Top 10 Trades in Phillies History: #3 Midseason Swap Nets Cy
Lee had an incredible impact on the 2009 Phillies. Here is Lee shown having fun during the 2009 World Series. Photo: NJ.com.
Over the next two weeks, in conjunction with the run-up to the July 31 trade deadline, Phillies Nation will be presenting the Top 10 Trades in Phillies History. Consideration was given to the performance of the players traded with their new club v. the performance of the players acquired with the Phillies in addition to heavily weighing the success of the Phillies once the trade was completed.
This series will be immediately followed by the Top 10 Worst Trades in Phillies History, starting approximately on July 7.
If you looked only at their record, you wouldn’t have guessed the 2009 Phillies necessarily needed any starting pitching. Heading into the July 31st trade deadline, 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels was seemingly turning his season around, winning his last three decisions and the Phillies had just wrapped up a ten-game winning streak and had won four in a row headed into their July 29 match-up against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But a look at the names that figured into the decisions certainly told a different story. The Phillies were relying on Hamels and a whole lot of offense to dispatch of their opponents. The 2009 Phils would use 12 different starting pitchers that season and had been ravaged by injury to the point that their rotation became Hamels, Joe Blanton, rookie J.A. Happ, and Rodrigo Lopez, while, for a spell, Chan Ho Park, Antonio Bastardo, and Kyle Kendrick held down the back end of the starting totation.
The Phillies were looking to defend their World Series crown and take advantage of their NL-best offense; the Phillies would lead the NL in homers, runs, homers, and slugging while ranking second in stolen bases in 2009. In effort to bolster a return trip to the playoffs for a third straight year, the Phillies knew they had to upgrade their starting rotation. The Phillies had just taken a flyer on former Cy Young winner and future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez in July but Martinez would not be ready until August. Additionally the Phillies had more than one opening in their starting rotation.
The rumors, at the time, suggested that Roy Halladay may have been on his way to Philadelphia. A perennial Cy Young contender, and former Cy Young winner himself, had made overtures toward the Phillies by way of acknowledging rumors during All-Star week press conference questioning. “I think Philadelphia is a great city,” Halladay said. That was all it took for the rumor mill to start churning.
The Phillies, reportedly unwilling to part with Domonic Brown, could not pry away Halladay away from the Jays but they would not let the trade deadline pass empty handed. No, the Phillies would acquire outfielder Ben Francisco and 2008 Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee for pitching prospects Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson, and infielder Jason Donald.
The move wasn’t necessarily seen as a slam dunk at the time of its completion. The Phillies, up seven games in the NL East and in the middle of a four-game winning streak, were seemingly fine with the hulking offense they took the field with each night. And Lee was no sure thing, either: Lee had won 22 games with a 2.54 ERA in 2008 for Cleveland but was omitted from Cleveland’s 2007 playoff roster after a demotion during the season. Sure the Phillies were acquiring a relatively young former Cy Young winner seemingly in his prime but there were several outstanding questions as to whether or not his prime performance was a fluke.
Thankfully for the Phillies, it wasn’t.
Lee provided more than just a standard reliable arm for a team seeking reinforcements. Lee would go 7-4 for the Phillies in 12 starts with a 3.39 ERA with a 1.130 WHIP with a then-career-high 8.4 K/9 IP, helping the Phillies cruise to a 93 win season, out-performing the second-place Marlins by six games.
Lee’s value increased multiple times over as he piled up playoff victory after playoff victory. Looking to avenge their NLDS loss of 2007, the Phils sent Lee to the mound for Game One of the 2009 NLDS against the Colorado Rockies. Lee scattered six hits, struck out five, and allowed just one run. Lee took the mound next in the fourth and deciding game of the NLDS, picking up a no decision, allowing just one earned with five strikeouts, scattering five hits.
For the purposes of this list, all trades are viewed in a vacuum. In Lee, Amaro acquired a slightly risky arm with a brilliant previous season but not much of a track record beyond that. The gamble paid off in spades and the Phillies acquired a much needed starting pitcher that not only helped them maintain their division lead but also helped them win the 2009 pennant. And I’d be remiss to not include any mention of Francisco: Francisco was solid in the fourth and fifth outfielder role for the Phillies from 2009 through 2011, posting a .259/.332/.420 line and a go-ahead, pinch-hit homer in Game 3 of the 2011 NLDS against the Cardinals off of Jaime Garcia.
Let’s stop before we get too far into the trade that sent Lee out of town to Seattle. I’m sure that will end up on another list.
