Hunter Pence is under contract for 2013, as he still has arbitration eligibility, so it wasn't a guarantee that he'd be traded. Shane Victorino was a pending free agent, so he was almost certainly going to go, but Pence thought he might stick around.
The deal to the San Francisco Giants caught him by surprise, then, and here we have a video from Comcast SportsNet about the move.
The Astros traded for Pence at the deadline last year, and the 29-year-old outfielder had a career year as he helped the Phillies to the playoffs. He regressed to something closer to his career numbers, and with the possibility of a $14 million arbitration award in the offseason, the Phillies decided they'd rather have a package of Tommy Joseph, Nate Schierholtz, and Seth Rosin.
The Hunter Pence trade we've been waiting on to become official is now official. The Philadelphia Phillies have sent Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants. The San Francisco Giants have sent Tommy Joseph, Nate Schierholtz, and Seth Rosin to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Don't believe me? Here, read this official tweet that says the exact same thing:
#SFGiants acquire 2-time All-Star Hunter Pence from Philadelphia in exchange for Nate Schierholtz, Tommy Joseph and Seth Rosen
Pence has another year of team control beyond this one, and it'll be expensive, but the Giants aren't thinking about 2013. They're thinking about 2012, and Pence is a boost to the outfield. He's never had a below-average offensive season in his career, and he's on pace to break 20 homers for the fifth consecutive season. He could reach 20 this week. The Giants were looking for a righty-hitting outfielder and Pence is a significant one.
Joseph is the main piece going to the Phillies, and the Giants took him in the second round in 2009. Before the year Baseball America ranked him the No. 2 prospect in the Giants' system. He has yet to really take off offensively, but he's 21 and he's a catcher holding his own in double-A. Joseph is a quality prospect.
Schierholtz is a club-control outfielder who ran out of room in San Francisco. He can do a lot of things, albeit none of them great, and he's actually had a better offensive year than Pence in 2012 if you ignore sample sizes. He's an average left-handed hitter and he makes for a useful stopgap.
Rosin is a 23-year-old righty reliever who's had success in the low minors. I'm sure Seth Rosin is a really swell guy, but his significance in this trade is indicated by the fact that the Giants' official Twitter account misspelled his last name. He could have a big-league future in relief, like so many.
With every passing moment, we get closer and closer to learning that Hunter Pence has officially been traded by the Phillies to the Giants. It doesn't look like anything could possibly stop this now, and here's the latest update:
Giants expect to announce Pence deal shortly. Physical passed.
Nate is Nate Schierholtz, and earlier Tuesday it was reported that he could be involved. Schierholtz has had to fight for consistent playing time behind Angel Pagan, Melky Cabrera, and Gregor Blanco, and Hunter Pence is just another outfielder who would get in his way. So the Giants have little use for Schierholtz, and the Phillies have big use for him. Schierholtz has posted a 115 OPS+ since the start of last season, over nearly 600 plate appearances. He's 28, left-handed, and capable of many things.
With the Dodgers having made moves, the Giants making moves, and the Diamondbacks reportedly working on a blockbuster, the NL West is forcing itself into the spotlight.
Word broke late, late Sunday night that the San Francisco Giants had agreed to a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies that would send Hunter Pence out west. Come Monday morning, Hunter Pence was still a member of the Phillies. It was weird. It seemed like the whole report had been nonsense, but then on Tuesday -- deadline day -- word perked up again. Pence to the Giants, stuff to the Phillies.
What's the absolute latest? I don't know what the absolute latest is, but I know what the latest is on Twitter. Off we go:
hear pence will be 3 for 1. fine young catcher tommy joseph & OF nate schierholtz r in deal. a pitcher may go to philly 2
Nate Schierholtz reportedly requested a trade recently, although Schierholtz denied it. He would make sense as an addition, though, as the Giants would have no use for him, and as the Phillies most definitely would have a use for him. Joseph would be the big prize going to the Phillies. It looks like it's only a matter of time before this is official.
Pence, 29, is eligible for arbitration after the year, and he'll be looking at an eight-figure salary. The Giants are a wee bit more concerned with 2012 than with 2013 at the moment.
