Phillies acquire RHP Sam Coonrod from Giants

[bkox]

Sources tell @JeffPassan and I: the Giants have traded RHP Sam Coonrod to the Phillies in a deal for RHP Carson Ragsdale

— Kiley McDaniel ( @kileymcd ) January 9, 2021

[allentown]

I don't know. Was Coonrod injured in 2019 and recovering in 2020. His peripherals stank in 2019 and his ERA and BB-rate, and HR rate stank in 2020, although his K-rate was plus. Carson Ragsdale was our 4th round draft pick in 2020 -- collegiate, big dude at 6'-8". Perhaps Phillies less high on Ragsdale than on some of the uDFA pitchers they signed last year. Coonrod is 28 and this will be his 2-1/2 MLB season coming up.

[BostonRoss]

Start printing those playoff tickets!

[bkox]

Coonrod, who was outspoken against the Black Lives Matter movement last summer, had a 9.82 ERA in 14 2/3 innings for the Giants. https://t.co/3IcIRBgfiR

— Matt Gelb ( @MattGelb ) January 9, 2021

[zambonir]

It was a storied Phillies career for Mr. Ragsdale.

That seems like a slightly high trade price for someone whose overall numbers (his FIP in 2019 and all of them last year) don't look any better than a scrapheap vet. But he has stuff, I gather.

Seems like a really bad week to bring a MAGA guy to Philadelphia too.

[allentown]

he has stuff, I gather

A white hood and a burning cross?

[zambonir]

Ha. Throws 97-98.

Philadelphia Phillies trade for hard-throwing reliever Sam Coonrod

[LoneStarPhan]

I am unimpressed with the deal. Of course, I hope the Phillies know what they are doing. We will see.

[bkeich]

Wow, minor deal, but really bad. We gave up a possible prospect for a guy who can’t get anyone out and apparently is a bit of a knucklehead. Exchange of value is no where close to even.

Our bullpen is terrible. This guy should fit in nicely.

[zambonir]

It is certainly a future for present deal, and it's not even clear he can help in the present. But it's still roughly equal value (literally a 5th-rounder for a 4th-rounder). Coonrod is basically still a prospect, even if he's running out of time age-wise - 42 career innings since TJ surgery is not a body of work.

So presumably this either indicates that Dombrowski, Fuld and others think Coonrod still has something, or they didn't think much of Ragsdale. Or both. Maybe they think they are buying low on him because of the kneeling stuff, though it's still a bad look just getting him in that sense.

Or maybe the scout that recommended drafting Ragsdale got laid off.

[andyb]

Throws 97-98

Actually a bit harder than that. Averaged 98.4. 5th highest in baseball last year. That is more stuff than Ragsdale even if he has not put it together consistently. Seems he was unlucky last year also.

Remember they drafted Ragsdale without much of a final season (4 starts) and he missed 2019 with TJ surgery after being a reliever as a freshman. Who knows what he showed in instructional league?

Basically this deal was an unknown prospect likely outside our top 50 for a guy with a 50% chance of being decent this year. Looks like he has 2 options left also. Not a bad deal even if he might be a jerk.

[zambonir]

Not saying it really matters, or even that the rankings do, but wasn't Ragsdale actually our #30 prospect? I agree the deal is fine, neither bad nor good, just worth a shot. A lottery ticket who might be something from 2023 and beyond vs. a lottery ticket who might be something from 2021-2023.

[allentown]

for a guy with a 50% chance of being decent this year. Looks like he has 2 options left also. Not a bad deal even if he might be a jerk.

You are right that the Phillies likely learned something about Ragsdale in Instructs. Certainly the Giants have learned a lot about Coonrod and his likely post-recovery prospects. If the Phillies ae unwilling to give Herrera even a ST shot, it is beyond strange, given their historical problems with race, that they would add a player who seems to be an outspoken racist. Not a good look.

[bkeich]

The problem is Coonrod is 28/29. He really is not a prospect, he is a bad reliever with a good arm that someone is hoping can have that one good year this year.

We traded away a guy and got back his low expectation version 5 years from now. Not that big a deal, but it isn’t equal value. Trading away last years 4/5 round pick for the same pick 6 years ago is not equal when that older player has no real success.

[David_Criss]

Conrad will be one of many arms looked at for the pen. At this point, what's the harm in trading someone who had no shot of helping the team this year or next for someone who possibly could?

[allentown]

what's the harm in trading someone who had no shot of helping the team this year or next for someone who possibly could?

Because, unfortunately, the Phillies need to be looking farther into the future than that. We are unlikely to make 2021 playoffs and 2022 seems a stretch. We should not be in trade the future for the present mode. We really don't have much of a present.

[zambonir]

Yeah if Ragsdale is in the Giants rotation in two years we'll look pretty stupid (and we'll probably need a starting pitcher by then). But the "retool" requires some present-day moves. We probably need to be praising a trade like this in comparison to much worse, more short-term deals they could be making (like Adam Haseley for a closer, say). I don't think this one is that different from trading Cleavinger.

And right or wrong, for better or worse, I don't think you can compare Herrera and Ragsdale. One is speech, one is action. And if it was a dealbreaker, Coonrod's not the only guy you'd have to get rid of on the Phillies (to say nothing of many MLB owners).

[fish]

Bit of a cardinal sin to trade away a guy you’ve never seen pitch in a game. Otherwise I’m ok with the deal. Coonrad is the kind of arm they need to stockpile- three more of him and two legitimate relievers and I’d be satisfied. As long as I never hear him use ‘Marxist’ in a sentence again.

[DurhamBull]

We probably need to be praising a trade like this in comparison to much worse, more short-term deals they could be making (like Adam Haseley for a closer, say).

I read this as, “making Adam Haseley closer” and I thought, “now that’s creative!”

[zambonir]

But they had him in instructional which by the standards of 2020 was what you had to take for players at that level. Equally hard to render judgment on the AA/AAA guys who were on the 60 I would think. Heck, hard to render judgment on anyone who played in MLB, which I'm sure is part of them rolling the dice on Coonrod.

I read this as, “making Adam Haseley closer” and I thought, “now that’s creative!”

He was quite a good pitcher wasn't he?