Werth Trade Would Not Equal Surrender

Months ago a source close to the team (some said Milt Thompson) disclosed that the Phillies were very close to reaching a contract extension with outfielder Jayson Werth. Later reports stated that the Phillies would lock Werth up by the All-star Break. Common sense also told the public that if neither of those were the case, the Phillies could likely deal Werth soon after the Break, as the non-waiver trading deadline comes up quickly, at the end of July.

When Chase Utley's thumb diagnosis (surgery, likely to miss 8 weeks while recovering) was announced to the world, some phans were ready to tap out for the season and swiftly suggested the Phillies deal Werth to get what they could for him, as July and the realization of the Phillies not coming to terms with Werth were drawing near.

Other folks began to equate a possible trade of Werth with the Phillies waving a white flag this season. That does not have to be the case, especially with baseball's top prospect Domonic Brown waiting in the wings to fill any void that Werth would leave.

Brown, a corner outfielder, is tearing up minor league pitching this year (.326 avg, 19 HR, 59 RBI, 14 steals, .999 OPS in 80 games between Double A and Triple A this season) and is widely regarded as a blue chip prospect. Brown projects to put up the same type of 20 HR/20 steal production that Werth has become best known for.

If the Phillies sent Werth away and got a proven ace pitcher in return, that addition to the starting rotation could certainly outweigh any downgrade in the outfield, especially if Brown can contribute right away. While the Phillies' offense has seemed to be the problem, they've actually outscored their entire division in less games played. Improved pitching is needed to keep the team closer in games, as the Phillies rank 8th in the league (4th in the division) in starting pitcher ERA at 4.02.

Recent trade rumors involving Werth include the following...
-Werth in a complex deal that might include more pieces to Boston for righty hurler Clay Buchholz (2.45 ERA in 15 starts this season), who is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue.
-Werth to the Yankees for Javier Vazquez (4.21 ERA in 403 Major League games), following a potential Cliff Lee to New York trade.

Another manner in which the Phillies could deal Werth and improve the squad could be if the Phils took part in a 3-way deal, where they send Werth to Team X (possibly Boston), who, in turn, sends
prospects to Team Y. Team Y could then send an A-list pitcher (possibly Dan Haren who has a 3.68 ERA in 214 career ML games, or Roy Oswalt who has a 3.08 ERA in 18 starts this season) to the Phils, who would hopefully receive a nice jolt from the influx of new talent and not become Team Zzzzz.

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