Minnesota-Philadelphia Trade

[Phillies GM]

Phillies send:

SP Chris Sale (ML)
RP Bobby Wahl (AAA)

Minnesota sends:

SP Anfernee Benitez (ML)
RP Matt Norris (AAA)
RF Juan Rivera (AA)
SP Ken Lewis (AA)


Philadelphia Analysis:

Chris Sale has pitched horribly so far this season for Philly. He's running a 5.73 FIP (138 FIP-) and has a HR/9 rate of 2.4. His K/9 rate and K/BB rate are both way down, and he's posting a negative WAR. He's also allowing 11.6 runs per 9 innings. He's also going to be a free agent at the end of the season, and we weren't going to extend him, so trading him away now makes sense. Bobby Wahl has never made the ML roster and isn't likely to do so.

In return, we get a pitcher who's posting better numbers than Sale and can probably replace him in the rotation, and at a cheaper cost. We also pick up two solid prospects in Norris and Rivera and a decent one in Lewis, all of whom are likely to make the ML roster at some point, or who could serve as trade chips later in the season.

Philadelphia Agrees.

[JWeiss]

We agree 

[Frank-PadresGM]

I am not in the habit of vetoing trades, I think I did it once in 9 seasons and once more on a special case involving an intra GM team mess. But here is my take on this deal. The trade makes no sense at all to me from Minnesota's perspective. While it is true that they cannot afford Benitez' salary demands for an extension, they won't be able to afford Sale's either. So they are essentially trading away 3 prospects and a young solid SP to rent Sale for the rest of the season. Bobby Wahl doesn't even figure in this. Minnesota does have salary issues too and needs to move Benitez and they could probably walk away with some prospects for him.

Commish