Pedro Feliz Signs With Phillies

UPDATE, 1-28-08 at 8:47pm: Feliz gets a guaranteed $8.5MM over two years.  With a third year option and incentives, the deal could reach $15MM over three.  Feliz left the Giants with some bad blood, turning down what may have been a better offer.  We all know Feliz has his flaws, but he is what he is.  I agree that the Phils improved themselves here, and I'm not sure if I saw a better alternative.

FROM 1-28-08 at 3:06pm:

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Phillies have signed third baseman Pedro Feliz to a two-year deal (pending a physical).

Feliz, 33 in April, has a career line of .252/.288/.433.  The average NL third baseman hit .280/.348/.456 in '07, so Feliz is definitely subpar offensively.  On the flip side, the Fielding Bible's panel of experts ranked him the best defensive third baseman in baseball for 2007.  Sum it up and you have a player worth roughly three wins above replacement, an improvement over what the Phillies had.  Kyle Kendrick may be most appreciative of Feliz's defense, as he is the staff's lead groundballer.

Feliz was a Type B free agent, so the Giants get a sandwich pick for their loss.

Comments

[wayne gomes]

Hard to get excited about this. He'll help the IF defense a lot. He absolutely sucks as a hitter though, not that Wes Helms was a stud last year. Dobbs is a bit miscast as an everyday 3B, this allows him to go back to the valuable PH who can fill in in the corner OF or 3B

[someguynamedg]

As a Giants fan I am as happy as a clam to get rid of Fleas and take a draft pick in return.

[kdub]

Not hard to get excited if you're a Giants fan. Thank you Phillies! I've been waiting for this day for years. Free at last!

[zoltek]

hes better then helms... although helms was a 20 hr a year guy too... and well that didnt carry over..

one defense for feliz is he wasnt exactly in the best of lineups in SF, but hey at least he can play defense... i play 3rd better then helms

[wayne gomes]

This lineup has soooo many strikeouts in it now adding Jenkins and Feliz for 800 plus ABs. On the bright side, maybe that's fewer double plays?

[SDSU Aztec]

Anyone heard what the numbers are like on this deal?

[phightins]

Its great to get some help on defense at 3rd, but the .3 BB/K ratio is the last thing our lineup needs. Hey never know, maybe the launching pad CBP and batting 7th will bump those numbers up to respectable. 20HR for four years straight is one positive.

[wayne gomes]

Actually he doesn't K as much as I thought he did. Maybe it was just in the games I watched. Sweet OPS last year though.

Any chance at all he would sign in the Abraham Nunez role from last year, playing 3B for Moyer's starts?

[kdub]

In that ballpark with that lineup I wouldn't be surprised to see Feliz hit 30+ HR in Philly.

[RUnutstoo]

Giants fans will be pissed when Feliz puts up 30 hr's and near 100 rbi moving from a dead lineup/pitcher friendly park to a lineup with Utley, Howard and Rollins...and let's not forget Citizens Bank Park.

[kdub]

I like the guy but I could care less what Pedro does now. Best of luck to him. I'm just stoked about the supp. pick the Giants get out of this.

[Brandon Heikoop]

Subpar? What about the fact that he was hitting in a nightmare of a home ballpark?

I'd say at worst he is league average, and in that park he has a chance to be well above.

I think this is going to end up being one of the bargains of the offseason.

[wayne gomes]

How much of an impact did that ballpark really have on Feliz' career sub .300 OBP? Was he hitting 2 fly balls to the warning track in center every game? There's no way in hell he is a league average offensive 3B. Hopefully he'll play a great 3B

[ozziethesaint]

I really like this for Philly... He could be a steal in that park

[ksesxe]

"Any chance at all he would sign in the Abraham Nunez role from last year, playing 3B for Moyer's starts?"

If Pedro Feliz signed anywhere it'd be for a starter's role.

[wcw]

He's simply terrible with the bat, and amazing with the glove. On-balance, I see him as a league-average 3B, as he dribbles away every run he saves with his glove with his ineffectual hacking at the plate.

Whatever his headline stats end up in that Philly bandbox, that doesn't make him a useful hitter.

If he's cheap enough, I might have resigned him, too, but at market rate he's never and nowhere a 'steal'.

[Tim Dierkes]

Subpar was a kind way to put it, and he doesn't have a career .288 OBP because of his ballpark.

[Not Joe Morgan]

Being a poor man's Brandon Inge sucks.

[nrmax88]

I like this move a lot for the Phillies. This can be the underated type of move that could end up nudging them over the hump for the wildcard or the division. First of all, he gives them a great glove at the hot corner, and probably gives the phillies the best left side of the infield in the NL defensively.

He will probably hit like 7th or something, not in the middle of the lineup like he did in SF. He will add some pop to the back of the lineup in a lineup that already as bombers everywhere. I wouldnt be even a little bit surprised to see Feliz jack 25 or more homeruns and play great defense. So what he cant draw a walk, he is cheap and does other things for the team. Not a big name deal or anything, but a nice, underated move nonetheless IMO.

[Phils1Phan]

Rollins
Victorino
Utley
Howard
Burrell
Jenkins
Feliz
Ruiz
thats wut i call a offense

[kdub]

What do you want to be now that Feliz is on the East coast he wins a Gold Glove.

[rockraines]

Crede to Giants, book it.

[zoltek]

crede with back problems as well... book that too

[gfulla]

"What do you want to be now that Feliz is on the East coast he wins a Gold Glove."

I dunno, does he look pretty while he's fielding the ball? What really wins Golden Gloves is how high his EHGP statistic is, or to those in the know, "ESPN Highlights per Game Played." Defensive efficiency doesn't count for too much.

[darkstar1661]

Posted by: Not Joe Morgan
“Being a poor man's Brandon Inge sucks.”

…I think the problem comes in how many such guys seem to be out there like that… Crede and Melvin Mora come to mind as other possible guys in this mold who can be had from their current teams easily

[brian2706]

Not a huge Feliz fan but I'd take him over Helms. Helms was an automatic out last year. Plus, in a better hitter's park, he could be a nice addition batting 7th or so. And it sounds like he's even better defensively than I thought.

[The Juice]

1. Crede isn't coming to the Giants. The Giants do not want him unless he is 100% healthy, and even then it would be a stretch by the front office. Depending on what would be given up, it could go down as one of the worst trades this off season.

2. Big time fan of West Coast baseball and I have seen my fair share of Pedro Feliz. If I had to bet on a potential production line for him this upcoming season I would think he will put up numbers around .270 AVG, 27 HR, 85 RBI, and a .310 OBP while playing Gold Glove defense. Although those numbers seem great, Giants fans should understand that he would never put those kind of numbers up again in SF with that ballpark and that lineup. Rest assured that this was a great move for SF.

[Not Joe Morgan]

Feliz's career line in 53 CBP PAs:

.283/.283/.434, 1 HR

(I know its a small sample size, but the 1 HR still jumped out a little and I love the matching AVG and OBP.)

[zito4cyyoung]

Joe Crede may be inevitable now

[bnemethbrown]

As a Giants fan, I cannot tell you how happy I am this dirtbag is gone. His glove work is great, but is a true liability at the plate. How this guy has been able to hold down a starting job without even having an OBP above 300 goes to show you how bad the Giants managers have been.

[GoPhils]

Feliz and Rollins would make a nice left side, but better than Reyes and Wright?

[Bourne's_Identities]

I'm more than happy to trade OBP for defense at third. What kills me is losing the pick. I just don't see Feliz being that much better than a strict Helms/Dobbs platoon as to justify the loss of a pick.

Since Sabean hates high draft picks so much, maybe he can just give it back to us. Just this once.

[ColonelTom]

It's a solid signing for the Phils. They need defense more than offense, and Feliz fits the bill. They can also use Feliz at SS if Rollins gets injured, with Dobbs filling in at 3B. That's a hell of a lot better than playing Eric Bruntlett for any significant stretch of time.

[kdub]

Bourne's_Identities: The Phils won't be giving up a pick. Feliz is a type B free agent so the Giants will only get a supp. pick.

ColonelTom: SS is one position that Feliz cannot play. He doesn't have the range for a SS. LF, RF, 1B he can play.

[Booby17]

Anyone notice only Mets, Braves, and Giants fan think this is a bad signing? This is a solid signing. Last time I checked the Phils scored the most runs in the league with a Dobbs/Helms platoon. Adding Feliz to the mix only enhances the chance of scoring more runs. Oh did I mention he plays Gold Glove caliber defense? He is a perfect fit. Id rather have him than an injury prone Crede. Something had to be done and it was...it certainly didnt hurt the team.

[wcw]

We Giants fans don't think it's a bad signing. We think it's a *great* signing -- for our team. Our team's going to stink. We might as well get a sandwich pick and spend the saved salary signing some real prospects.

Mets fans like the signing, too -- for the Mets. They're just sour, because Feliz really has been the best 3B in baseball with the glove the last few years, and they'd prefer to believe Wright's has been (hint: Rolen's 2d, not Wright).

I didn't notice any Braves fans. Who'd I miss?

Anyhow, when someone tells you a guy at a demanding (if not up-the-middle) defensive position has the best glove in baseball, but is happy to see him off his team, that tells you a little about his bat.

Enjoy the flailing, Phillies fans. Enjoy.

[Sky]

Feliz is averge to above-average (2-3 wins above replacement) when you combine his poor offense and terrific fielding. That's obviously nothing to get excited about, but I'm guessing the Phillies are paying no where near going rate for that type of free agent ($8 to $10 million).

The fact that his offensive numbers should improve doesn't make him a more valuable player, but my wild ass guess is that Feliz is a guy who will benefit from the San Fran to Philly ballpark switch more than the average player. A very solid signing, especially considering what else was available. Don't underrate Crede, however.

[kdub]

It's a good signing for the both teams.

[FineHamAbounds]

wcw: Braves fan here. I'll say this: the Phils could have done worse here, but Feliz isn't going to make or break them. I'm pretty indifferent about the signing, honestly. I guess since it means they didn't wind up with a potentially healthy Crede in that lineup or something, it works out, but I'll look forward to his grounding into as many DPs as he starts on defense.

[DentalPlan]

Aramis Ramirez was an excellent defender at third this year. Can we stop giving Scott Rolen the free pass? It reminds me of how Eric Chavez keeps winning over more deserving guys.

[wcw]

Ramirez had a nice 2007, but please -- "free pass"?

MGL's UZR-per-150G for 2007:
+46 runs, Feliz
+40 runs, Rolen
+22 runs, Ramirez

Even slightly healthy, Rolen crushes Ramirez with the glove. Only Feliz bests him.

Just, unlike Feliz, Rolen can hit a little.

[PeteRose]

Do the Giants get a sandwich pick for Feliz?...don't you have to offer arbitration to get the pick?

[kdub]

Sabean did offer Feliz arbitration so the Giants do get a supp. pick, 37th overall.

[allabouthephils]

Would we rather have signed Mike Lowell ??? Obviously ... We wouldn't have pressed so hard to get him if he wasn't our first choice... We can't wait for Crede to prove his health because that will come during spring training and even then you can't be 100 % throughout the season ... For the Phillies, Feliz will provide them with superb defense and Rob Deeresque numbers at the plate... I don't mind the signing one bit ... He will be Moyers and Kendricks best friend over there at the hot corner ... He'll cost less than either of the two and if he pops 30 homers he'll be one of the best bargains in baseball.....

[Victor]

The best fielding 3B isn't Feliz or Wright or Rolen. His name is Ryan Zimmerman. Feliz is definitely good though. Just not Zimmerman good

[zoltek]

one thing i dont understand is how anyone can say this is a bad signing ?? you people do realize that he was a "valued" bat in the giants lineup, thats why people are so upset about his bad ops, he basically was expected to be the other hitter in the lineup other then bonds...

in philly hes just another bat, theres not going to be a single ounce of pressure for him to really do much at the plate, and hes a much better fielder then any 3b the phillies have.. i dont see this hurting one bit

[allabouthephils]

@ Victor

Zimmerman just had the 6th worst fielding percentage in baseball for qualified 3rd baseman while Feliz had the 2nd best... Feliz and Rolen were 1 and 2 in zone rating... Zimmerman had the 2nd most errors next to Ryan Braun...

I would definately take Feliz and Rolen over Zimmerman anyday of the week... Ask me again in 3 years and it might be different... Right now though.... Give me those two....

[wcw]

Off-topic, off-topic, off-topic, but I can't stand unsourced fanboyism.

MGL's UZR-per-150G for 2007:
+46 runs, Feliz
-7 runs, Ryan Zimmerman

2005-2007 average:
+24 runs, Feliz
+2 runs, Zimmerman

Zimmerman is 23, can already swing a bat in the majors and plays a very solid 3B, but he is not a plus defender.

I'd hire three of him before I hired another Feliz, but Feliz has been the best 3B in the game with the glove for three years now.

Zimmerman has been average.

[nrmax88]

"Feliz and Rollins would make a nice left side, but better than Reyes and Wright? "

Defensively gophils. I think its close. I mean, it was a joke that Wright won a gold glove this year, but he is pretty good. He sometimes struggles with easy throws, but thats his only weakness in the field. He doesnt have great range but he has quick reactions and a lighting quick glove for the most part. Rollins and Reyes are both really really good.

Viktor... I agree on Zimmerman. He is a stud at 3B. He was playing hurt this year, and I know he had a lot of errors, but it doesnt matter, he is the real deal. That kid is spectacular with the glove. This guy will have a case full of gold gloves before he is done. Forget about defensive stats for players. They cant even tell you half of the story. Go watch Zimmerman play for a month and you will realize how good he is.

[JerseyMetFan]

"I know he had a lot of errors, but it doesn't matter"

If you're trying to prove that he's the best defensive 3B in baseball, then yes, errors matter.

[bweav44]

Anyone think the Giants have enough pieces to trade for Eric Chavez?

[jclay]

as bad of an all-around hitter as feliz has proven he is, i still like this move for the phils. very good defense, will hit a lot of home runs with the the short porch, and not too expensive. philly fans will find many reasons to hate him though...

[Not Joe Morgan]

"If you're trying to prove that he's the best defensive 3B in baseball, then yes, errors matter."

Not really. If a 3B dives to his right, picks a ball very few would, then short hops the 1B, he gets an error even if he turned a double down the line into a 1 base error. Granted that's a hypothetical, but if you look at Zimmerman's numbers, 15 of his 23 errors were throwing. Assuming that he wasn't sailing them 15 rows up, I'm thinking we can attribute quite a few of them to having an abysmal glove at 1B (Young). When you look at his stellar OOZ number (71, 2nd to Wright), I don't think putting him at or near the top is a stretch at all.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/thtstats/main/index.php?view=fielding&linesToDisplay=50&orderBy=zone_rating&direction=DESC&qual_filter=1&season_filter%5B%5D=2007&league_filter%5B%5D=2&pos_filter%5B%5D=5&Submit=Submit

[wayne gomes]

The above is a good point about Dmeathook, a good 1B can really help out an erratic thrower's error line.

I watch Zimmerman about 12-15 times a year and his hands are phenomenal. He has all the tools to be a spectacular defensive player, he's better to his right and coming in on balls than almost anyone in the game right now. He's pretty clearly a better fielder than Wright IMO, although David is good as well