Would The Phillies Trade Dom Brown?

Before reading this article keep in mind that this is entirely speculation.

There has been talk and there will continue to be talk as the trade deadline approaches about the Phillies possibly adding a bat. Even though the Phils are 51-21 and are tops in all of baseball, people still feel that they need to add another bat to solidify the offense. There is no argument that the Phils have invested a ton of money into this season, and for people to sit there and say that they would not be willing to spend an extra million or two to get them over the hump is absolutely foolish. If the Phils have the opportunity to add some offensive fire power even if it does put them over their spending limits, I feel that they will certainly do it. But as an alternative way to add a proven bat the Phillies could possibly trade a guy like Domonic Brown.

Brown is currently hitting .214 with 5 HR and 13 RBI’s, and although he supposedly represents the future of the Phillies he simply is failing to get it done at the big league level. So far Brown has played in 69 games at the professional level and has hit .213 with 7 HR and 26 RBI’s in 174 at-bats. That’s pathetic and if the Phillies are smart they should at least consider trading Brown who is still viewed as one of the best prospects in all of baseball. I don’t want to rip Brown as I feel that he has a ton of potential and when given the opportunity to play on a consistent basis he can become a great player. But at the same time the Phils have invested a lot of money into this season and they can’t afford to have a developing Domonic Brown hold them back. If the Phils could trade Brown for a proven bat that can get them over the hump I say they should do it.

A possible trade that the Phils may be interested in could be Domonic Brown for Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence. The Phils have dealt with Ed Wade and the Astros in the past and it would be a good trade for both teams. Pence went to arbitration before the beginning of this season and will earn 7 million this year. If the Phils could work out a deal in which the Astros would pay half of that 7, don’t you think the Phils would be willing to pay 3.5 for a proven bat and overall great player? According to cbssports.com currently the Phillies payroll is somewhere in the neighborhood of 173 million dollars, the second largest in baseball behind the New York Yankees. And according to stevethehump.com the “salary cap” or amount before the Phils would have to pay a luxury tax is 178 million for 2011 so the Phillies definitely have a little wiggle room. I think that if the Phils could acquire Pence and only have to pay him 3.5M they would do it in a heartbeat. They have already inevested 173 million dollars into this season, so wouldn’t you pay another 3M to put you over the hump?

The Phils would also have to part ways with some other prospects but the time to win is now. Don’t think about the future, think about winning this year. The window of opportunity to win with this team is quickly fading and if the Phils don’t go all out this year and instead hold back to prepare for the future they may find themselves as a mediocre team down the line with only one World Series title (2008). If the Phils are smart they would at least shop Brown around and see what other teams are willing to offer. It can’t hurt and they could get a proven guy that could potentially lead them to a World Series title.

Remember how the Phillies didn't have any money for Lee? I think that if it comes down to it, Amaro will be able to "magically" make more money appear if it means another World Series title. If they can sign Cliff Lee, then in my mind anything can happen.