Report: Ed Wade to join Phillies' scouting department

A source has confirmed to CSNPhilly.com that former Phillies general manager Ed Wade will be rejoining the organization in an unspecified role in the team’s scouting department. Wade was fired after the 2005 season and spent a year scouting for the Padres before taking a position as the Astros' GM. He was fired by the Astros' new ownership in November. [Read more]

Beerleaguer: That's right. Ed "our scouts have been tracking Matt Kata for some time" Wade is set to join the scouting department. First order of business ... scout Matt Kata.

Comments

[Heather]

From this outsider's perspective, Wade's strength seemed to be his scouting, so this seems like a win for the Phills.

[J. Weitzel]

Nationals pushing hard for Gio Gonzalez per Rosenthal. Really need an arm like that.

[Meyer]

Never would have guessed it.

[Rauls grandpa]

This is the plot for the next season of Homeland. Ed Wade in The Pattison Supremecy.

[DPatrone]

I had a feeling. When Steady Eddie was fired by the Astros I asked the question what the chances were that he'd land a job with the Phils and the reply was 0.

Two things to rember. Ed got his start here and he played a big part in putting the 2008 together.

[Pops]

The question is... did he ever really leave?

[Rauls grandpa]

Giants sign a guy named Burres one day and then another named Burriss the next. Did somebody make a mistake in scouting?
More importantly, are either Chuck's kid?

[The Evil Ed Wade]

Sure, I get to field a team for 1.8 million for years and find the most talented guys on the team, then they let the guy who made his bones cleaning the Burger King wrappers out of Andy Reid's office take over and give him 200 million. I'm not bitter.
Let's just say Gillick better not fall asleep on the massage table.

[The_GodfatherSJP]

I've never thought Wade was good at signing free agents (Bell, Jon Lieber) or trades (Polly for Ugueth Urbina, Schilling for nothing). On the other hand, you have to give him credit for drafting and developing Rollins, Utley, Howard, Hamels, Myers, Madson and Burrell. The core of the 2008 team. So as a scout, I think he's got talent.

Rest of the GM duties? Nope.

[gobaystars!]

So Texas won the Darvish posting.
He'll join former teammate Yoshinori Tateyam as well as NPB alums Colby Lewis and Koji Uehara.
Interesting stuff. I kind of wish he ended up in a closer city but hopefully I'll be bale to catch him in NY or Baltimore.

[Dragon]

Welcome back, Ed. Stick to scouting and we'll be Jake.

[aksmith]

There used to be a scout who posted on another board and his feeling was the Wade had just about zero to do with scouting when he was GM. It was completely handled by others. Such as Mike Arbuckle, I think.

In fact, what Wade was in charge of was trades and signing free agents. So, I'm sure his astute talent evaluation will be a major asset.

Truthfully, I always thought he was a clown right up until he fleeced the Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade. Santana as the throw in? Really? That trade alone might get him another congratulatory speech some day should the next Houston GM win anything. Just like Gillick buttered him up in 2008.

[Meyer]

Ed's on the phone right now planning for his first unspecified mission to the Caribbean. Don't know the details but he is covertly amassing a flotilla of speed boats.

[Robby J]

My best rememberance of Fast Eddie was him being stuck up in a tree with a parachute.. Then came Houston.. Not much change of scenery there.

[mike]

this is prob good news and shows how loyal this organization is to its (ex) employees

[awh]

Godfather, Mike Arbuckle was the scouting director when all those guys were drafted - not Wade.

He's now with Kansas City.

For those of you who follow these things, how do KC's draft classes compare to the Phillies' since Arbuckle left?

[Scotch Man]

In the great book that will one day be written about the Gillick/Amaro era, they'll discover that Wade was on the payroll the whole time.

[Meyer]

Ed is shrewd in one respect. He traded himself as a PTBNML for Santana.

[MG]

Threw him a bone and a small paycheck if he is an area/regional scout. It would be unwarranted and a mistake to give him a prominent scouting role (e.g., head of international scouting & a key role in the newly-created international draft)

[Call Me Ishmael]

I think we're looking at the Ed Wade hiring in the wrong light. I think ED WADE is the mastermind behind the personnel moves. Like Putin in Russia. "Sure I'm not the President anymore...Oh, you want me to be the PM? Well, I guess I could do that, as a favor to you." Then in a few years, BAM...Putin/Ed Wade are back in the driver's seat. A savvy political manipulator, that's what Ed Wade is, minus the karate skills. They both look similar too, pasty, no discernible chin...

/sarcasm
//airports are boring

[Jbird]

This is just a interim position until we can con someone else into hiring him as a GM so he can trade all their good players back to us.

[RK]

I know he is not loved in Philly but correct me if I am wrong isn't he the man behind the 2008 team?

[Robby J]

The "haul" for Pence and Bourn will likely set the crappiest franchise even further towards crapdom..Luhnow would need to make 10 trades like the Melancon deal to reach some sense of respectability.

[Ed]

You know what? I didn't really want this damn job. Even with the money they're giving me. And God knows I need a job after working for those cheapskates in effin Houston.

Nope. I only came back for one reason: to stick it to all you whiny jerks on Beer-effin-leaguer. That's right. I'm here to mess up your team and mess up your board and mess up your minds.

I was pissed when Lidge waited a year to implode, like I knew he would. And even more pissed that that pissant Pence hit better for you than for us. But heck, I figure I can do a ton more damage from the inside anyway. So get ready, you know-nothing babies. The Edpocolypse is coming.

[Brad]

Looking at Houston's decimated farm system under Wade's reign of terror there, you've got to give more credit to others (Arbuckle in particular). Hopefully he's just a voice at the table and Amaro is willing to ignore his mentor.

[Robby J]

Rumor has it that Frank Wren offered up Teheran in the original package for Bourn. Eddie didn't know baseball was big in Iraq.

[MG]

I don't understand why people think the Phils ripped off Wade so much during his tenure as the Phils' GM.

He did well on the Pence trade. So-so on the Oswalt trade & Lidge trades.

He didn't do a good job in Houston but he had absolutely the worst situation to work with - little to no young MLB-ready talent, almost no prospects, declining veteran-laden team with expensive contracts (and a bunch of no-trade clauses to boot), and an owner who wasn't willing to put any resources into the club because he was looking to sell.

Any GM would pretty much fail under those circumstances and especially with an owner that prevented him from blowing up the team until after '09.

[NEPP]

I figure we owe him that much for the beer...ahem, I mean Oswalt and Pence.

[NEPP]

***For those of you who follow these things, how do KC's draft classes compare to the Phillies' since Arbuckle left?***

KC has one of the best farm systems in baseball...although I dont know how much of that is Arbuckle and how much of that is his predecessor.

[Andy]

I expect that Matt Kata will give Pete Orr a run for his money.

[lorecore]

Full circle. He started as a Phillies's intern and will end with the phillies having as much influence as an intern.

[Andy]

Take a look at Matt Kata's minor league pitching record. It looks kinda screwy. He pitched one third of an inning, gave up no hits, but one walk, and one run and he finished a game,but got the loss.

Best I can figure, he walked the first guy he faced in the bottom half of an extra inning game, the guy stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly. Or something similar.

How can we avoid scouting a guy with these kind of talents?

[bay_area_phan]

As I recall, Ed Wade's pre-GM background was in PR and the business side of the front office. I suppose he might have learned something about scouting in all those years as GM. But just because a guy was a long-time GM doesn't make him qualified to be a scout -- especially when he was a long-time CRAPPY GM.

[bay_area_phan]

"From this outsider's perspective, Wade's strength seemed to be his scouting, so this seems like a win for the Phills."

Maybe. Rollins, Utley, Howard, Hamels and others were, of course, drafted while Ed Wade was GM. The question is how much did Ed Wade have to do with identifying and choosing these guys. I never had the impression that Wade was watching tape & attending high school games with his scouts. But perhaps he was more involved in the process in real life than he was in my impression.

[NEPP]

I would look at this as more of a pity job than an actual serious scouting position, bap. I doubt the Scouting Dept is that desperate for help.

[NEPP]

Every story I ever read from that time period had Arbuckle and Wolever making the actual scouting decisions....but who knows. Again, I doubt he's being brought back due to his scouting expertise.

[bay_area_phan]

"I would look at this as more of a pity job than an actual serious scouting position."

Probably so. Kind of like when those old communist countries kicked out their Prime Minister but gave him the new ceremonial title of President.

[auto correct]

Robby J: I think you mean Iran.

[Robby J]

yup auto.. brain cramp

[Bowlcut]

Wade gave Rube a chance as assistant gm now Rube has a chance to repay him. The Phillies are rife with nepotism. It's why the Phillies minor league teams are littered with ex-phillies in coaching positions. It's why the 3rd base coach and hitting coach on the major league level are ex-Phillies. It's why there are current scouts that played for the Phillies. Do you really think that ex-Phillies players are always the best choice to fill an open position? Wade being the gm when the core of this team was drafted is irrelevant. It's give a friend a job if possible, nothing else.

[NEPP]

Umm...EVERY team in baseball does the same thing, Bowlcut.

[Bowlcut]

Ummm...not to this extent, NEPP.

[Mike G]

nep·o·tism[ nep- uh-tiz- uh m]- noun 1.  favoritism based on family relationship-

[NEPP]

Only because you probably dont follow those teams, Bowl.

Baseball is a closed fraternity across the board.

[keith]

I see this more as a glass is half full situation...every time the Phillies do something suspect, I am blaming Ed Wade. In fact, any injuries, rainouts, etc will be due to Ed Wade. This is a win win as far as I am concerned

[Bowlcut]

Mike G: nep·o·tism[ nep- uh-tiz- uh m]- noun 1. favoritism based on family relationship-

world dictionary:

nepotism (ˈnɛpəˌtɪzəm) favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence

don't be an ass. It's a word commonly used in such instances.

[Bowlcut]

NEPP

I follow the Yankees quite closely as there AAA affiliate is in my backyard. They might have 3 or 4 ex players scattered through the ranks and generally not even players who were drafted by them. The Phillies blow them away.

No, I certainly haven't scoured every single teams minor league system and scouting department but I'd be pretty certain that there aren't many teams with the proliferation of ex players infecting the ranks.

[Steve]

Do you bring back Oswalt on a one year deal?

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/20/roy-oswalt-will-take-a-one-year-deal/

[EastFallowfield]

Bill Conlin news over on Deadspin.

http://deadspin.com/5869737/legendary-columnist-bill-conlin-resigns-over-forthcoming-philly-inquirer-bombshell

[Meyer]

Ed's on it. He'll parachute into the great backwoods and talk to Roy in his treestand.

[Jbird]

Steve, Phillies could have had Oswalt for 2013 (they had an option year) but they declined and bought him out. So unless Oswalt is coming for $5m for that 1 year, I doubt the Phils are interested.

[NEPP]

Did Conlin ever comment on Sandusky? The irony would be hilarious.

[Steve]

Jbird - obviously it would have to be less than the option was for. Picking up that option would have been an overpay

[GTown_Dave]

Well, the whole "clout-is-Conlin" meme is about to take an interesting turn.

[NEPP]

***Well, the whole "clout-is-Conlin" meme is about to take an interesting turn.***

Interesting.

[A-Train]

I won't lose any sleep over that loss.

[NEPP]

This puts a whole new spin on the phrase "If I were King of the world..."

[Mike G]

don't be an ass. It's a word commonly used in such instances Posted by: Bowlcut

Ok, if say so. I personally have never heard it uses in that context. To me there is a huge difference between hiring and ex baseball player to be, of all things, a baseball coach, and hiring my brother or nephew just because they are related. But that's just me.

[bay_area_phan]

clout would comment on the Conlin allegations, but his lawyer has advised him to take the Fifth.

[gobaystars!!]

I'm not a fan of brining back Wade. Granted I don't know what kind of scout he is or how essential his new role will be, but it is the same sort of move that kept the Phillies awful during the Giles era. No one ever gets fired and if they do they don't stay fired long. From ushers to Dallas Green the same dead wood has been hanging around Pattison ave for decades.

[aksmith]

I just heard Ruben Amaro welcome Jimmy Rollins back to the "Phillies family" so I think nepotism could apply. But most organizations do very much the same.

[SLO Phan]

I'm looking forward to the day when Mini-Mart is the hitting coach and Adam Eaton is the pitching coach.

[gobaystars!!]

Oh yeah and I almost forgot, FIRE ED WADE!!!

[NEPP]

Career AVG:

Michael Martinez: .196
Charlie Manuel: .198

[Jbird]

gobaystars!: you have a problem with the ushers? I mean sure, it'd be nice if the Phillies could get the Eagles' cheerleaders to moonlight as ushers in their offseason, but barring that. . .

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Following on the Oswalt questions, Cliff Corcoran has a 'top pitchers' available piece on si.com. He matches Oswalt with the Red Sox. Makes sense. He has Javier Vasquez as the No. 4 guy available to start and, matches him with the Phils. I don't see it.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/cliff_corcoran/12/20/beset.pitchers.available/index.html?xid=cnnbin

[NEPP]

Career OPS:

Michael Martinez: .540 OPS
Charlie Manuel: .534 OPS

[Meyer]

The last word has yet to be writ in the "Book of Ed". His work in Special Operations will go largely unnoticed by the rabble. His name will be whispered and only at the highest levels.

[Jbird]

Hugh: yeah, I don't see the Phils spending any more money on pitching. Worely-Blanton-Kendrick are an adequate 4-5-6th starters. If they want to go out and spend more money I would hope it's in an effort to acquire a long term solution at 3b.

[dick allen 15]

absolutely in shock over Conlin. My favorite sportswriter ever!!!!! This world is so fucked up I cant even imagine who will be coming forth next to admit to this crap. Just ridiculous !!!!!!

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Not that it matters but, the ushers are likely employed by the company that holds the management contract at CBP. I recall the Pirates trying to shed the ushers from 3 Rivers when they opened PNC but, the city mediated a compromise. Nepotism was one of many issues they had with the old guard, some of whom dated to Forbes Field.

[bigbigbuck]

how about that? conlin a child molester, too. must be something in the water in pennsylvania.

[Jack]

Weird, I was told during the season Oswalt would surely get a very generous 3-year deal at least.

[Jbird]

Hugh: I worked several summers as a food vendor at Blue Rocks games in Wilmington. I was an employee of Aramark rather than the club. I'm not sure if the ushers work the same or not.

[Jbird]

Jack: my guess is not too many teams want to committ 3 years to Oswalt's bad back.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Jbird - my understanding is that concessions are typically part of the overall management agreement so, ushers and food vendors are working for the same master.

[Call Me Ishmael]

Great comment on MLBTradeRumors...

"Hopefully Ed Wade's position is just temporary, until a team with a good, young third baseman needs a new GM"

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I don't know about 3 years, but I figured he'd get a 2 year deal. I'm guessing he probably would've jumped on an arbitration offer.

[Lake Fred]

Some nights when I'm driving around in Houston, I would inadvertently catch the "Ed Wade" radio show. His role in Houston was to build up the minor league system and cut payroll on the MLB level. He seemed pretty reasonable to me. I don't have any problems with him being employed by the Phillies. He won't be making any major decisions, so we don't need to worry about Wade.

[NEPP]

Hiring Ed Wade?

Season=Over

[CY]

Does this mean clout is resigning from BL?

[rauls grandpa]

Lake Fred,
I believe 1210 is going to just run the old Ed Show tapes now that he is back in the fold. It cuts back on production costs and most listeners will miss the David Newhan references.

[rauls grandpa]

Story on Conlin from the Poynter Institute (Journo school) includes his Penn State comments.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/156849/bill-conlin-on-penn-state/

[mm]

I assume every team is different, but, many stadiums have facilities managment companies who are contracted to do the day to day management of the property, and that would in some cases include the ushers. Again, depends on what that team does, and probably large part is of the club owns the stadium or not. Tends to be the case in the MLB but there's probably a few exceptions.

[mm]

Raul: The ad on the top of your link's page when i visited was for some award given out by a department at Syracuse. HAH.

[No1]

phillydot com now carrying the Conlin story:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20111220_Four_say_Philly_Daily_News_writer_Bill_Conlin_sexually_abused_them_as_children.html?cmpid=125219969

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20111220_Four_say_Philly_Daily_News_writer_Bill_Conlin_sexually_abused_them_as_children.html?cmpid=125219969

[Bert Wedemeyer]

Conlin should do himself a favor and have a massive coronary Like Frankie Rizzo the Elder.

[dre beats]

http://www.myMonsteronline.com