BREAKING: VICTORINO TRADED TO DODGERS

The Phillies have traded three-time Gold Glove center fielder and two-time All-Star Shane Victorino to the Dodgers for right-handed reliever Josh Lindblom and right-hander Ethan Martin, who is rated as the 17th best prospect in the Dodgers' chain. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports broke the news first and it has since been confirmed by CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury. More coming ...

Comments

[NEPP]

Nice graphic.

[Slocs]

Let's get this Pence deal done, get schoop for Blanton + prospects and then put together a proposal for Choo or Headley.

[GBrettfan]

I'm officially in mourning for Shane Victorino.

My entertainment world has been a sad one this week - first, a character death on my TV show, now the loss of Vic. So much for entertainment being synonymous with fun.

We do get 2 pitchers, so that's something.

Good luck, Vic! At least you have a chance to play postseason baseball now! Thanks for the great memories!

Anyone have a good Shane Victorino video link to feed my nostalgia?

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

Here's a recent writeup on the prospect we got. As the writeup suggests, he's a bit of a lottery ticket, but was once highly regarded (#1 draft pick for the Dodgers):
http://www.faketeams.com/2012/7/19/3168700/waiting-in-the-wings-ethan-martin

[Chuck A.]

Wow. I almost have chills reading this. Anybody know anything about this Martin guy?

[GTown_Dave]

Aloha means goodbye. Fare thee well, Shane.

[curt]

Well, Vic broke their hearts in years past...maybe he can lead them on a long playoff run this year.

[p. Red]

Martin, the Dodgers' first-round draft pick from 2008, owns a 3.58 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, and 0.38 HR/9 in 118 Double-A innings this year. Drafted as a raw high schooler, Baseball America ranked Martin 17th on their Dodgers prospect list prior to the season. They wrote that Martin "maintains the ceiling of a No. 2 starter but has a long way to go."

So we got an average but cheap, middle reliever and a raw, but possibly high reward, pitching prospect for 2-months of Vic? I'll take that.

[Iceman]

Really a sad day for Phils fans. I loved watching Vic play, no matter how stupid he could be sometimes. Great value for this franchise and we wouldn't have been nearly as successful these past 4 years without him.

I'll be rooting for him in LA and wherever he goes in FA.

As for the trade, if the Dodgers are also picking up the salary, it's an overall win for Amaro.

[nonamePHame]

I will miss ya Vic. You were a huge part of our success 08-12.

Might be a Dodgers fan for this year's playoffs...

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

I know there are people who thought Victorino was bad for this team or made to many mistakes that hurt us...

But the truth is that he was a MASSIVE part of this team's success. There is no other way to look at it. You find the metric and I'll show you how positive it was for this club.

[Sil Campusano]

Thanks for 2008, Vic. Enjoy the postseason, you wouldn't have seen it here. Now, let's get Blanton moved.

[p. Red]

Looks like Pence may be following Victorino out the door...

Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence holds extra appeal since he's under team control for 2013, even if he could earn more than $14MM next year. The latest:

The Pence to the Giants talk is pretty hot, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
Just prior to the Dodgers wrapping up their deal for Shane Victorino, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the Phillies were still discussing a Pence deal with the Giants. They apparently are willing to trade two starting outfielders.

[ChicagoPhan]

::sigh:: I actually really liked Victorino, although thats more sentiment then logic.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

Beat writers tweeting Pence to SF is still hot.

This is the move I'll question. If we want to compete next year, isn't Pence going to be a big part of that?

[Chuck A.]

I agree. Vic pissed me off....a LOT. But he will NEVER be booed by me when he comes back to CBP to play. HUGE part of our run. Good luck, Shane!

[LG -]

Looks like a decent get by Rube. Best of luck to Shane in LA. He'll always drink for free in this city based on the incredible run he had in 2008.

[jbird]

Not a bad return for Vic though I'm sad to see him go to the dodgers.

[GTown_Dave]

Really hate the idea of trading Pence, too. Had to be either Vic or Pence, not both. Even if the Phillies were to go out & get a guy like Bourne in the off-season -- which I highly doubt -- I can't see how they'll be able to get by w/ such a weak OF in '13. Plus, 3B is still a black hole, & options are very limited.

[timr]

As everyone said, Vic was absolutely essential to all of this team's success. Really sad to see him go, not only because he was a very very good player for them (though not this year), but because of his oddball personality that I think really helped define this team, at least at its peak.

[Bob]

So long, Vic, thanks for the memories.

The realist in me understands that it needed to be done. The pure emotional fan in me can't help but bemoan that we're replacing a gold glove caliber ML CF with some potential upside at the plate going forward with...Dom Brown, who struggled to master LF at the minor league level. Oh well, I keep repeating to myself, "It had to be done, it's neccessary."

OTOH, I am excited to see Dom back, it gives us something hopeful to follow going forward.

[fooman]

Pence is going.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

The only thing about trading Pence is it absolutely confirms Phils will be under the luxury tax this year.

IF that means the Phils will be willing to go over next year then they have to go out and fill holes. Third base won't be easy. So they better spend on the OF!

[aksmith]

Vic has been one of my favorite Phils. They got him for nothing, tried to give him back, and were turned down. Talk about a whirlwind of emotion. I had seen him play in AAA and was ecstatic when they got him, distraught when they offered him back, and amazed when the Dodgers turned him down.

Turned out to be one of the great moved in Phillies history and was a big part of the Dodgers' GM losing his job. And Wade followed out the door not long after. And it put to rest forever the meme that GMs are smarter than fans and always have better information than fans.

And if the Phils are short a centerfielder after the season, I think Vic will be available on a more reasonable contract than anyone thinks. At least I hope so.

[HammRadio]

Shane. Always a WFC.

I'll always remember the Grand Slam against CC... maybe one of my top 5 live sporting moments ever...

will always remember the "not in the head, in the ribs" against the "hated" Dodgers...

my Dad's favorite guy on the roster... and we will remember his Sunday walk-off on Victorino Day in '07...
And there's no "STAIRS, INTO THE NIGHT" without Vic's 2 run homer to tie.

No questions asked. You'll be missed.

Mahalo.

[donc]

Victorino will no longer be actively hurting this team? Sorry to see him go, but it was a neccesary move. He will be one of my favorites forever.

[GBrettfan]

Ruben simply HAS to get back high value for Pence, pieces that we can use next year, or enough salary relief that we can buy someone to fill the holes left by him & Vic.

Unless our OF projects to be Mayberry, Nix & Brown?

[p. Red]

I'm picturing Rube trading Victorino to the Dodgers and then immediately calling up Sabean and being like, "Well, we just sent Victorino to the Dodgers. You STILL unwilling to give up Gary Brown?"

[AlexRosie]

It wouldn't be too bad of a situation trading two starting outfielders if we turn around and get Chase Headley also, there are a lot more free agent outfielders than third basemen. I can only hope.

[CN]

Giants just about have Pence. Wow.

[GTown_Dave]

GBrettfan: Don't forget Pierre!

[DH Phils]

Good job by Amaro getting more than I thought he could for Victorino.

The Lindblom HR/9 issues are overstated: he's had problems this year but it hasn't been a pattern in the minors except while he was in the PCL.

Ethan Martin sounds like a legitimate prospect: top 10 in the Phils' system, I would guess.

[GBrettfan]

I love that post, Hamm - especially that you put Shane's characteristic phrase "No questions asked"! Ah, thanks for that.

[Allan Thornburg (AT)]

Trading Vic for middle relief and a potential SP--if you don't plan to resign him--makes sense--but only if you keep Pence. If you get a return that approximates Singleton/Cosart, trading Pence makes sense as well--but only if you keep Vic. But trading BOTH of them, leaving us no proven, everday outfielders, and expecting Mayberry/Nix/Pierre/Brown/Pridie to replace them, is flat-out insanity, and indicates to me that Rube is selling because the pundits have said he's "got" to sell, not because he has any rational idea of what this team will look like for the rest of the year or in 2013.

[aksmith]

If they can move Pence and his salary, maybe they won't need to take a lesser prospect for Blanton. No need to save money after that as they should be under the luxury tax threshold.

[CN]

@JonHeymanCBS: #SFGiants are closing in on deal for hunter pence. good counter to #dodgers.

*sigh*

[Slocs]

pence deal done - via cbs

[NEPP]

How is everyone going to feel if we end up trading Pence but keeping Blanton?

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

It's done. Pence to Giants.

[Slocs]

Heyman on MLB Network - deal done

[LC]

@JonHeymanCBS: hunter pence on way to #SFGiants. details up soon on http://CBSSports.com

[DPatrone]

Pence to the Giants.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

NEPP: I figure if they keep Blanton today, they'll still deal him during waiver trade period. Will still be a market for him.

[p. Red]

This is insane.

[aksmith]

Rube probably feels like an arms dealer selling weapons to both sides of a war.

[fooman]

Here comes Headley.

[Slocs]

Blanton still will go. Has SD held up Headley deal to see what Phillies offer?

[GBrettfan]

GTown - Do we have Pierre for next year?

[NEPP]

New plan...Dom Brown plays both LF and RF tonight.

[GTown_Dave]

Ugh. Clearly r00b still thinks pitching is everything. Dipsh*t.

[Kendrick Appreciation Society]

OF tonight will be LF-Pierre, CF-Mayberry, RF-Brown

[Slocs]

JimBowdenESPNxm
Phillies tell me they do NOT have a deal with Giants involving Hunter Pence......YET.......stay tuned

[GTown_Dave]

GBrettfan: I fully expect the Phillies to attempt to re-sign him ... & how hard could it be?

[Lake Fred]

I guess L.A. is halfway to Hawaii. There will always be a special place in my Phillies rooting heart for Shane Victorino. The team destruction before the rebuilding has begun. When is Cholly packing his bags?

[aksmith]

If Pence brings back something worthwhile and Blanton does not, then there's no downside to keeping Blanton. Don't see the correlation.

Pence clearly is in a rut and maybe he needs a change of scenery. Seems like a good guy and I wish him well. But watching him pull off of pitches all season long has made me unlikely to miss him. He is not a cornerstone type player and he'll be paid like one next season. Hopefully, the Phils got a good prospect or two and didn't have to pick up salary.

[Slocs]

Hunter Pence deal with the Giants does not include Gary Brown, Brandon Belt or Kyle Crick according to Philies source

[Iceman]

I knew they'd get desperate.

I'm on record, though, as saying that anything but a complete haul (which would have to include Gary Brown + Pence's salary) is a big error in judgment by Rube.

[mm]

Uh oh, we just trade Pence for Barry Zito didn't we? LOL

[Five-4-One]

My mom passed away in February and her absolute favorite player on this team was Shane Victorino. So this makes me extra sad.

The end of a couple eras for me and a sad, sad day.

If Chase and Jimmy and Ryan and Cole were the engines that ran this team, Shane was often the spark that ignited them. I'll still never forget my SRO tix to game 2, leaning against the railing chanting "CC SUCKS" over and over again. The high fiving and hugging and back slapping and beer fueled craziness as Vic's homer screamed out of CBP.

Good Luck you awesomely wacky, charmingly Vickleheaded Phillie forever. Hope to see you back again some time. Mahalo.

[Bill]

JIM BOWDEN ‏@JimBowdenESPNxm
Hunter Pence deal with the Giants does not include Gary Brown, Brandon Belt or Kyle Crick according to Philies source

[GTown_Dave]

aksmith: He still projects to be the best OF the Phillies (might have) had next year, & by a good margin. He's also the 2nd best offensive player on the team this season, & isn't a ticking injury time bomb like Utley & Howard. This has the potential to be a large mistake.

[Lake Fred]

Yo, new thread!

[Slocs]

dodgers getting dempster. Who will get garza?

[mm]

Hmm..none of their best prospects. Did we buy really low on lincecum?

[awh]

AT, yes Vic was traded, but he can always be signed as an FA once the season is over.

All of you lamenting the fact that they'll have to replace Vic in the OF next season miss the point that Vic's 2013 replacement may very well be.....Vic.

[Outta Here]

They're saying Pence has been traded to the Giants, minutes after the Vic deal. Not confirmed yet, we'll see. Wow.

[Phil Smiles]

Pence peices plus a Phils prospect for Headley?