The Cleveland Indians have traded their Cy Young pitcher from the previous year for the second year in a row. The Indians traded left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco to the Philadelphia Phillies for four minor league prospects. Those prospects are right-handed pitchers Jason Knapp and Carlos Carrasco, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson. This trade looks to benefit both teams as both team’s needs were addressed in this blockbuster trade.
The Phillies have been looking for starting pitching as of late, and Cliff Lee should fit into the rotation rather nicely. Cliff Lee was last season’s American League Cy Young award winner. He went 22-3 with 2.54 ERA and 170 strikeouts. He pitched 223.1 innings over 31 games with four complete games, two of which were shut outs. This year, Lee is pitching better than his numbers suggest. He is 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA and 107 strikeouts. His win-loss record could be better, had he been pitching for a better team this season. Lee pitches a lot of innings, helping a bullpen rest, which is crucial down the stretch. Lee will give the Phillies four left-handed pitchers in their starting rotation, along with Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ. Right-hander Joe Blanton rounds out the rotation with right-hander Pedro Martinez due to join the club as soon as next week. It is unknown who will be delegated to the bullpen yet.
The Phillies are also getting outfielder Ben Francisco, giving them a right-handed bat off of the bench and an extra outfielder to give the All-Star trio of Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth a break here and there. Francisco is batting .250 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI’s this season.
After turning down an offer to give up three prospects for Toronto Blue Jay ace pitcher Roy Halladay, the Phillies made a move that would give up four prospects. Toronto wanted pitchers Kyle Drabek and J.A. Happ, but the Phillies were not willing to part with both as a package. The package of prospects going to Cleveland includes four players, three of which are almost Major League ready.
Carlos Carrasco, once deemed to be the Phillies star pitcher of the future, may be the highlight of the package. His numbers are down this year with a 6-9 record and a 5.18 ERA in 20 games this season at the AAA level. He was selected to the Futures Game, the minor league All-Star game, in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He is currently Major League Baseball’s 28th ranked prospect. The other pitcher in this deal is Jason Knapp. Knapp has been pitching at the A level this year. He is 2-7 with an ERA of 4.01 and 111 strikeouts in 85.1 innings pitched over 17 games.
Jason Donald, who recently had knee surgery, is batting .236 with 1 home run and 16 RBI’s in 51 games at the AAA level. He is a young middle infielder that was in an organization with Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins holding down the positions he plays. Lou Marson is batting .294 with 1 home run and 24 RBI’s in 63 games at the AAA level. He appeared in seven games with the Phillies this year and was part of their September call-ups last year.
The Phillies found a front line starting pitcher in Cliff Lee to give them a strong one-two punch with Cole Hamels. The Indians found four prospects, three possibly Major League ready by the end of the season. This has been a very exciting trade season with two days left until the deadline. The biggest question remaining is where, if anywhere, will Roy Halladay end up? It won’t be the Phillies anymore. They picked up a Cy Young caliber pitcher and held on to the prospects that they did not want to part with. This looks like a great move, but only time will tell if it actually is though.
