Phillies Trade Deadline Thread: July 27
-Yesterday, our own Corey Seidman gave his take on the Roy Oswalt situation. The chances of Oswalt coming to Philadelphia seem to dwindle by the minute, if you believe every report you hear. I, however, am skeptical of those reports, or any report for that matter, pertaining to the deadline. In the past few weeks, the Rangers came in late as a suitor for Cliff Lee after it was nearly a “done deal” that he had been dealt to New York. Also, Dan Haren was likely heading to the Yankees. Instead, the Angels came in late and made the move.
-Two intriguing names coming out of the NL East that could be on the trade market are Chris Volstad and Ricky Nolasco, both from the Marlins. Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post said yesterday that several teams have inquired about the big righty. The name I like here is Nolasco. If the Marlins decide they are sellers, Nolasco would be a PERFECT match with the Phillies. He’s a savvy righty, and at times can be dominating, just as Cole Hamels can be from the left side. Nolasco makes less than $2 million for the remainder of this season and is arbitration eligible for two more seasons. He is cheap and it might take slightly less to pry him away from Florida than it would Roy Oswalt from Houston, as far as prospects go. Let’s hope Florida decides to sell. Ricky Nolsaco would be #1 on my list.
-Some other names that are being thrown around, none of which really provide much excitement: Edwin Jackson of Arizona, Jeremy Guthrie of Baltimore, Paul Maholm of Pittsburgh, Jorge De La Rosa and Aaron Cook of Colorado, and Ted Lilly of the Cubs.
Lilly is the best of the bunch, but will also fetch the most in the way of young players. He’d be a solid third option behin Halladay and Hamels. Guthrie and Maholm are Kendrick-type guys, I don’t see them as an upgrade to this staff. Pass. De La Rosa and Cook are better options than those two and have been to the playoffs in recent seasons. Neither is much more than a #4.
Edwin Jackson makes you perk a bit. He was excellent in Tampa during their World Series run but this season has been all over the map. Jackson tossed one of the five no-hitters this season, but also walked eight in that same game. His ERA is above five, but he’s a young, innings machine who could be primed for a turnaround.
-Another name to watch for is Scott Downs from Toronto. If the Phillies are worried about Brad Lidge – and by now, they damn-well should be – then Downs is on their radar. It’s always tough to buy on relief arms at the deadline, but Downs is as good as they get. He is a free agent after this season, too. The Phillies were one of the teams speculated to be “in” on the Downs rumors weeks ago, but since, the Yankees have been named a frontrunner. It always seems like a darkhorse jumps in on these trades, so watch for a Downs/Phillies connection.
