Former Mets’ GM Steve Phillips Weighs in on Wednesday’s Deals
Jul 29, 2009, 7:51 PM | Updated: Apr 4, 2011, 7:55 pm
In a shortened edition of the Kevin Calabro show Wednesday, former GM and current ESPN analyst Steve Phillips gave his thoughts on the Mariners deal with the Pirates.
The Mariners acquired SS Jack Wilson and SP Ian Snell from the Pirates for former first round pick Jeff Clement, SS Ronny Cedeno, and three minor league pitchers. None of the three pitchers are ranked in the M’s top ten prospects. Wilson is a career .269 hitter which isn’t anything special, but it is certainly an upgrade from Ronny Cedeno who left the M’s on an 0-25 skid.
Phillips raved about the defensive abilities of the veteran shortstop. He said, “No question about it, he’s one of the best defenders in the game.”
In 2007, Ian Snell pitched 208 innings with 177 strike outs and a 3.76 ERA. Ever since, Snell has had trouble with his command, and he has faced some mental issues. He was sent down to AAA this year where he has been fantastic.
Phillips realizes that this is the right time to be a buyer on Snell. He says, “You don’t get good pitchers when they’re pitching well, you get them when they’re pitching poorly.”
Check out the entire interview here.
