Phillies Trade Rumors: Cleaning House

According to Gotham Baseball and other sources, Pat Gillick is ready to cash in on 2006 and free up some payroll.  The Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees should be involved.

Here's a look at the team's contract obligations. 

Bobby Abreu makes $15MM next year and then has a $16MM club option with a $2MM buyout.  Maybe he'll demand that it's exercised upon a trade.  He'll still be a 5-7 win player annually for a little while, but that salary is a beast.  The 32 year-old Abreu is willing to waive his no-trade, and my gut tells me that he'd do it for any contender.  Perhaps Gillick mirrors his Thome deal - acquire a solid outfielder and some decent prospects, eat some salary.

Pat Burrell is set to earn $27MM for 2007-08.  The slugger turns 30 in October.  That's a painful obligation for a player projected to be worth just $8.5MM during that span by Baseball Prospectus.  The Phils might have to swallow half of this contract to move him.  I feel like it would be Burrell or Abreu but not both - that's a lot of offense to replace next year.

Randy Wolf makes $9MM this season in his walk year.  He's just finishing up rehab for Tommy John surgery.  He's a week or two from rejoining the Phils, and a deadline deal seems a long shot.  However, if he returns and stinks maybe Gillick can pass him through waivers and trade him in August.  The southpaw turns 30 next month and will probaby get decent interest as a free agent.

Mike Lieberthal's lengthy Phillies career should come to an end as this is the last year of his deal.  He makes $7.5 mil, so I'm sure the team would love to move him from a financial point of view.  He should be activated from the DL tonight after a strained hip.  The Rockies could use a backstop if Gillick wants to do yet another salary dump with the fan favorite.

Jon Lieber makes $7.5MM next season in the last year of his deal.  He's a 36 year-old control artist who probably has a few decent years left.  I think there's a good chance he's moved, and the bounty could be decent if he shows well in his next start or two.  Makes sense at the back end of the rotation of various contenders.

Arthur Rhodes makes a whopping $4.8MM this season in his walk year.  However, the A's and Pirates are paying more than a million of that.  Rhodes turns 37 in October and has pitched poorly this year after dominating last year.  Gillick probably won't get much for him, though we've seen that the reliever market appears inflated this summer.

David Bell, making $4.5MM in the last year of his deal, is one of the worst-hitting third basemen in the game.  He's a good glove man but wouldn't make much of a spare part for a contender.

Tom Gordon is the best available reliever this summer.  He gets $7MM in '07, $5.5MM in '08, and a $4.5MM option with a $1MM buyout for '09.  He's still getting it done at age 38 and could give a nice stretch run/playoff boost to the White Sox or Yankees.

Cory Lidle makes $3.3MM this year and has a solid 2.4 K/BB ratio.  The 34 year-old is far from impressive, but he still adds a couple of wins compared to replacement level crap.  The Phils should definitely trade Lidle.

Brett Myers is a few years removed from free agency, but the team has that whole domestic abuse issue sitting there.  It's a tough situation because the team needs Myers to front their rotation for the next few years.  But if you're gonna rebuild, why hold back?  Myers won't bring a Josh Beckett-sized bounty, but even with the baggage you'd think the Phils could get one good prospect in return.

Aaron Rowand, a fan favorite, really ought to stay put.  Bit players like David Dellucci and a host of relievers certainly could be traded as well.  I have a feeling this will be a very, very different club in 2007.         

Comments

[jehu]

Lieberthal a fan favorite? I hope that's some subtle sarcasm.

[RotoAuthority]

Nah I think I just assumed wrong. I really don't know who Phils fans like besides that they like Rowand and dont like Abreu. What's the beef with Lieberthal?

[xxxJamesxxx]

Rowand has fallen out of favor with a larger sect of the fanbase, because they realize his defense hasnt been nearly as good as it was last year, and the guy cant get on base with any sort of consistency. Lieberthal, to a lot of fans, signifies everything that is wrong with the team. Hes been there since 1994, and since hes been a regular, we havent won squat. People complain about his game calling and defense, and they complain about his contract, which really isnt his fault. Id say 30% of the fans in Philly can tolerate him, another 5% like him, the other 65% have been counting down the days till hes gone for 4 years now.

[Zonis]

Why don't the Phils trade Rowand and just plug Victorino in Center?

[Yu Hsing Chen]

The Phils have 5 OF right now... they'd probably move at least two of them this winter....

The probably want to move Burrell the move... but since he is going to be vastly overpaid in the next couple of years.. and he probably will suck if he move away from the home run friendly citizens (check his home /away splits and how few other extra base hits he have besides homeruns)

Abreu is obviously the best of the pack, although his contract is also big, filthy wealthy clubs (aka Yankees) will like him a lot. but since the possible trade candidates are limited, the Phillies probably won't get as much as people would like for a semi - MVP caliber player. unless they want to eat a lot of his salaries...

Rowand still havn't reached free agency, he doesn't cost much, can get better. he seems alright to keep around.

Obviously they want to keep the youngster Victorino around, Dellucci is benifiting vastly from platooning with Burrell this year.. I think he will leave.. unless the Phillies somehow manage to move Burrell... he will cost more than Rowand if re-signed in all likelyhood.

Still though, the Phillies have been one of the most disappointing franchise for the last decade... putting together so many great talent to never reach the playoffs is just ridiculas.

But they have enough young talents and enough money to get it done... if Gillick makes the right moves.. and moving Brett Myer isn't one of them.

[The Sporting Brews]

I wouldn't trust anything Gotham Baseball says. They seriously make things up all the time.

[JJB]

joel Sherman reported virtually the same rumor a few days ago too so it couldn't be that made up.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/mets/yankees_and_mets_both_inquire_about_abreu_mets_joel_sherman.htm