Update: Dec. 12, 2015: The Ken Giles trade to the Houston Astros has been made official. The Phillies will receive right-handers Mark Appel, Vince Velasquez, Thomas Eshelman, Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. Minor-league infielder Jonathan Arauz will also be sent to Houston as part of the transaction, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Zolecki writes:
The package headed to Philadelphia is different than the original one, which the Phillies and Astros agreed to Wednesday at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. Sources said the Phillies had an issue with one of the physicals. As a result, the teams spent the last couple days augmenting the deal. Outfielder Derek Fisher had been part of the original four-player return, but he is no longer headed to Philadelphia. Appel and Arauz are additions.
Appel, 24, is the most notable addition. He is the No. 43 prospect in baseball and was the No. 2 prospect in Houston's system, according to MLBPipeline.com. The Pirates selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 Draft, but he returned to Stanford for his senior season and the Astros selected him first overall in 2013.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Philadelphia Phillies have traded closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros, pending a physical, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
In exchange for Giles, the Phillies will receive right-hander Vincent Velasquez, southpaw Brett Oberholtzer and two prospects: outfielder Derek Fisher and right-hander Thomas Eshelman.
Two of the four players, likely Velasquez and Oberholtzer, will be added to the 40-man roster, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
Velasquez, 23, was 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.275 WHIP ratio over 19 appearances and 55 2/3 innings last season. He was the No. 7-ranked prospect in the Astros' organization by MLB.com following the 2014 season.
Just talked to an AL exec who thinks that if the Phillies shift Vincent Velazquez to the bullpen, he could be "just as good as (Ken) Giles"
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 10, 2015
Oberholtzer, 26, is under team control through 2020. In eight starts last season, the left-hander surrendered 19 earned runs on 44 hits and 17 walks spanning 38 1/3 innings.
Fisher, 22, is native to Rexmont, Pennsylvania. In 123 combined games at the A and A+ levels last season, he hit .275/.364/.483 with 21 doubles, eight triples, 22 home runs and 87 runs batted in.
Eshelman, 21, was the No. 13-ranked prospect in the Astros' system, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Eshelman was selected in the second round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft from California State University, Fullerton.
Neither club has yet to confirm the trade.
Giles, 25, was first linked to the Astros via a Nov. 19 report by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The following day, ESPN's Jayson Stark said the Phillies were looking for two or three "high-ceiling prospects" in exchange for Giles.
On Dec. 2, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick said the two sides recently discussed a trade, and that the Phillies "brought up" Velasquez and right-hander Lance McCullers. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman said on Wednesday that the Astros were "still trying to pry Giles away from the Phillies, and that if a deal happened, it would "involve some of better prospects."
It appears the Phillies got what they wanted in return for Giles, who will not be arbitration eligible until after the 2017 season.
Over 113 career appearances out of the bullpen, Giles is 9-4 with a 1.56 ERA and a 1.037 WHIP ratio. He has allowed just 20 earned runs on 84 hits and 36 walks, while striking out 151 batters, in 115 2/3 innings.
Giles is the all-time leader in career ERA, minimum 100 innings pitched, according to FanGraphs.com.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
