The Phillies’ trade of closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros became official on Saturday — with a couple of interesting wrinkles that weren’t initially expected.
The Phillies included minor-league shortstop Jonathan Arauz in the deal and in exchange picked up five pitchers, led by Vincent Velasquez and former No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel.
The Phillies also added Thomas Eshelman, Harold Arauz and Brett Oberholtzer, the only lefty in the deal.
The framework of the deal was agreed upon at the winter meetings on Wednesday. The Phillies were initially expected to receive three pitchers and outfielder Derek Fisher in the trade for Giles. Team sources confirmed as much. Three days later, after more talk and the customary review of medical records, the deal, to use the word of one person with knowledge of the situation, “evolved” and became two Phillies for five Astros pitchers.
Velasquez, 23, is the centerpiece of the Phillies’ return. Scouts say he has dynamic “stuff” that needs harnessing. He pitched in 19 games, seven starts, for the Astros last season and has a strong chance of joining another young pitcher, Aaron Nola, in the Phillies’ rotation at the start of the 2016 season. That rotation will be headed by veterans Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton, who on Saturday was acquired from Pittsburgh in what looks like a salary dump (see story). Oberholzer, who has started 42 games over the last three seasons, will also push for a spot in the rotation.
Eshelman, 21, was a second-round pick out of Cal State Fullerton by the Astros last June. He pitched at the Single A level last season. Harold Arauz, 20, also pitched in the low minors last season. They will continue their minor-league treks in 2016.
Appel’s inclusion gives the deal a big name on the marquee. The Stanford product was a first-round draft pick in 2012 and 2013 but so far has not lived up to that lofty distinction.
Appel, 24, was selected by Pittsburgh with the eighth overall pick in 2012. The Scott Boras client did not come to terms with the Pirates, who offered him a $3.8 million signing bonus. He returned to Stanford for his senior season and was picked first overall by the Astros in 2013. He signed for $6.35 million.
In three seasons in the minors, Appel has a 5.12 ERA and a 1.439 WHIP in 54 games, all but one of which have been starts. He split time between Double A and Triple A last year and had a 4.37 ERA and a 1.413 WHIP in 25 starts.
The Phillies new leadership — president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak — have added more than a dozen pitchers through trades, signings and waiver claims this offseason. In a common theme, a number of the acquisitions have had periods of success followed by recent struggle, some due to injury. Phillies management is rolling the dice that a number of these players bounce back and turn into contributors in 2016. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Appel fits that theme as the Phillies are clearly hoping that he finally finds consistency and lives up to his draft position. Baseball America rated him as the second-best prospect in the Astros’ system, and 31st in all of baseball, entering the 2015 season.
Appel lines up to pitch in Triple A at the start of the 2016 season, joining top prospect Jake Thompson.
Klentak will comment on the trades in a Citizens Bank Park news conference on Monday. Throughout the offseason he made it no secret that he would listen to offers on Giles not because he was looking to subtract the power-armed 25-year-old closer, but because he was looking to be opportunistic and Giles represented a trade chip that could be used to add multiples of players to the Phillies’ rebuild. Having a top closer on a rebuilding team is not a necessity.
“We like Ken Giles. We want Ken Giles on our team. We want more players like Ken Giles,” Klentak said earlier this week at the winter meetings. “But we also have to be opportunistic when opportunities present themselves to make us better in both the short and long term. And we're going to explore that and other things while we're here.”
The exploration is over. Giles is an Astro and the Phillies added five pitchers.
With Giles gone, recently signed David Hernandez could get the first shot to close games for the Phillies in 2016. Hard-throwing Jimmy Cordero, acquired last summer from Toronto for Ben Revere, could be someone to watch for that role later in the season.
The other player headed to Houston, Jonathan Arauz, is a promising 17-year-old shortstop from Panama. The Phillies signed him in August 2014 for 600,000.
To make room for Velasquez and Oberholtzer on the 40-man roster, the Phils designated reliever Dan Otero for assignment. He had been claimed on waivers earlier this offseason.