Phillies have traded utility infielder and defensive specialist, John McDonald, to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a wildcard in prospect Nefi Ogando. Boston will be McDonald's fourth stop in a roller coaster season in which he has spent time with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and now Boston. McDonald was traded before the end of the day (August 31st, 2013), which means he will be eligible for Boston's post season roster, should they make it to the playoffs.
While McDonald brought a strong veteran presence and defensive ability to the Phillies, he was better suited as a late inning defensive option for a legitimate contender than sitting on the bench for the Phillies.
In Nefi Ogando, the Phillies have acquired a low-level prospect that would be unlikely to make it onto any prospect lists. He is a 6 foot, 2 inches, and 185 pound right-handed pitcher, who is at High-A ball at the age of 24.
The report on Nefi Ogando (what little information that could be found) is that he has a very difficult, high effort delivery, that makes it hard for him to repeat his mechanics and, therefore, provides him with poor control and command. He has a low-90s fastball that usually works between 92-94 MPH and a sharp slider that flashes plus potential.
Ogando will need to sharpen his command and control to be effective moving forward, but the upside appears to be that of a middle reliever. Even with that low ceiling, the Phillies did well to get anything at all for McDonald at this point.
