The Ben Revere trade was win-win for the Phillies and Blue Jays
The Blue Jays continued their torrid trade deadline pace on Friday, acquiring Ben Revere, formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies, for low-level right-handers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado. Cordero and Tirado’s pace through the minors will determine how long the Phillies will control their development, but Revere is not a simple rental, and is controllable by the Blue Jays through 2017 with some arbitration raises due.
Those raises could prove lucrative for Revere, as he is being placed in what is now unarguably the best lineup in baseball, which he is expected to lengthen at the bottom of the order, batting ninth. Now, normally in fantasy baseball, nine hitters are to be avoided. That’s because guys like Ryan Goins and Brendan Ryan usually reside there, not former leadoff men like Revere. Revere in Toronto’s nine spot is more of an extension of a lineup than hiding the bat of a premium defender, and in some ways Revere can still be viewed as a leadoff hitter, especially when you consider that on almost all days, one of either Troy Tulowitzki or Josh Donaldson will bat behind him. What this means for fantasy owners is a tremendous pile of runs to play with throughout the season, though Revere will likely have to face better pitches in worse counts just as a side effect of the lineup which he is now a part of. Stolen bases, however, will likely drop for Revere, as there’s not as much of a need for them on this team, which will rely more on clearing the bases with one swing than going station-to-station on the base paths. Regardless, Revere could be a sneaky pickup in many fantasy formats.
Of course, when you trade an up-the-middle guy like Revere from a struggling team newly flush with prospects, you open the door for younger players to make their mark. In Philadelphia, that player will be Odubel Herrera. Herrera, currently more known for falling on his face and catching out No. 27 of Cole Hamels’ no-hitter, is quietly playing very well this season for Philadelphia. Batting in the two-hole, Herrera has already seen his at-bats go up since the Revere trade (which may also be assisted by the Phillies’ strong play of late) and is now sitting with a slash line of .286/.375/.714 in 93 games this season. Like Revere, this trade opens up an opportunity for fantasy owners to cash in on an underutilized fantasy prospect for the stretch run.
In the deal, the Blue Jays give up righty Alberto Tirado and another righty in Jimmy Cordero. Both have touched 100 mph on the gun in 2015, with both Tirado (Single-A+) and Cordero (Double-A) pitching in relief. Both pitchers profile to relievers in the long run, with Tirado accumulating three saves for Dunedin this season to accent a 3.23 ERA, a 9.0 K/9 and a still-too-high 5.1 BB/9. Cordero has pitched even better with Double-A New Hampshire, posting a K/9 of 8.0 and BB/9 of 5.1 but with a 2.92 ERA. As of right now, it is safe to say both teams have won this trade, with Toronto adding a legitimate left field defender and a much-needed lefty bat in Revere, and the Phillies adding some high-upside power arms that we may see within the next couple of seasons to solidify a young bullpen.
Roy Widrig is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Roy, check out his archive and follow him @rolewiii.
