The Phillies have completed a trade with the Dodgers that send Shane Victorino to LA for a ML reliever, Josh Lindblom, and a AA reliever, Ethan Martin.
My initial reaction is that I really like the return here because Victorino was not coming back next year, so to get any value is a plus. Lindblom has struggled a bit (particularly with the long ball), but he’s a strikeout guy with good stuff that could be a really solid 8th-inning guy. And, the best part is that he’s a bonafide ML reliever, he’s cheap, and he’s under team control for the next FIVE years. That’s just what the doctor ordered.
The other guy, Martin, was the Dodgers 1st-round pick in 2008, so he’s got talent. He has struggled finding the strike zone, at times, in the minors, though. If he can figure that out, he could be another solid arm under cheap team-control for a while. As much as I hate to see anyone from the 2008 Phils go, this deal makes a ton of sense.
I’m going to take a little time to gather my thoughts before eulogizing the “Flyin’ Hawaiian…” For now, it’s back to monitoring what the Giants are giving up for Hunter Pence – the next chip to fall.
