WEDNESDAY: The Phillies announced the trade. They are sending a player to be named later or cash considerations to the Pirates for Bowker, and Jose Contreras goes to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.
TUESDAY: The Phillies acquired outfielder John Bowker from the Pirates, reports Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly. Bowker is expected to join the Phillies for Wednesday's game in Cincinnati. Salisbury says reliever Michael Schwimer was sent to Triple-A to create a spot on the active roster, though the Phillies will still need to open a 40-man spot.
Bowker, a 28-year-old left-handed hitter, has spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he's hit .308/.351/.487 in 445 plate appearances while playing the outfield corners and first base. The Pirates acquired Bowker from the Giants at last year's trade deadline in the Javier Lopez deal, designated him for assignment in April of this year, and outrighted him to Triple-A a few days later.
Bowker, a third-round pick in 2004, is one of eight players in Giants history to homer in his big league debut. He played college ball at Long Beach State, where he was a teammate of Troy Tulowitzki and Jason Vargas.
TOO GOOD FOR GIAMBI, I SEE, I GET IT
a 1B/Corner OF that can’t hit or run with a career negative war, surely they had one of those in their upper systems.
They have one on the roster don’t they – Ross Gload?
Yes, but we didn’t have a healthy one until now. Gload’s hip has been bad all year; at least Bowker’s still in one piece.
Bowkermania! Oh yeah!
As a pinch hitter, he’s a got a career line of .304/.366/.457Also, small sample size, but he’s 6-11 at Citizens Bank Park.
Baffling. Watched him for years and he LOOKS like a ballplayer, but the results rarely matched the physique. Wish him well, though. He’s a fun guy to root for.
I don’t get this move. Is it for depth purposes? Aren’t the Phillies stacked with left handed hitters?
What I’m hoping is that it makes Ross Gload redundant.
Not ones that come off the bench.
Gload is injured and is non productive. They need a LH PH off the bench. No one thought much of Stairs in 2008 and they caught lightning in a bottle. Unable to get Giambi or Thome. Just taking a chance.
I think this means no D. Brown on the postseason roster….
Guy was maybe the best hitter in the minor leagues in 2009. That’s looking more and more like a fluke, but I hope the Phillies can find a place for him.
Still have to end of the day to get like Giambi.
I assumed when they released Jack Cust that they had a better plan to fill the left handed bench role. Is this really the guy they had in mind or is there a move to be made yet today?
Cust has been horrible as a PH (.188/.371/.208 in 62 career plate appearancess). Bowker has had success as a PH (.301/.378/.452 in 82 PA) and can play 1B and both outfield corners.
This gives the Phils the option of pinch-hitting for Ibanez with Mayberry/Francisco against a tough lefty, and having Bowker available to pinch-hit for Mayberry/Francisco if a righty comes in. If you do that with Cust, you can’t put him in the field afterwards – he can only play defense in the sense that if you put a glove on him, he’ll stand out there.
I assumed when they released Jack Cust that they had a better plan to fill the left handed bench role. Is this really the guy they had in mind or is there a move to be made yet today?
Darn it! I thought this guy could be the Pirates starting RF next year. I’m ashamed the pirates get nothing for him.