Trading Valdez, The Right Move

Half utility man, half pitcher.

Yesterday the Phillies traded utility man Wilson Valdez to the Reds in exchange for lefty reliever Jeremy Horst.  While the move is widely viewed as negative, I like the trade because it frees up money, and it brings in a valuable lefty reliever.

To be fair, Wilson Valdez filled in nicely for Rollins, Polanco, and Utley during the past few seasons.  He even pitched a scoreless inning this past year to add to his versatility.  But Valdez isn't an offensive threat by any means.  He was a great defensive substitute, but at the plate he was sup par.  Plus the Phillies added to their bench this off season by adding Laynce Nix and Ty Wiggington, so there really was no need to keep Valdez around.

In short, utility men are relatively easy to come by and usually minor league players can easily fill in if Utley, Rollins, or Polanco get hurt this season.  Lefty relievers on the other hand are somewhat hard to come by, and I applaud Ruben Amaro Jr. for bolstering this already dangerous bullpen.

Plus the move frees up money which is huge given the fact that Hunter Pence will in all likelihood be awarded an arbitration salary somewhere around 10 million.  Valdez will forever be remembered for his outstanding defensive play, and his scoreless inning of relief.  But I think that this move is best for the Phillies and Valdez in the long run.