Phillies acquire Hunter Pence for prospects

The Phillies have finally acquired that right handed bat they have been looking for, getting Hunter Pence from the Astros for two of their top prospects, pitcher Jarred Cosart and outfielder Jonathan Singleton, pitcher Josh Zeid and a player to be named later. While he had been rumored to be a part of the deal, the Phillies thankfully were able to hold on to Dominic Brown. The Phillies also received cash in the deal.

Pence is a solid bat and should slide nicely into the 5th spot in the lineup. While he doesn't have a ton of power, the two-time All Star is hitting over .300 this season and driven in 62 runs on a terrible Astros team. He does strike out too much and doesn't have a great on base percentage but Pence should help to balance out the Phillies lineup with another threat from the right side of the plate.

As for where Pence will play, he has been a right fielder for most of his career. The Phillies will likely let him play every day and rotate Dominic Brown and Raul Ibanez in left, though I fear that Brown may be relegated to the bench more often than not, something that won't help his development.

It was a stiff price to pay for Pence as Cosart and Singleton where the best the Phillies farm system had to offer, but Pence does fulfill a big need for the club. While I would still like the Phillies to go grab another bullpen piece, picking up Pence, who will be with the team for several years, gives the lineup an extra boost heading down the home stretch. Does Pence guarantee that the Phillies get past the Giants this year? No, but he certainly will help. With the window of opportunity always closing for this aging Phillies team, this was a trade that needed to happen.