Philadelphia Phillies: Five Fan Favorites to be Traded Previously
Five Philadelphia Phillies Fan Favorites to Get Traded
The trade deadline is all that anyone can talk about as it is coming up quickly. Are the Philadelphia Phillies going to be making any moves? Each day as the deadline gets closer it seems as if big moves are likely to happen.
The Phillies are 9.5 games out of first place with the first half of the season gone. It will be difficult to make a playoff run since the Phillies are unable to get on a winning streak. It has brought up the question should General Manger Ruben Amaro Jr. give up on this season and just start to rebuild for the future?
It wouldn’t be such a bad idea. The Phillies have started to become an older team since they won the World Series in 2008. If they want to be contenders again in the future they are going to need younger players with bright futures. Unfortunately that is going to mean possibly trading some of their best players who are fan favorites.
At the top of the list is Chase Utley. Utley is still valuable even with his recent injuries, because he can play first base as well as second. Right now he also has a batting average of .284 to go along with 30 RBI with 11 home runs. Utley is a great all-around player for any team to have.
If the Phillies make the decision to trade Utley the fans most likely will be heartbroken. He may be the quiet one, but he seems to be the most respected.
If the Phillies decide to trade Utley it will not be the first time they will disappoint the fans by trading someone who has been one of the favorites. Who are five Phillies fan favorites to be traded? Let’s find out.
Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino was certainly a fan favorite. He was traded last offseason to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in return the Phillies got relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and a minor league pitcher. Victorino was with the Phillies for almost eight seasons. His funny personality along with his talent was why the fans liked him. When Victorino left he put up a billboard in the city thanking the fans showing what great class and respect he has for Philadelphia. As a member of the Boston Red Sox now, Victorino doesn’t forget his time in Philly and neither do the fans, as when he came to Philly earlier this season they gave him a standing ovation.
Cliff Lee
Many may not remember that Cliff Lee was traded back during the 2009 offseason to the Seattle Mariners so that Roy Halladay could join the Phillies. It was easy to tell that Lee was a fan favorite since he chose to come back to a team that traded him in 2010. He could have chosen to join the New York Yankees who were interested in him, but instead he chose a team who was offering him less money. Lee is with the team today and remains a fan favorite as he is the team’s best pitcher. He has a 9-2 record and gives the Phillies a chance to win every time he goes out on the mound. The Phillies were lucky to get him back.
Jim Thome
Jim Thome was once the home run king of the Phillies. In 2005 the Phillies decided to trade Thome to the Chicago White Sox, and in return the Phillies got outfielder Aaron Rowand. In 2003 and 2004 Thome hit over 40 home runs, and everyone got excited in each at-bat to see if he would add to his home run total. He had another opportunity of being the fan favorite when he came back to the team briefly in the beginning of the 2012 season. His name is still seen today on fans’ backs all around Citizens Bank Park.
Cookie Rojas
Cookie Rojas is a classic. He played for the Phillies from 1963 until 1969 as he became the starting second baseman in 1965 and leadoff hitter. He wasn’t the most athletic infielder, but he had heart like a lot of players today such as Utley. He never gave up, and that is why his game improved. The fans saw his dedication to not wanting to let his team down, and that is why he became a favorite to the fans in Philadelphia. The Phillies decided to trade Rojas to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.
Darren Daulton
Darren Daulton had spent 12 years with the Phillies before being traded to the Miami Marlins in 1997 for outfielder Billy McMilllon. Daulton had become the team’s regular catcher in 1986, and he was a big help getting the Phillies to the 1993 World Series. He changed his position to the outfield in 1996 after having knee problems. No one in the organization could say a bad thing about him. He was emotional when he had found out he would be going to a new team since he had started his career with the organization. Today Daulton is still a top fan favorite as he just had an operation on two brain tumors. The fans have been nothing but supportive and wish him all the best.
