The Phillies Start Moving

Yesterday, the Phillies pulled off a deal that felt a little too good on the surface. They got Howie Kendrick, a player with a good track-record, but coming off of a bad year, for Darin Ruf and Darnell Sweeney. The Dodgers needed to clear Kendrick and his salary for bigger moves, and the Phillies needed a veteran bat. The Dodgers took a couple of players who didn't figure much into the 2017 or beyond plan in Philadelphia. Everybody won the trade, for now.

The Phillies went from 63 wins in 2015 to 71 wins in 2016, and a bounce-back season from Kendrick would help them improve that total towards 81 in 2017. They essentially acquired him at close to zero risk- neither player counts much as a "prospect" at this point. Kendrick has a one year deal, which means they can part ways basically at any time if he doesn't pan out. They are essentially improving 2017 at no cost to the future.

There are some byproducts though for the Phillies to deal with. First and foremost is where they will put Kendrick. Will he be the everyday left-fielder as most people suspect? Will he end up at second base, because they may trade Cesar Hernandez? If he is in the line-up, where does he hit? Who loses at-bats to him?

I suspect this is not the last move. Hernandez, Odubel Herrera, Vince Velasquez, Jeanmar Gomez, and others have been linked to possible trades. The Phillies still probably want another bat and a starting pitcher, in addition to the normal need for bullpen arms. This is the first move, and a good one, but it won't be the last.