A lot of Phillies fans are unimpressed with the Phillies two latest additions – CF Ben Revere and 3B Michael Young. While both players fill huge holes for the Phillies, many don’t think they are the type of impact players that can help the Phillies climb back into the NL East race that they coughed up last year.
Ben Revere, whom the Phillies acquired in a trade that sent Vance Worley and Trevor May to Minnesota is very Juan Pierre like player, albeit a 24 year old version. He batted .294 last season, but lacks any kind of power at all. He is fast as the wind though, with good defensive ability. He is certainly not the right handed power bat that fans were hoping for. In fact, he’s a light hitting lefty. But he’s young, he’s cheap and he’s got a lot of upside – think Michael Bourne for $15.5 less.
Michael Young is a player that has a strong pedigree of success, but is 36 and many feel is in decline. Young is coming off of a season that saw his batting average dip to .277, the lowest of his career. Nonetheless, Young represents a huge upgrade at the position for the Phillies and will bring some clubhouse leadership too. Young is highly respected throughout baseball. Young is also only one season removed from hitting .338 with 106 RBI. I don’t have to tell you how nice that would look in the lineup.
If these were the only moves I thought the Phillies would make this offseason, I may feel they were a bit lacking too. Truth is, by limiting how much payroll they took on, the Phillies now have a tremendous amount of payroll flexibility to pursue another bat and a reliever and possibly a starting pitcher. By filling two of their holes for about what they were paying Placido Polanco last year, the Phillies have plenty left in the coffers.
Their next targets are likely to be a power hitting corner outfielder and an 8th inning setup guy with a proven track record.
With teammate Michael Young in Philadelphia already, maybe it just got a bit easier to lure Josh Hamilton to Philly. He may not be right hander, but he sure can mash. Now that would be impact!
Hold your horses, and see what Ruben Amaro has up his sleeve before judging these two deals. I, for one, am loving the prudence so far. None of these moves have the flash and pomp of a RAJ move. I think the best is yet to come.