Phillies Nation

58 Responses to “Breaking News: Athletics Acquire Matt Holliday”

1. Manny Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 3:39 pm

   Great news for us!

2. Dennis Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 3:40 pm

   They’ll be trading him at the deadline when they’re 20 games out again… Or maybe they will sign him long term, aren’t they opening a new stadium soon? Oh well….

3. Amanda Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

   aww man.

4. NEPA Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 3:58 pm

   Why are they doing this?

5. Tim Malcolm Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

   Beane probably thinks his young core is ready to contend in 2009. But once he sees it won’t contend (by early June), he’ll turn Holliday for more prospects. That’s how he do.

6. NEPA Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 4:05 pm

   Is there any chance he turns him for better prospects even before the season starts? I wouldn’t put it past Beane. Most think that Holliday’s numbers will drop away from Coors, so wouldn’t it be smarter to turn him sooner than later?

7. NJ Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

   This is a blessing in disguise for our guys, I would have loved to have seen Holliday here but it would have done to us what trading for Teixeria did to the Braves.

8. Tim Malcolm Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 4:15 pm

   Note: I took down the most recent post, because I wanted to let this and the Rollins piece breathe today. Time to slow it down.

9. MA Phanatic Says:
   November 10th, 2008 at 4:18 pm

   Ladies and Gentleman, starting in Left Field for your World Champion Phillies, Geoff Jenkins!!

   Oh well, at least he’s in the AL

10. NEPA Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    If we let P the B walk we better replace him with a starting caliber outfielder like Bradley or Dye. I hate platoons more than anything. If we settle for some combination of Jenkins, Stairs, Dobbs and Bruntlett in the OF I think we take a very big step backwards from last year. Then, god forbid Victorino or Werth gets injured, we’ll be so screwed.

11. christopher Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    early reports are huston street, greg smith and carlos gonzalez. it’s a good trade both ways if that’s the case, and i think the A’s will contend in 2009 with holliday in the lineup.

12. Georgie Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    NEPA, I hate the thought of platooning too.

13. Geoff Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    thats a good move for both teams. the A’s have been trying to unload street for a year. so they get rid of street and unload two good young prospects who are ready to play in mlb anyway for holliday who they will resign in all likelihood to sell tickets at their new stadium.

    the rockies needed that young depth because they sucked WITH matt holliday last year.

    im liking getting dye…thats a good move.

14. mikem Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:51 pm

    I didn’t know why they would make this trade. Oakland I thought couldn’t afford his price. Now it make sense to me .if it makes Oakland a contender as people on this site have said. I knew for us we couldn’t afford him howard and hamels too much salary to take on.Plus I wouldn’t want to ever have a boras client in a contract year. Like now with his remarks about Madson. he makes it sound like he is the best reliever in baseball. hate that guy

15. Tim Malcolm Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:56 pm

    Really it’s a great move for Oakland. They get a centerpiece hitter and still own a wealth of prospects and young guys. They can re-sign Holliday or trade him if they’re out or let him walk. They’re upping the payroll and I would bet Billy Beane now sees the writing on the wall: Make the team a regular contender, get a new stadium, or else.

16. Justin Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    This is a great move for the Phils, we get to keep our prospects that we didn’t wish to part with and we get to sign him at the end of the season when the A’s let him walk, we sign him in the offseason.

17. Justin Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:03 pm

    BTW Tim, this is the offseason, keep up the information. This is the greatest time in baseball when the season’s over and trying to figure out what trades will and wont happen, who will or won’t be signed with the Phils. Love this time of year.

18. Chuck P Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

    As much as it pains me to say it… I would trade Victorino, Durbin and Happ for Holliday (assuming he’ll commit to 4 or 5 years). and I think that the Rox would take it. That deal works ($$), it makes sense (Golson replaces Victorino; he’ll give us .275 and just as many steals… plus we won’t have to deal with a platoon in LF) and that gives us four legitimate potential NL MVP’s in our lineup. Fellas, you gotta sell high and buy low. We can replace heart (does anyone remember letting Rowand walk?); this is an opportunity to cash in some of our chips for a proven commodity. If there is any way to keep Rollins, Utley, Howard and Holliday around for the next 3 or 4 years, we have to move on it.

19. NEPA Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    Justin – Holliday is going to get a huge contract at the end of next season. If the Phils were going to get him it would have been now.

20. NJ Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    Remember Holliday (or at least his agent) has stated he’s going to test the market.

21. Memphis Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:12 pm

    What a waste. Everyone on here is scared to make a deal for Holliday; Beane ends up stealing him; and we’re calling it a good deal for both sides? What does that tell you when perhaps the smartest, most value-oriented GM in the league wants Holliday? It tells me he really just might be a Top 10-15 player in the league, we would have had the sickest lineup in the NL next year, and now we’re going to pay a declining Burrell $12-15M in 2009 for 7 innings/game. It tells me we could have gotten Holliday without Vic or Werth. Ridiculous. We don’t realize how lucky we are to have to so many good players at low salaries; we’re terrified to pay real money, take a chance; like Cole said, let’s win it again and again and again. Now we’re hoping on another Mets collapse just to get out of the division, because they will surely get better. Pat better bring his Met-killing mojo to the new Shea.

22. Chuck P Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:15 pm

    I think that if you throw $11 million at him and tell him that he’s going to be playing for a legitimate contender for the next 4 years, he would take it.

23. Chuck P Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:24 pm

    MEMPHIS… you got it! The fact of the matter is that no one wants to think about trading anyone right now (I’m 26 y/o and I was at opening day, the NLE clincher, as well as both days of game 5 of the WS and the parade) this team will hold a special place in my heart and I don’t want to lighten the mood but we need to wake up. It’s simple… you can replace speed/heart but you cannot replace what Burrell gives you without paying money (and we all agree that Pat is worth what he’s going to command). Holliday would give us that and more. Our alternative is a platoon… open your eyes and leave your warm and fuzzies on the shelf with the commemorative bobble heads.

24. RichieAllen Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    Tim dont slow it down…step it up.This stuff is great,we can play GM’s without our own real money, what could be better?

25. NEPA Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:32 pm

    Haha, Chuck P – Golson batting .275 as a Major Leaguer? You can’t possibly be serious. His career average in the MINORS is like .265 or something. In his few at bats in the majors he has yet to put together a single respectable at bat. He hasn’t even made good contact yet. We’d be lucky to get a .200 average from him, and he’d be adding a ton of K’s. Golson is far from ready and I don’t think he’ll ever be a great player – I’d be quick to trade him.

26. Chuck P Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    Actually, .265… .282 in AA last year and he’s been more consistent. I don’t think that you can evaluate a player based on 6 career MLB at bats. Victorino is a career .281 hitter (.283 for his minor league career)… I’m not saying that Golson is going to give you as much as Victorino will but I don’t know if I’m willing to pay Victorino $7 million per year. If he’s not gonna give you power, he needs to draw more walks. In a perfect world, Donald can play RF and we can trade Werth (and still find the money to pay Holliday).

27. PhillipdaPhanatic Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

    LOL Golson mentioned in the same sentence as Carlos Gonzalez.

    Either way, doesn’t matter, we didn’t need him. The offense can carry the team w/o Holliday and even with out Pat. Just get a league average lfer.

28. Grrrumpy Miner Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    This trade from a Met fans point of view is a great trade not only is Holliday in the AL oblivion (Oakland) but the Rox had officially said good bye to Brian Fuentes.Thats immense because now it gives the Amazins the edge to get Fuentes and not go after K-Rod and his 6 yr 90 million pact he wants.However why stop there Omar….go after some prime bullpen help in Jason Isringhausen (he’s not a closer anymore) and/or Kerry Wood (provided the Cubs low ball him)…..Than would help the Amazins fix their pen,so say Bye-Bye to Heilman,Schowenweis,Sanchez et al of the poison pen.

29. NEPA Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    Golson doesn’t give you power either. Maybe slightly more than Victorino, but that’s still uncertain against Major League arms. Golson just strikes our way too much and has a terrible OBP. Out of all the big prospects that are mentioned often on this site, he’d be the quickest I’d get rid of.

30. Johnny Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

    haha at this rate we might as well have madson close, turn lidge into a starter and get myers to play the outfield. who knows … maybe we get blanton to play 1st and stick howard in as our late 8th inning righty.

    im just sayin the few the moves the better.

31. Justin Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 5:58 pm

    We need a right handed bat in that outfield with a little power because u have Jenkins and Stair and possibly Dobbs filling in at times, you can’t platoon 3 lefthanded hittters how would that work? whoever is better against lefties hits lefties, you need a right handed bat to mix with jenkins and stairs.

32. Johnny Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:00 pm

    understanding that the 09 phils will be different from the 08 phils is one thing. but sticking in golson so we can trade werth? how is that an improvement?

    as far as this trade … i dont think the rockies wanted Holliday to come here for a few reasons … first i get the impression that the rockies underestimated amaro’s prowess as a GM thinking him too green to realize what he’d be giving away … proved em wrong. Secondly, they made the deal with oakland because billy beane is one of the most respected guys in the league … year in and year out, despite the A’s place in the standings, they are a proverbial prospect factory and that’s exactly what the rockies were looking for, cheap hope.

33. NEPA Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    Agreed, Johnny. But you don’t want to stay completely stagnant. The Mets are going to be much improved next year and there is still a lot of room for us to improve as well.

    I’m still slightly torn on the left field situation. While I think the offense as a whole would be better on paper with Dye or even better, Bradley in left field – I don’t want to screw with the chemistry of the team too much. Keeping Burrell is the safe choice but I’m not completely sure it would be the best for the team.

34. Griffin Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    Phillies open up the baseball season versus the Braves on Sunday night baseball.

    I have no idea what Oakland is doing here, but you can bet that Holliday will be available again at the trading deadline once the A’s are out of it.

35. Johnny Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    I totally agree NEPA, Gilick made all the right moves to improve this team whether we liked it or not. I’m reminded of Aaron Rowand signing with SF. I don’t think Amaro will be any different.

    Also, I’m not just worried about the Met’s improvements this offseason, in addition to having a consistant coaching staff. I’m really worried about that alternative fuel source of a lineup down in florida. Granted, their fielding skills are probably going to be just as bad, but their staff with a little more experience now makes me nervous.

    Basically I think that everyone in the division (except maybe the nationals) is gonig to be a much better team in 09 and its going to be that much harder, not like it was all that easy in 08, to win the division a third seaason.

36. NEPA Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:39 pm

    The Marlins already lost Jacobs though, who kills us. Plus, they may get rid of Uggla as well. No matter what though, that team always scares me.

37. The Dipsy Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    RELAX! We’ll get a nice right handed bat to platoon with Dobbs in left and everything will be fine for god’s sake with the O. Pat Burrell WILL NOT be here next year. Neither will Stairs. We should all be thinking about who’s gonna bid on Derrick Lowe with us. Golson’s not even close to the majors and perhaps never will be. Just give me Lowe and and a .285/15/50/10 right handed leftfielder that moves runners, doesn’t strike out and plays decent defense and i’ll be a very happy fan.

38. pb Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

    They just said on DNL that the phillies resigned Scott Eyre. Any link yet for this?

39. Amanda Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/11/phillies-sign-s.html

    phillies resign eyre

40. Robbi P Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:27 pm

    I just looked at free agents SP on yahoo they rank em too! Thought an interesting name that the Phillies should comtemplate but probably won’t is Mark Prior. He’s 28 years old, did not get injured this year and is a low risk/high reward guy. Last year I wanted him instead of Kris Benson. I think he can be a great number 5 pitcher considering he would have been the ace of the Cubs if he didn’t get injured. I feel he was just misdiagnosed by the Cubs but can have a resurgence with the World Champions. Pipe dream yes but Amaro should be ballsy and check him out? What does anyone got to lose?

41. Amanda Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:34 pm

    jimy williams will not return as bench coach in 2009

42. The Dipsy Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:35 pm

    What are you a doctor? He’s shot.

43. Robbi P Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    he’s properly rehabbing dude we gave Kris Benson a shot why not him? Im not talking about automatically giving him the number 5 spot but give him a minor league deal with performance incentives and he is ready by spring training, let him throw a couple games and if he is shot like you diagnose him to be then cut him loose. He’s better than some of the other older options that we are looking at

44. NJ Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:51 pm

    It’s a long-shot, he probably wants to stay as far west as is possible.

45. pb Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    Amanda do you a link for this Jimmy Williams story?

46. pb Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    “have a link” sorry

47. Justin Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    mlb trade rumors is reporting that huston street isn’t staying in colorado long, he’s going to be dealt as soon as it’s official, wonder where he’s going? Back to the AL?

48. Manny Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    Eyre resigned!! NICE!!

49. RichieAllen Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 8:50 pm

    where did you get the Eyre signing story?

50. JimPhils Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

    The Eyre resigning is on MLB.com 1yr 2 mil

51. tom Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 9:38 pm

    Nationals get willingham and olsen for emilo bonficaio and prospect dean to marlins

52. Amanda Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20081110/SPORTS/81110058

53. Memphis Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 2:17 am

    Rob Neyer’s take:
    Who plays left field for the world champion Philadelphia Phillies in 2009? Apparently they’re going to let Pat Burrell walk, and they’re not going to swing a deal for Matt Holliday. According to Todd Zolecki, new GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is considering an in-house solution, employing some combination of Geoff Jenkins, Matt Stairs, and Greg Dobbs. I’m not sure how Stairs weaseled his way into the conversation, but he’ll be 41 soon and I think it’s time to take away his outfielder’s glove. Jenkins is coming off a lousy season with the bat, and Dobbs has spent very little time in the outfield in his career. I suppose it could work. But that would represent a serious downgrade in left field, and I’m not sure where else on the field they would make up for that.
    http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=neyer_rob

    Neyer isn’t the biggest admirer of the Phillies, but are we letting Burrell walk? Zolecki seems to think so. Seriously, a lefty pu-pu platter of Jenkins, Dobbs, and Stairs? Amaro best have something up his sleeve. Need to add at the very least a part-time (250 AB) righty bat. Any interest in a Garret Anderson (I know he hits left)? Who else, Baldelli? Slim pickings. Is Stairs even going to make the roster? I’m getting a little fired up about this because while I don’t want to overpay for Burrell, it’s not the worst move ever, and doing nothing is borderline irresponsible and approaching GM malpractice.

54. Phillies Phan SC Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 3:09 am

    Memphis,

    I do not care how they are with the bat and age as long as they don’t get out there and make 1,000 errors. Perhaps if they play daily, they will hit better. Who knows. I am not willing to trade much – unless we deal Eaton.

55. Chuck P Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 10:59 am

    I don’t see how anyone can agree with a platoon of Jenkins, Dobbs and Stairs in LF… maybe Golson’s not the answer (if we trade Vic) but you can surely find a second-tier CF on the market for less than Vic is going to command for a long-term deal. It’s much more difficult to find a power hitting LF that’s going to protect Howard (preferrably a RH) than it is to find a speedy OF who hits for average. I just don’t feel like you should overpay for average and fielding in this day and age. If we didn’t win the WS (if the baseball Gods had not smiled down on us) we wouldn’t be having this conversation. If we had lost, we would be able to understand that this is what our team needs. A huge reason why we won is because we did not need to platoon Werth… a platoon OF just means that you don’t trust your guy to play everyday.

56. Georgie Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 11:22 am

    Memphis- lefty pu pu platter, that’s funny. And also very scary….

57. NJ Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 11:29 am

    If it is a platoon in one of the outfield spots it won’t be the all lefty trio of Jenkins, Stairs and Dobbs. Firstly in the Jenkins/Stairs scenario Werth would be the LFer, secondly the Phils will add a platoon right-handed outfield bat at the very least.

    Loosing out on Holliday is not bad, we couldn’t compete with the offer without loosing more than we were getting in return because of the holes it would create in the line-ups. I don’t know how realistic the rumor was but Jermaine Dye is likely to be the best available right-handed outfield bat (with Werth moving to LF) and we wouldn’t need to send an established major leaguer or package of elite prospects, it may take a deal headlined by Donald but the gain outweighs the loss.

    Bradley, Blake, Michaels, Baldelli, Mench, Hairston Jnr, Emil Brown, Rivera… Even availables like Ordonez (totally impractical), Winn, Guillen or longershots like Cuddyer, Taveras or Ross wouldn’t be as good deals as Dye would be.

58. From Section 113 Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    For those who are upset losing out on Holliday and figure we could have topped that package, I think we need to wait and see what they do with Street.

    If they trade Street for even MORE prospects than we have to take that into consideration. I hav eread and think that Street won’t finish the year in Col. and maybe not even start the year there.

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