(Photo Credit: Yong Kim/Philadelphia Daily News)
When walking into a new job, there’s an urge to make your mark early and young Phillies general manager Matt Klentak did just that when he dealt closer Ken Giles to the Astros. The package the Phillies received in return for the flame-throwing closer was more than anyone could have dreamed of.
The Phillies and Matt Klentak flipped Giles and a young shortstop for five young pitchers that can help accelerate the rebuild. The move was a bold yet smart one because Ken Giles‘ value is at an ultimate high and a team like the Phillies don’t have much use for him in their current state.
Coming over from the Astros was 23-year-old righty Vincent Velasquez, 26-year-old southpaw Brett Oberholtzer, former first overall pick Mark Appel, 21-year-old Thomas Eshelman, and 20-year-old righty Harold Arauz. The Phillies are clearly building a monster for the future and the pieces of this trade could be at the forefront of it.
Vincent Velasquez 2-1, 0.93 ERA, 3 walks, 29 strikeouts: Velasquez is currently the Phillies fifth starter in their rotation, but he has the makings of an honest to god ace. In three starts this year, Velasquez has a 0.93 ERA in 19 1/3 innings pitched including a complete game in his first start in Philadelphia where he struck out 16 batters. He has absolute electric stuff with being able to hit 95 MPH on the corner then comes at you with that wicked curve. Velasquez can easily accelerate the Phillies rebuild and be part of the front end of their rotation for years to come.
Brett Oberholtzer 0-0, 7.71 ERA, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts: Currently serving as the Phillies longman out the bullpen, it’s unclear if Oberholtzer will be here when the team is competitive again or just trade bait. The best guess is trade bait because the Phillies have a whole host of the pitchers waiting in the wings and Oberholtzer would just be in the way. He has struggled in his three appearances this year after having a solid spring and it’s clear why he was expendable for the Astros.
Thomas Eshelman 1-1, 0.95 ERA, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts: Eshelman is rated as the Phillies 15th best prospect and a lot of scouts believe he could be the steal of the Giles’ trade. The 21-year-old lefty is showing off through starts posting a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts and has only walked three. Eshelman has excellent command of his pitches and command artists like him can move rapidly through the lower-levels of the farm system. He has a 91-93 MPH fastball complemented by a solid changeup and has two decent off speed pitches. It’s hard to tell what Eshelman can become until he gets to the upper-levels of the minor, but his makeup demonstrates he could develop into something huge.
Mark Appel 2-0, 0.77 ERA, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts: Former first overall pick from the Astros Mark Appel is looking to make a big jump this year after struggling so far in his pro career and a change of scenery could be just what he needed. Appel is the Phillies fourth best prospect and he is off to a good start in 2016, which is a good sign for him and the Phillies. Appel is someone who can help the team right now and he still profiles as player who can be a frontline starter. His stuff hasn’t regressed at all and he can maintain the velocity of his mid-nineties fastball deep into starts. His slider and changeup are outstanding pitches as well. It looks like Appel will finally be able to crack the code and find himself in the show very soon
Harold Arauz 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts: Arauz is a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher currently throwing for the Lakewood BlueClaws, who are one of the Single-A teams of the Phillies. Arauz was not listed among the Astro’s top 30 prospects, but he has faired well through two starts in 2016. It’s way too early to really have any idea what he can be, but anything can happen with him.
One can say the Astros overpaid for Ken Giles, but his value was at an all-time high and the Phillies capitalized on it. It’s still hard to believe that Ken Giles isn’t closing for the Astros so far in 2016, which is the main reason they acquired him. The deal looks like it will work out beautifully for the Phillies as they continue their rebuild and prepare for the makings of a bright future.
