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The news was stunning, unexpected but completely understandable.

The Houston Astros completed their trade with the Philadelphia Phillies to acquire closer Ken Giles, a flamethrower with huge upside and under club control for the next five seasons. The trade happened Wednesday but was not made official until Saturday afternoon.

And when all the participants were announced, they were accompanied by a bombshell of sorts.

Mark Appel, the Astros’ No. 1 overall pick from the 2013 draft, was included as part of the impressive package going to the Phillies. Appel was once a top-20 prospect in all of baseball, depending on the publication, and was at one time viewed as a potential front-end starter and ace after a stellar career at Stanford.

However, professional baseball has not gone according to plan for Appel or the Astros. So to nab Giles and revamp its bullpen, Houston moved its former elite prospect, providing Appel a fresh start with a new organization.

“I think about the times that I’ve gone through. It hasn’t always been easy going through the minors, but I feel like I’ve learned so many lessons being in the Astros’ organization,” Appel told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m so thankful for the front office giving me the opportunity in drafting me.”

Larry Brown of LBSports tweeted: “Astros trading 2013 No. 1 pick Mark Appel for Ken Giles is clear admission they screwed up draft. Who went 2nd that year? NL ROY Kris Bryant.”

The Astros had a chance to draft Appel in 2012 when he came out of Stanford as a junior, but there were issues regarding his bonus expectations as the No. 1 draft prospect. So in a surprise move, the Astros went for signability rather than the guy who was major league ready, and it ended up being an excellent decision.

They took shortstop Carlos Correa with the No. 1 overall pick. Appel fell to No. 8 and ended up back at Stanford for his senior year before the Astros, again holding the top pick, took him first overall in 2013.

Correa is the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, and Appel, who grew up in and around Houston, is now with the Phillies in part because he has not lived up to expectations in the minors.

In 253 innings, topping out at Triple-A Fresno, Appel had a 5.12 ERA and battled control issues, with 3.5 walks per game in 2015 to go with a modest 2.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Because of those numbers and trends, Appel went from can’t-miss prospect to potentially never making his mark in a major league rotation, with his 25th birthday looming in July.

Appel has not lived up to his expectations as a No. 1 pick, according to JJ Cooper of Baseball America.

“This is absolutely true.” tweeted Ortiz in response.

“Some of the, not really bitterness, but some of the sadness is knowing that my Major League debut most likely won’t be in Houston in front of my friends and family in my hometown,” Appel told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “Definitely my friends and family will still be there when that time comes, but it will be in a different city.”

The Phillies and Appel are hoping the different city is the one of brotherly love. Philadelphia’s original package, as reported, was strong and included young major league arms Vincent Velasquez and Brett Oberholtzer as well as outfield prospect Derek Fisher, who is No. 7 in Houston’s MLB Pipeline prospect rankings.

Saturday’s announcement included the pitchers, but not Fisher. Instead the Phillies landed Appel, who is now the organization’s No. 2 prospect, along with Velasquez, Oberholtzer and right-handers Harold Arauz and Thomas Eshelman. Those arms should go a long way in eventually re-establishing the Phillies’ staff as one of the better ones in the National League, even if not every prospect hits.

The haul is seen as a win for Philadelphia, which might not have much need for an elite closer, even one under team control, during its massive rebuild.

According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, “Phillies-Hou trade much different: Phils get Mark Appel with Velasquez, Eshelman & Arauz in Giles deal; like it much better for #Phillies now.”

Appel could end up being the steal of this deal. While he is getting up in age for a prospect, he still pitched at nearly four years below the Triple-A weighted average age in 2015. That keeps him as a promising prospect.

Beyond that, Appel’s stuff continues to rate as elite. His fastball can still touch 98 mph, his slider is still a wipeout pitch and he still flashes the mastery of both. In fact, last season he went through a stretch where he was as impressive as he’s ever been as a pro. There were bumps near the end of his time with the Fresno Grizzlies, though he finished with three consecutive quality starts.

If Appel can turn the corner in a new setting with a new organization, he still profiles as the kind of arm that can help lead a rotation, if not carry it. The Phillies believe that. Now Appel just has to prove them right and become Houston’s regrettable trade.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired first-hand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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In a surprise twist to a deal that was reported earlier this week, the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies pulled a sleight of hand with 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel going to the Phillies as part of the Ken Giles trade. 

The deal was made official on Saturday, with the Phillies’ Twitter account confirming Appel as one of five players coming to the team. 

Appel has had a brutal stretch in the minors since Houston took him with the top pick two years ago. He owns a 5.12 ERA with 280 hits allowed, 221 strikeouts and 84 walks in 253 innings. The Astros did promote him to Triple-A last season, but his results continue to lag behind his stuff. 

MLB.com had Appel ranked as the No. 43 overall prospect coming into 2015, highlighting his power stuff while expressing confusion at why the results have never matched: 

Appel’s first half struggles in 2014 were difficult to explain, as his stuff never regressed. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, routinely reaching 98 mph. His changeup and slider give him a pair of above-average secondary pitches.

Appel has a good understanding of pitching and controls his whole arsenal effectively. His all-around package still gives him the chance to become a frontline starter in the big leagues.

ESPN’s Jayson Stark did note that people within baseball no longer see Appel as a future star, making it easier for the Astros to deal him, but this is a clear buy-low situation for the Phillies: 

The Astros failed to unlock what Appel showed at Stanford and convert it to success in professional baseball.

The Phillies can give the right-hander a low-pressure spotlight because they are rebuilding, let him re-establish himself in the minors early next year before giving him a shot in the big leagues next June. 

Appel is not far removed from being the top player taken in a draft that also included Kris Bryant. He may never live up to that billing, yet the 24-year-old has the kind of arm and stuff that every team can dream about. 

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In a deal that sent over closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitchers Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer, a minor leaguer who is reportedly outfielder Derek Fisher and a fourth player on Wednesday, pending physicals, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. 

The Phillies took advantage of the Astros’ need for bullpen help to address their starting-pitcher predicament.   

Last season, Philadelphia starting pitching allowed an average of 4.99 runs per game, ranked 27th in the major leagues and won a league-worst 38 games. While Oberholtzer and Velasquez might not yield positive results immediately, Zolecki noted that acquiring two starters who could one day string together 300-400 innings combined for a late-inning pitcher who will only pitch between 60-80 innings per season seems like a favorable trade-off. 

Oberholtzer started more games than Velasquez last season, going 2-2 in eight starts with a 4.46 ERA. Velasquez saw his time split in the rotation and bullpen, appearing in 19 games and posting a 4.37 ERA.

Per Zolecki, Velasquez was the fourth-ranked prospect in the Astros’ farm system and 69th among all prospects around the league. In nine appearances in Double-A ball in 2015, the 23-year-old dominated, going 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA. 

A right-hander, Velasquez has a lively fastball that can reach upward of 96 mph with the ability to tail away from left-handed hitters. He pairs that with a solid changeup and breaking stuff that can really move when he’s on his game. 

He showed just what he’s capable of in his major league debut against the Chicago White Sox, per MLB:

At 26 years old, Oberholtzer has had some trouble sticking with the big club in Houston over the first three years of his career. He went 7-4 in 12 starts in Triple-A in 2015 with a 3.86 ERA while splitting time in the majors. 

He’s probably best remembered during his stint with the Astros for throwing at Alex Rodriguez during a game in June. 

The lefty doesn’t have overpowering stuff. His fastball won’t go much higher than 90 mph, but he has some off-speed pitches that could baffle opposing hitters. 

According to Brooks Baseball, Oberholtzer has a changeup, slider and curve that are all within four miles per hour of each other. With a nearly identical release for all of those pitches, it’s difficult for batters to recognize which pitch is coming at them.    

You can see his arsenal in work here, per MLB:

Ideally, these two could become a solid duo placed in the middle of the Phillies’ rotation as the team looks to be in the process of building itself a nice young rotation that could be led by 22-year-old Aaron Nola, who went 6-2 with a 3.59 ERA. 

The third player in the deal, Fisher, spent 2015 playing A-ball, where he hit .275 with 22 home runs and 87 RBI. 

At 22 years old, he still has plenty of work to do on his game both offensively and defensively. His arm is average, which would be an invitation for aggressive runners to take advantage of if he does one day patrol the outfield and Citizens Bank Ballpark. 

His swing, while nice, is a bit long, and he needs to work on making contact at the plate. If he can’t put the ball in play, promotions to the upper levels of the Phillies organization will be few and far between. 

Moore Baseball takes a look at some of his swings during his time in A-ball this year:

It’s a solid haul for the Phillies, who are gaining a pair of arms that could make an immediate impact along with a bat they could possibly mold into a productive outfielder. After a 63-99 2015 season, though, almost anything looks better than what they previously had.

Stats courtesy of FanGraphs, MiLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.

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Needing depth for their rebuilding roster in 2016, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed outfielder Peter Bourjos off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. 

Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reported the move. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com added the Phillies avoided arbitration with Bourjos by signing him to a one-year contract.    

Bourjos was originally drafted and developed by the Los Angeles Angels, making his MLB debut in 2010. He became an everyday player in 2011, appearing in 147 games and hitting .271/.327/.438 with 49 extra-base hits and playing stellar defense with 12 runs saved, per FanGraphs, in center field. 

Since that breakout season, however, Bourjos has never been able to hit at the same level. Injuries hampered him along the way, as the Illinois native appeared in 156 games from 2012-13 and needed wrist surgery in September 2013. 

The Angels dealt Bourjos to St. Louis prior to the 2014 season. His offensive struggles continued and limited him to 236 games during that stretch. He posted OPS totals below .650 in each of his two years with the Cardinals. 

Going to Philadelphia is a perfect scenario for the 28-year-old Bourjos. The team will not be competing for a playoff spot this year as the front office continues to build through the minors, so he can play without fear of being demoted and work on showing his bat will play in the big leagues. 

In an ideal scenario for both Bourjos and the Phillies, he will rebuild his value early enough in the year to convince a team it should trade for him at the deadline if it needs help in the outfield. He’s a strong glove in center, so his bat doesn’t need to be great to provide value. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-handed prospect Sam McWilliams, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.

The Phillies finished with MLB’s worst record in large part due to pitching. Their starters posted a combined 5.23 ERA and allowed batters a .290 average in 2015—both second-worst in the majors. 

They’re in the midst of a massive overhaul with starters. They traded ace Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers before the non-waiver deadline and declined the 2016 option on Cliff Lee at season’s end. 

Hellickson, however, isn’t exactly a highly sought-after commodity like he was earlier in his career when he was the Rookie of the Year. 

He was baggage to the Diamondbacks, who traded for him last winter, and the six-year veteran mustered just nine wins in 27 starts with a 4.62 ERA and 1.329 WHIP. 

Hellickson is in the final year of arbitration eligibility after collecting $4.275 million in 2014, per Spotrac. 

The Phillies compete in a National League East that features two of the baseball’s best rotations—the New York Mets and Washington Nationals—meaning they’ll need a lot more than damaged goods from the sub-.500 Diamondbacks if they seek a path out of the league cellar.

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The Philadelphia Phillies‘ search for a new general manager is reportedly over, as the team is expected to hire Matt Klentak. 

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported Klentak’s hiring. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick confirmed the move. 

The Phillies were in the market for a general manager after announcing Sept. 10 they would not be renewing the contract of Ruben Amaro Jr., who had been in charge since November 2008.

Andy MacPhail, who is entering his first offseason with the Phillies as president of baseball operations, said when the search for a new general manager started the organization wanted to cast a big net to ensure it brought in the best person for the job, per Jack McCaffery of the Delaware County Daily Times:

I would think it would be a mistake if we pigeon-hole ourselves into saying, “We’re going to go for young analytics,” or “We’re going to go for an experienced baseball guy.” I see that out there with other clubs. Why would you restrict your ability to talk to whoever you want? I think you have a responsibility, like I said two months ago, to look at everything.

Klentak previously worked with MacPhail in Baltimore. He spent the past four seasons as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels under Jerry Dipoto, even interviewing for their GM vacancy after Dipoto resigned in July. 

A new era of Phillies baseball has arrived, with many reasons to be optimistic despite a 63-99 record in 2015. They were able to integrate young, promising talent like Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco into the big leagues this season. 

There should be more high-upside talent on the way, led by shortstop J.P. Crawford, and a front office led by MacPhail and Klentak that can shape the roster in its image with the winter meetings approaching in December. 

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In the wave of personnel changes in Major League Baseball since the season ended, the Philadelphia Phillies have been quiet in their pursuit of a new general manager, until now.

Continue for updates. 

Phillies Setting Up Interviews

Friday, Oct. 9

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Phillies have scheduled interviews with MLB senior vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng and Cleveland Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins for their vacant GM position. 

Heyman’s report mentions that former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest has already interviewed with the team and other candidates could be in play as Phillies president Pat Gillick tries to get the right person for the job. 

Former general manager Ruben Amaro lost his job when the Phillies decided not to renew his contract after the season. 

Ng is the most unique candidate because she has interviewed for GM jobs in the past, including having two interviews with the San Diego Padres last year before the team hired A.J. Preller. She is seeking to become the first female general manager in this country’s major sports. 

Heyman also noted that MLB “isn’t thrilled” with the lack of minority candidates interviewing for any openings, with commissioner Rob Manfred quoted in the piece as saying, “diversity…is a high priority for MLB.”

Manfred did add that he was “comfortable” with decisions made by clubs in the past, hiring the person they viewed as the best and most qualified for the job. 

The Phillies are in a unique situation because they have torn everything down and are trying to build it back up. There are still problematic contracts on the roster, notably Ryan Howard, but last year was the first time it appeared there was a conscious effort to replenish the farm system and get younger. 

Philadelphia’s MLB results didn’t look good, posting the league’s worst record (63-99), but the new general manager will walk into a job with some young talent (Aaron Nola, Maikel Franco) in the big leagues and a lot more—notably, shortstop J.P. Crawford—coming through the system. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies are officially the worst team in baseball following Saturday’s pair of losses to the Miami Marlins. With another defeat in Sunday’s season finale, Philadelphia would post its first 100-loss season since 1969. Heck, it lost to a Division II team in spring training.

With the undesirable distinction, the Phillies are assured the top pick in June’s first-year player draft for the first time since 1998.

CSN Philadelphia’s John Clark sprinkled some satire to showcase the news:

As Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out, the Phillies will likely look for a standout ace to bolster a mediocre rotation:

Phillies starters have the third-fewest quality starts (65) and innings per start (5.3) in the majors, and as Kaplan pointed out, there are plenty of pitchers the team may be eyeing, such as high school prospects Riley Pint and Jason Groome, Florida’s A.J. Puk and Oklahoma’s Alec Hansen.

The Phillies, who won five straight National League East titles from 2007 to 2011, are in the midst of a massive rebuilding process yet hold MLB’s 10th-highest payroll. The abysmal 2015 season has seen the firing of general manager Ruben Amaro and resignation of manager Ryne Sandberg. 

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Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Aaron Altherr may only be a rookie, but he certainly made a name for himself Friday night against the Washington Nationals. 

During the top of the third inning with the bases loaded, the 24-year-old Altherr hit a liner to center field off pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor attempted to make a highlight-reel diving catch but failed. The ball rolled back to the center field wall, allowing Altherr to clear the bases and book it home. 

We haven’t seen anything like this since 1999.

Altherr also hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. The Phillies went on to win, 8-2. 

[MLB]

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The Philadelphia Phillies removed the interim tag from manager Pete Mackanin’s title Tuesday by announcing an agreement on a one-year contract extension with a team option for 2017.

Incoming team president Andy MacPhail noted the connection the 64-year-old former infielder has been able to build with the players is a major reason why the Phillies decided to keep him. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com passed along the entire statement:    

Mackanin took over the managerial role in June when Ryne Sandberg stepped down.

The change didn’t lead to better results on the field. The Phillies sit in Major League Baseball’s basement with a 56-94 record. It will be their worst season since at least 2000 (97 losses). The franchise hasn’t lost 100 games since 1961, but that streak could end over the next few weeks.  

That said, the poor season didn’t come as a surprise. Philadelphia is a team in transition as it works to move into a new era. Cole Hamels and Chase Utley were among the veterans traded as part of the retooling process.

Keeping Mackanin, a baseball lifer who’s going to instill fundamentals and work ethic in the next wave of prospects, is a wise move in the short term. John Finger of CSN Philly broke down one aspect of the job Mackanin has thrived at:

The Phillies were 26-49 this season under Sandberg, and some complained about the manager’s style and lack of communication. However, under Mackanin, the avenues of communication between the manager and players changed. Mackanin has been much more open with his players and also speaks Spanish, which is beneficial in the modern game.

The ability to communicate and get along with a roster filled with young players is also no small caveat.

The Phillies would have struggled to sell the job to any top managerial candidates this winter. The roster is at least a couple of years away from starting to seriously climb the standings, and even when it does, there will be some growing pains along the way.

Mackanin can be a stabilizing force throughout the process. Then, once the Phillies feel confident the club is ready to take the next step toward contention, they can decide whether he’s earned the opportunity to retain the role or if it’s time to explore other options.

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