As the Phillies continue to make up ground in the National League wild-card race, they continue to make deals to help their cause. A week after trading for Jamie Moyer--and a month after seemingly giving up on their season by giving up Bobby Abreu, Cory Lidle and Rheal Cormier--Philadelphia acquired Jeff Conine from the Orioles on Sunday for a player to be named later. Baltimore also included cash to offset the remainder of Conine's contract.
The 40-year-old Conine is starting to show his age, as he's in the midst of his least productive season since first becoming a big league regular in 1993. He's hitting .265/.325/.401 with nine homers and 49 RBIs in 114 games. He has lost some bat speed, which has cost him some of his gap power and production. He's capable of playing first base and left field, though losing a step or two of range makes him better suited for first. He shouldn't take playing time away from Pat Burrell or Ryan Howard with
the Phillies, but Conine can serve as a useful bat off the bench. He's making $1.7 million this season, and can vest a $2 million mutual option for 2007 if he reaches 450 plate appearances. A two-time all-star, Conine is a career .286/.348/.446 hitter with 207 homers and 1,017 RBIs in 1,895 games.
August 30 update: The Orioles received shortstop Angel Chavez from the Phillies to complete the trade. Chavez, 25, signed with the Giants out of Panama in 1998 and was claimed on waivers by Philadelphia in April. Beside above-average arm strength, Chavez doesn't have a standout tool. He's a solid defender who's just decent at the plate, hitting .265/.308/.416 with 11 homers, 60 RBIs and 12 steals in 123 games between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre this year
Making a charge in the National League West, the Padres decided to bolster their bench with a trade on Thursday. San Diego acquired Russell Branyan from the Devil Rays in exchange for Class A righthander Evan Meek and either a player to be named or cash.
The 30-year-old Branyan's calling card always has been his light-tower power, and he'll draw some walks when teams try to pitch around him. But he hasn't done enough other things well to hold down an everyday job. He strikes out in bunches and doesn't hit for average, and his lack of speed, range and footwork limit him on the basepaths and in the field. He's hitting .201/.286/.473 with 12 homers and 27 RBIs in 64 games this year, and he'll likely serve the Padres as a pinch-hitter and as a backup on the
outfield and infield corners. Branyan is making $800,000 this season and will become a free agent afterward. He's a lifetime .229/.323/.479 hitter with 105 homers and 265 RBIs in 600 games.
The Twins drafted Meek in the 11th round out of a Washington high school in 2002 and signed him the following spring after he spent a season at Bellevue (Wash.) CC. When his control evaporated in 2005—he had 36 walks in 18 innings at low Class A Beloit—he drew his release and signed with the Padres after a private workout. Meek, 23, has thrown more strikes this spring at high Class A Lake Elsinore. In 26 games (25 starts), he has gone 6-6, 4.98 with a 113-62 K-BB ratio, .288 opponent average and five
homers allowed in 119 innings. His best pitch is a fastball that has been clocked as high as 97 mph, but he still has plenty of work to do with his control and secondary pitches, which include a power curveball.
Once the player to be named has been identified, we'll analyze him as well.
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