Abreu was the centerpiece of the Phillies line up for the last decade.  He will now go to a real contender and join Sal Fasano in a different color pinstripes with a legitimate chance at a ring.

Was this a good trade for the Phillies?  Like most deals you won't be able to tell for years down the road if the Phillies got the kind of value in return for such a great player as Abreu.  But the fact of the matter is that Bobby Abreu's huge contract and no trade clause (thanks Ed!) made Abreu almost untradeable.  I'd be surprised if there was more than one other team who really could have pulled off a deal for Abreu.  The Yankees knew they were the only team interested and therefore didn't have to give up their top prospects.

So it was more of a salary dump than a great trade for the Phillies.  It could even turn out to be a horrible trade a few years from now.  The Phillies haven't made the playoffs in decades.  Sure, they could have made the playoffs next year with Abreu and his huge contract but I think Philadelphian's have come to expect the worst out of the current squad.  Gillick's sentiments seem to show that he believes the team as of Sunday night still needs a lot of work.  And it surely does.  But with 3 expensive, aging veterans out and 6 young prospects in, the Phillies have new life.

I don't think anyone expects miracles out of this bunch.  But with Utely, Howard, Rollins and company around for years to come the Phillies have some stars in place.

Maybe we'll get lucky and one of these prospects will end up being a diamond in the rough which could help the Phillies make the playoffs.. ever.  Don't hold your breath Philadelphia.  It feels a bit weird to think Abreu will no longer lollygag in right at Citizens Bank Park.  At least we don't have to listen to Abreu haters anymore.

Comments

[SID]

nothing like giving up three everyday players and not getting one in return!!! Bobby sucked and i am glad that he and his contract are gone. at least we are the only team ever to have the winner of the homerun derby and also have the guy who has the longest hitting streak in back to back years.

[meredith]

Good to see that there are still some GMs so desperate for a salary dump that they're willing to give away quality players for absolutely nothing. Thanks, Pat. God, I hate the Yankees.

[chris]

bad move

[Old Hickory]

Why hate the Yankees? Because they spend money that they take in, while other teams just take your money and bank it? Take heart, Philly fans, football season approaches and there are a rash of catastrophic, on-field injuries for you to cheer.

[bryan b]

they're still shitty...

[mike]

pat gillick is the devil and must be destroyed !