It's official. Hunter Pence joins Shane Victorino as starting outfielders the Phillies parted ways with prior to Tuesday's 4:00 PM trade deadline. In return for Pence from San Francisco, the Phillies will receive highly regarded 21-year-old catching prospect Tommy Jospeh, outfielder Nate Schierholtz, and 23-year-old pitching prospect Seth Rosin.
The Phillies may not be done yet, as chatter about Ty Wigginton to the Yankees and Joe Blanton to Baltimore is still floating around on Twitter.
Your immediate thoughts on Pence being dealt? The Phillies official release on the trade:
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The Phillies have traded right fielder Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for outfielder Nate Schierholtz, catcher Tommy Joseph and right-hander Seth Rosin, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today. The Phillies also sent cash considerations to the Giants.
Schierholtz, 28, was hitting .257 with five doubles, five triples, five home runs and 17 RBI in 77 games. A left-handed hitter, Schierholtz has made 37 starts in right field this year. As a pinch-hitter this year, he had six hits in 28 at-bats (.214), but for his career owns a .296 (37-125) pinch average with two home runs and 16 RBI. Selected in the second round by the Giants in the 2003 draft, Schierholtz had spent his entire professional career with the organization and is a career .270 hitter with 23 home runs, 119 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 503 major league games.
Joseph, 21, was hitting .260 with eight home runs and 38 RBI in 80 games for double-A Richmond this season. Last year, he batted .270 with 22 home runs and 95 RBI in 127 games for single-A San Jose. Joseph was originally selected in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Az.
Rosin, 23, has gone 2-1 with 10 saves and a 4.31 ERA in 34 games (five starts) for single-A San Jose this season. In his 56.1 innings pitched, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound right-hander has 68 strikeouts (10.86 SO/9.0 IP). Rosin was a fourth-round selection of the Giants in the 2010 draft out of the University of Minnesota.
Pence, 29, was acquired by the Phillies on July 29 of last season from the Houston Astros. In 155 games for the Phillies since his acquisition, he batted .289 with 27 doubles, 28 home runs and 94 RBI. This season, Pence was hitting .271 with 17 home runs and 59 RBI in 101 games. He was leading the Phillies in runs (59), hits (108), home runs, RBI, walks (37) and total bases (178) and was tied for the lead in games.