Off-season baseball: Astros trade Wagner to Philly...

[Richardo]

Philadelphia sent Houston right-hander Brandon Duckworth, minor league right-handers Taylor Buchholz and Ezequiel Astacio.

What can you Philadelphiacs tell me about Brandon Duckworth? Who in your opinion got the better end of this deal? :shrug: (I think Philly).

[GOPisEvil]

1. Clearly a money-saving move by the Astros.

They are figuring that Dotel and Lidge, et al, can cover the closer role, freeing up resources to pursue additional starting pitching (Andy Pettitte, maybe?)

Short-term, this benefits the Phillies, but if the Astros can turn Wagner's salary into Pettitte, and Dotel holds up as the closer, then that's a good deal for them.

Here's Duckworth's numbers: http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/duckwbr01.shtml

[Braden]

2. hard to say

Duckworth looks like a young Derek Lowe or Freddy Garcia type.

I would agree that the 'Stros want to shore themselves up for the Pettitte sweepstakes.

[HERVEPA]

3. Good deal for Phillies...

Until Bowa (manager) manages to alienate him too.

[felonious thunk]

4. Duckworth

Is going to be a good pitcher. He's solid, he just never really clicked with Bowa, I think. His main problem is that he sometimes gets a little wild in the strike zone. When he's going good, he gets a lot of strike outs and doesn't walk people. His problem in Philly was never his stuff, but his confidence. Putting him somewhere else could be great for him. He could win 10-15 games easy if he's confident next year.

And Buckholtz is one of the top 2 or 3 pitching prospects in the Phillies organization.

[JeebusH]

5. Philly short-term winners ....

Wagner is pricey, but good (he and Rivera are the only relievers worth overpaying), but Philly gave up a lot and $9 million is a lot to tie into a closer