Does Philadelphia care about the future?

[TruffleShuffle]

I'd rather have a great team for 10-15 years than an almost perfect team for 5 and an average team the other 5.

 

Well, sure. But that seems like sort of an unfair scenario you've set up. There's no guarantee that hanging onto prospects, rather than trading them, will make a team "great" for 10-15 years.

 

There's no guarantee that the Phillies will even win one world series either from these moves. It is playing the percentages.

 

what percentage chance does it add to the phillies being "great" for 10-15 years by hanging onto singleton and cosart?

 

yes, ideally it would be nice to keep a core together for a long time, then when those guys retire you just plug a ready-made prospect in to replace their production. but when does that ever happen? the phillies aren't going to have another chase utley sitting around in AAA waiting for the real chase utley to get old and retire.

 

and as for the pence trade, it makes a lot of sense. the phillies' offense has been really average this year. against LHP the team OPS this season is .661. they struggled offensively against the giants last postseason, and just got done failing to score an earned run against lincecum and cain in a recent series. ibanez' contract is expiring after this season and they had a need for a RH bat in the corner OF. this isn't a one-year rental, it's a trade for a guy who will be under team control for two more years and will fit in nicely with all the LH bats the phillies have. if pence were 31 and a free agent after this year you'd have a lot easier time arguing that they should stop giving away the future for a piece that represents a fairly minor upgrade.

[Guest]

yes, ideally it would be nice to keep a core together for a long time, then when those guys retire you just plug a ready-made prospect in to replace their production. but when does that ever happen? the phillies aren't going to have another chase utley sitting around in AAA waiting for the real chase utley to get old and retire.

 

Like I said earlier, the Phillies already did this once in the 2000s. They were good in the early 2000s with an offense built around Rollins, Burrell, Rolen, and Abreu. When most of those guys became too expensive, they phased in Utley, Howard, Victorino, and Werth to keep going.

[OleMissCub]

Wow, just saw the video of Pence coming off the field in the middle of the 5th inning and saying bye to his teammates. Dude was crying. Also looks in the video like he mouths the words "I don't know" at the SS. I'm sure he was glad it was Philly.

[jersey cubs fan]

The only issue I have is that the Phillies are starting to get very old very quickly. Most of their offensive guys will either be overpaid in their next contract or have to be let go because they're in the danger zone (early to mid 30's).

 

Why is this an issue you have? A very good team has been very good for very long and look to stay very good in the near term + they have the resources to reload in a heartbeat.