The Philadelphia Phillies had a disappointing season in 2012, finishing third in the National League East after wining the division for three straight years.
The team made another move towards turning things around on Thursday, making a trade with the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Ben Revere for right-handed pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May.
"Ben is an outstanding, young, controllable center fielder who fits nicely with our club," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said, according to the Associated Press.
The 24-year-old has spent two full seasons with the Twins after making his major league debut in 2010. He hit .294 with 32 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 124 games in 2012. He ranked third in baseball in steals behind Mike Trout and Rajai Davis and was caught only nine times.
Revere has above-average defense and will provide the Phillies with speed and explosiveness on the base paths. While not known for his power, he is a versatile fielder and has played at all three outfield positions. In his career, Revere has made "126 career starts in center field, 84 in right field and 19 in left field," according to the Associated Press.
According to Grantland.com, Revere was one of the best defensive outfielders statistically last season, writing: "only Josh Reddick, Jason Heyward, and Torii Hunter played a better right field last season than Revere per Defensive Runs Saved."
Philadelphia was in the market for a center fielder after trading starter Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Victorino recently signed a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. Other free agent options for the Phillies included Angel Pagan and B.J. Upton, who both signed with other clubs.
The Phillies only went 81-81 last season after winning three straight division titles and making five consecutive playoff appearances. The team won the World Series in 2008 and made it back to the championship in 2009 before falling to the New York Yankees.
Philadelphia was ranked just 19th in the league in runs scored and the leading base stealer on the team was Juan Pierre with 37. Only three players on the team posted double-digit steal totals and 116 on the season. Revere should help the Phillies in both categories greatly.
Revere was drafted in the first round by the Twins in 2007 and made his major league debut in September of 2010. Over the past two years, Revere has stolen 74 bases, 33 extra-base hits and 62 RBIs, but has zero home runs.
Last season he hit over .300 against left-handed pitching and led the Twins in outfield assists with eight.
The Minnesota Twins are in a rebuilding phase and used the trade to help improve their young pitching depth.
Worley had an exceptional rookie year in 2011, but went only 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 133 innings last season. In his first professional season, Worley was 11-3 and posted a 3.01 ERA with 119 strikeouts and one complete game while finishing third in the voting for the NL Rookie of the Year award.. He is currently rehabbing from elbow surgery in September, but will be ready for next season.
In his final start with the Phillies on Aug. 28, Worley lost 9-5 to the New York Mets and pitched just 4.1 innings while giving up four earned runs and nine hits whiel striking out four.
May was considered to be a top prospect for Philadelphia, but he only went 10-13 with a 4.87 ERA while pitching in Double-A.
The Twins also added more pitching depth by signing right-handed reliever Jared Burton on Thursday to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. The deal includes a club options for the 2015 season.
Burton worked as a set-up man in the bullpen this season and posted a 2.18 ERA with 55 strikeouts and five saves in 62 innings.
Minnesota completed the trade with Revere and the deal with Burton as the winter meetings in Nashville came to a close on Thursday. The team also traded away outfielder Denard Span to the Washington Nationals for pitching prospects.
According to the Associated Press, "Burton will make $2.05 million in 2013 and $3.25 million in 2014. The Twins hold a $3.6 million option for 2015 with a $200,000 buyout."
The Phillies haven't stopped working since the winter meetings ended either.
According to sources at ESPN.com, the team is looking to acquire third baseman Michael Young from the Texas Rangers.
Young is 36-years-old, but is an All-Star defensive player and can play nearly every infield position. He could add flexibility to the Phillies as an everyday starter or a bench player.
For any trade to happen, Young would have to waive his no-trade clause, since he is a 10-5 player, meaning he has spent at least 10 years in the majors and five seasons with the same team.
