Ed Wade is out as Houston Astros general manager.
It wont be long before it is pointed out that the Phillies stole a whole bunch of talent from him over the last five years.
Lets review:
November 2007: The Phillies get Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett for Michael Bourn, Mike Costanzo and Geoff Geary.
July 2010: The Phillies get Roy Oswalt for Anthony Gose, Jonathan Villar and J.A. Happ.
July 2011: The Phillies get Hunter Pence for Jonathan Singleton, Jarred Cosart, Domingo Santana and Josh Zeid.
OK, lets examine:
MLB
Lidge had a dream season in 2008one of the best by any athlete in Philadelphia sports historygoing 48 for 48 in save chances and helping the Phils win the World Series. His next three seasons, first because of ineffectiveness, then because of injury, werent nearly as goodand they were expensive at an average salary of 12.5 million.
This was a good deal for the Phillies because it helped them win a World Series, and thats why you play the game. But was it a steal? No. The Astros had gone into the winter following the 2007 season believing that Lidge had lost his ability to close in Houston so they sought to get the best deal they could for him. Bourn developed into a terrific player for them, a Gold Glove centerfielder, an all-star and a three-time NL stolen base champ. He was traded to Atlanta last summer and, depending how that deal unfolds, could continue to reap dividends for the Astros down the road.
Oswalt has widely been described as a steal because the Phillies got 11 million in the deal from Houston. That amount of money raised eyebrows around baseball, but remember: At that time, Astros ownership wasnt trying to win titles. It had ordered Wade to trim payroll and restock the farm system to make the team more attractive for sale. Oswalt had a no-trade clause and was only willing to go to a handful of contenders. The Phils offered the best package and Houston took itand received about 11 million in salary relief for a player that didnt want to be there anymore. Oswalt was spectacular in 2010, helping the Phils win the NL East, but he was never 100 percent healthy in muddling through an unfulfilling 2011 season. The Astros turned Gose, a dynamic prospect that the Phillies liked a lot, into Brett Wallace and the multi-tooled Villar projects as the Astros shortstop of the future. This just doesnt sound a like a steal to us.
Pence made an immediate and significant impact in Philadelphia in 2011, and he cost the Phils just 250,000 as Houston picked up 2 million of what remained on his 2011 contract. He will continue to contribute for at least the next two seasonshes a free agent after 2013but his salary will rise significantly from the 6.9 million he made in 2011. But final judgment on this deal is a long way off as Singleton, Cosart and Santana all have the tools to become big-league difference makers, the core of a championship team. They are ranked as the Astros No. 1, 2 and 6 prospects, respectively, by Baseball America.
There was one deal between the Astros and Phillies that was a steal. In November 2003, the Phils got Billy Wagner for Ezequiel Astacio, Brandon Duckworth and Taylor Buchholz.
Ed Wade made that tradeas Phillies GM.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com