Abreu Joins the Evil Empire

By Jack Jablin

With just 24 hours to go until the Trade Deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees have agreed on a shocking deal that will send five-tool right fielder, Bobby Abreu, and pitcher Cory Lidle to the Yankees for Short Stop C.J. Henry, catcher Jesus Sanchez, pitchers Carlos Monasterios and Matt Smith.

Let the Bronx Bombers rejoice...

While this news should come as no surprise to anybody who has been following the trade rumors (the Phillies have been close to shopping Abreu for nearly three years), the timing and final numbers of this trade seem to be questionable to say the least.

In this deal, the Yankees are gaining an all-star outfielder and a decent pitcher, for prospects. While this type of trade may be customary when dealing with journeymen (which Abreu is not), a team trading their star player for prospects is a feat rarely seen in modern baseball. While the Florida Marlins are the clear exception to this rule, they are a team that is built around youth and raw talent, the Phillies are a far different matter.

FALLOUT FOR THE PHILLIES

The Phillies must have extremely high hopes for these prospects - although Baseball America lists none of the aforementioned 'prospects' in their top 100 list - if they are willing to trade their star for mere rookies... Furthermore, I am honestly confused as to why the Phillies got neither a starting-quality player (like Bernie Williams or Robinson Cano), nor a highly-touted prospect, such as Eric Duncan, in exchange for a potential hall of famer. Even more questionable is why the Phillies traded - namely - for a prospect shortstop at a time where Jimmy Rollins is earning hometown hero status in Philadelphia.

As well, this trade will put even more pressure on the backs of Philadelphia's younger stars, such as Chase Utley (27), Ryan Howard (26), Jimmy Rollins (27) and Brett Myers (25), who will now undoubtedly be expected to bring a Division Title to Philadelphia before arbitration hearings.

While I respect these young players and their ability, I also respect the fact that they are very young players who need time to develop, and I question the logic in putting all of them in the type of situation where they must become the backbone of their team. Yes, the Phillies have good, young talent, but they don't have the type of talent that is ready to adapt to the spotlight (example: Jimmy Rollins). I think this move will hurt the Phillies in the long run and will act solely as a salary dump.

By the way, C.J. Henry was hitting a whopping .237 in Class A Charleston. Now that's raw talent you just can't find on the FA wire.

FALLOUT FOR THE YANKEES

What is there to say? The Yankees pulled a rabbit out of their hat and dealt PROSPECTS for Bobby Abreu. What's more, they didn't even have to give up Eric Duncan or Robinson Cano! Brian Cashman has once again pulled off a deadline miracle that will send Yankee Nation into fits of anxious joy. With a new outfielder in place, the Yankees will have a solid 3-spot hitter (Abreu would sit in well behind Damon and Jeter), a decent power hitter, a threat on the basepaths and a wicked arm all in one!

The Yankees also have plenty of wiggle-room with Cory Lidle. Lidle has shown flashes of ability and may work really well in the New York bullpen (although he would have been better off in New York a year ago, with Mel as the pitching coach). However, while Lidle may be unproven in the long term, it should be noted that while Lidle hasn't been a star pitcher all of this year (he is 8-7 with a 4.74 ERA), he did beat Boston in interleague play.

It's a very simple story for New York fans, your General Manager just earned his money and made your coach's life a hell of a lot easier. This will also be a fantastic move if it turns out that Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui are unable to return in September.

Cheers,
Jack Jablin

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