Phillies Trade Deadline Rumors/News

Breaking News:

Phillies also receive Class A RHP Seth Rosin and veteran OF Nate Schierholtz

Phillies receive 1B/C Tommy Joseph from Giants in Pence deal. Joseph is said to be the Giants #2 prospect per Baseball America.

Pence is as good as gone now. Deal still being worked on. Phillies and Giants have mutual agreement.

With Dodgers trading for Victorino, the Pence to Giants deals are heating up. Amaro playing the 2 NL West rivals against each other.

Shane Victorino has been traded to the Dodgers for Josh Lindblom and minor leaguer Ethan Martin, Martin was the 15th overall pick in 2008

Dom Brown has been scratched from his noon AAA game and is heading to Washington to be in the lineup tonight for the Phillies, meaning the Phillies are trading an outfielder.


For the first time in 5 years the Phillies are officially sellers after being swept in Atlanta over the weekend. After today's 4pm trade deadline, we as Phillies fans, will know whether we are likely to continue a run at another World Series in 2013 or if this is a multi year project. Here is a breakdown of the players being traded, likely to go, and the way to rebuild this roster.

Shane Victorino:

Likelihood: 99.99999%

Get over it. Shane's as good as gone. He's a declining player that reached his ceiling 2 years ago, but can still help a contender today. He's likely going to the Dodgers and bringing back 25 year old Reliever Josh Lindblom. Reports also have the Reds and the Giants interested but at this point it's looking imminent that the Dodgers will receive Victorino within the next few hours


Juan Pierre:

Likelihood: 90%

There is no reason for the Phillies to keep the likes of Juan Pierre. He provides hitting for a contender and the Phillies will be moving him whether that's before today's deadline or in a waiver deal sometime in August. Pierre won't be bringing back much considering his age and that he's on a one year deal. The Reds are the front runners.

Joe Blanton:

Likelihood: 75%

We're hearing the strongest rumors are coming from Baltimore, but the O's are concerned about the money still owned to Big Joe. Baltimore is 2 back in the Wild Card and 6.5 back from the Yankees in the division. They have to be thinking this is their year to get back in it, no time to mess around.

Hunter Pence:

Likelihood: 40%

The Giants are in talks with the Phillies about acquiring Pence. Pence is due for arbitration next year and is rumored to be making somewhere between $15-$17 million and the Phillies might not want to be paying that much. Pence is still young and provides right handed power, something the Phillies could definitely use next year, but another team could possibly use even more this year. The Giants need to counter moves being made by the Dodgers, and if the deal is right, don't be surprised to see Amaro play the two NL West teams, and make the move. The Wild card leading Pirates are also said to be interested.

Cliff Lee:

Likelihood: 15%

I don't see Amaro pulling the trigger on this one. Lee is too valuable to their franchise, and unless they're getting back multiple top prospects it's unlikely. Apparently, Amaro is asking for too much. Remember, Lee is set to make around $25 million a year for the next 4 years. Texas has been the front runner, but are unlikely to deal third base prospect Mike Olt. There were also rumors this morning about a Lee to Arizona for Justin Upton deal, but those talks have since quieted. St. Louis has also been thrown around.

"The Downward Spiral of Penn State"

After reading a moving Facebook post on the NCAA sanctions brought down on PSU by our good friend, we decided to reach our to him and see if he would be willing to share his thoughts on the issue. He was more than welcome to voice his opinion (as he always has been here). So here it is, the Penn State issue in the eyes of the one and only Derek Nelson.

By: Derek Nelson of derekstevennelson.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer: I am from Pennsylvania. I am a Penn State fan – in fact, it could be argued that I became a bigger Penn State fan when I moved all across the country in pursuit of an acting career. Penn State football was a symbol of who I was, where I came from. When cameras panned a rowdy student section decked out in white, or 80-year olds embracing bitter cold on iron bleachers, I felt a connection to the people I came from. I remembered who I was, as I combated fake SoCal’ers who were more interested in the beach than a night in 20-degree weather with your best friends. Many times I was completely alone chasing a far-off dream, and those couple hours of a Penn State game brought me back to my friends and memories – fuel that kept me going for my dream.

I’m also the most blunt, honest, no bullshit person you will ever meet. I love America, but I have no problem pointing out how it’s collapsing. I love myself, but will be the first person to admit I’m legally retarded in certain aspects of life, and I need to learn patience. Joe Paterno deserved to get fired. All the higher-ups at Penn State deserved to get fired and will have to answer for even more potentially serious crimes in court – where may I remind you America, they are innocent until proven guilty.

I have dated and been intimate with over half a dozen women who were sexually abused or raped as children. I have held them as they cried onto my shoulders, kissed them as their eyes swelled with tears over experiences they were still trying to get over. I have felt their pain and understand the seriousness and sensitivity of this situation better than most. Having said all this, we need to look at the current situation with a clear head and not fall victim to being part of the “angry mob” of media out there.

 ESPN’s Ivan Maisel wrote, “You can read the hundreds of pages of the NCAA manual from now until the Nittany Lions run onto the field to play Ohio on Sept. 1, and you won't find a single rule that Penn State violated in this case. If that doesn't mean anything, why have a rulebook?” Because the NCCA has recently been more and more exposed for what it really is: a crooked organization of self-serving hypocrites – and this was their chance to save their ass with some positive P.R. The NCAA has no ground to levy punishment against Penn State. This was a criminal matter, not an NCAA one. There were no NCAA rules broken, no bribes for recruits; it was a lack of character and federal and state laws broken. The idiocy of the situation is only further heightened when NCAA President Mark Emmert totally bypassed the normal infractions committee, taking complete control and going full-throatal Caesar to “save” the integrity of the sport. “Michael Buckner, a Florida-based attorney who represents collegiate athletics departments, has gone so far as term Emmert's action not only unprecedented but "perhaps unconstitutional.'' Meanwhile, Jerry Crawford, an Iowa-based attorney who defends collegiate programs, called it a "rush to judgment.''” Perhaps the NCAA watched the constant media attention surrounding this circus? "I don't know any reason for the NCAA to feel they needed to rush in other than they were getting bullied in the court of public opinion, which they obviously didn't like,'' Crawford said. "What I believe I know is Joe Paterno ran an NCAA sanction football program that didn't just play within the rules, but played well within the rules. Recruited good people. Got them educations. I thought it was a program the country needed to emulate, not ostracize.''

 Anyone who opposes the general consensus of bashing Penn State is met with, “You don’t care about the kids!” It’s not an either or/situation. As ESPN’s Colin Cowherd said, “I can want individuals to face harsh punishment, but not the institution. The fans rooting for Penn State in the 80’s and 90’s, and the players playing for Penn State in the 80’s and 90’s weren’t rooting for a pedophile.”

Does crippling Penn State football really make the situation better? Have you ever been to State College? It’s 50 miles of cow farms, national weather headquarters, and then Penn State. The “culture of entitlement” at Penn State is gone. Joe Paterno is dead, his once-proud legacy in ruins. Former President Graham Spanier, former Vice-President Gary Shultz, and Athletic Director Tim Curley are about to go to trial for perjury – and rightfully so. Penn State is writing a $60-million check to victims of abuse, in addition to Big 10 money. A once-proud university for BOTH academics and sports now must address heinous crimes perpetrated under their noses. The house is not just on fire, the foundation is in ashes. Trust me, these people are feeling it. But do the stiff sanctions make the situation better? Will pedophiles stop being pedophiles? No – they’ll just be smarter and more discreet with their actions. The football team is needed now more than ever to help heal a community and use a negative situation to create something positive and lasting out of it. Instead, Penn State will lose a sense of its identity, restaurants and hotels will go out of business, and people will lose jobs. And the victims of Sandusky? Guess what – they’re still going to be victims.

Because of the public outcry Penn State will not file an appeal. The political correctness of this country is out of control and almost impossible to combat without losing your head. Instead of everyone trying to look good for P.R. and save their butts -- when will someone stand up for the whole truth?! When will we be thorough with situations, and not allow governing bodies to over-extend the power of their jurisdiction? There needs to be a separation of church and state. There needs to be a separation of the federal and state government. And there definitely needs to be a separation of a sports governing body and criminal matters.

I have no problem with taking down the Paterno statue, but if you do, take down Beaver Stadium, the Paterno student library, the spiritual center, all the restaurants and hotels – hell, blow up all of State College because we Pennsylvanians know who and what it was built on.

Oh, and one more thing NCAA, when another college kid loses his scholarship because he doesn’t fit a college coach’s “style,” like what happened to numerous kids when John Calipari took over at Kentucky and you turn a blind eye – go fuck yourselves you sorry pieces of shit. In a perfect world you’d be thrown in jail – right next to Sandusky.

Is it football season yet?

By: Steve Johnson

The Phillies are 14 games out of first, the Flyers are trying to convince you that they're making moves, and the Sixers just signed Kwame Brown...Kwame Brown. PLEASE, is it football season yet? We're less than a week away from the rookies reporting to Lehigh and it can't come soon enough. I can't remember the last time in Mid July where we were in this much dire need for football, as we are this year. The Sixers signed Kwame Brown. I want to see who is the backup Quarterback to the always hurt Michael Vick, I want to see what linebacker steps up and takes the WILL job. I want to see the team stay healthy, come together, and prove that last year wasn't just hype. The Sixers signed Kwame Brown. I want to know who is going to be the starting safeties. Will Juan Castillo have this defense improved to at least stop somebody...anybody. Can Michael Vick start making good decisions with the ball...which obviously leads to him staying healthy as well. Can LeSean McCoy back up last years performance and prove he's the top back in football. Can DeSean Jackson prove it wasn't all about the money...and creating record companies. Can Andy Reid finally, finally, finally get over the whole clock management, not clutch thing. We can only hope in a football first town, that the Eagles won't break our hearts again. Did I mention the Sixers signed Kwame Brown?

Are the Sixers up to something big?

By: Steve Johnson
Someone call A&E TV, the Sixers are hoarding swing men. What can we make of this? So far this off season the Sixers drafted an athletic swing man, signed a shooter in Nick Young, and then yesterday added yet another shooting swing man, Dorrel Wright, in a trade. So the big question Sixers fans are asking, is Andre Igoudala on his way out? He has to be right? I mean why else would they be making all these moves? Is there a trade to Minnesota still in the works for Derrick Williams? Does Igoudala somehow factor into all this Dwight Howard talk? (No I don't mean Howard to Philly, do not get too excited). But let's look at the 2nd possibility. If Dwight Howard was on his way to let's say Los Angeles, could Igoudala be part of a trade to bring in Pau Gasol? That would help both teams. It would make the Lakers a much more athletic team with Igoudala and Howard teaming up with Kobe and Nash. Pau Gasol, say what you want about him is one of the best big men in the game today, and would bring a star player to the Sixers. Something to make them competitive, and to do what Sixers owners have been craving to do...fill seats. Now these are all just skepticism, but hey you never know, it's the NBA.

Sixers making moves?

Hours after amnestying Brand and signing Nick Young, reports indicate the Sixers are in the works of potentially trading Andre Igoudala to Portland, Portland signing and trading Nicolas Batum to Minnesota, and Minny sending Derrick Williams to Philly. Earlier reports had Batum signing with Minnesota but rumor has it they cannot afford him without making a move, leaving the Sixers has a potential winner in this trade. Let's hope the Sixers finally are making moves to not only win now, but in the future. Stay tuned for more.