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Phillies receive shillings for Schilling
The Phillies have had so many opportunities to trade Curt Schilling that one question is likely to haunt them now that they finally did move him to Arizona: Is this the best they could have done? Schilling did put some constraints on Phillies G.M. Ed Wade with his list of six teams to which he would accept a trade, a list that then shrunk to three. But when the Yankees went shopping for Denny Neagle, the Phillies told them Schilling wasn't available. The Yankees would have parted with Alfonso Soriano as the centerpiece to a four-player deal for Schilling. The Indians also have made numerous inquiries about Schilling over the past two years. Would the Phillies have been better off with Jaret Wright, Richie Sexson and Enrique Wilson? Time will tell. Wade wouldn't consider any deal from the Mets -- prospects Alex Escobar and Eric Cammack would have been part of the bait -- because New York simply didn't have enough big-league-ready talent. Wade needs to show immediate dividends from trading one of the game's true aces. Pitching is the key to just about any trade. The Mariners traded Randy Johnson to the Astros in 1998 and received, in part, pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama, who have become dependable starters. The Expos traded Pedro Martinez and got Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. in return from the Red Sox. Now the Phillies have moved Schilling and received, in part, Omar Daal, Vicente Padilla and Nelson Figueroa. It appears the Phillies have focused on quantity rather than quality. Daal doesn't look like a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Padilla could become a closer, but that's still not as valuable as a workhorse starter. With Randy Wolf, Bruce Chen and Daal in the rotation -- all competent big leaguers -- the Phillies don't even have a No. 2 starter, let alone a No. 1, that contending teams must have. And they don't have that veteran anchor to take the pressure off the others. Daal is the key to the deal, simply because good starters are so hard to come by. But the question remains, How good is he? His dropoff this season isn't surprising, and was predicted here in the preseason. Why? Last year the Diamondbacks increased his workload by 53 innings (including the postseason) -- a 33-percent jump from his 1998 total. That's a danger sign for a 27-year-old pitcher. Now 28, Daal will be pitching for his fifth organization. That's not the normal track record for a front-line starter. Likewise, first baseman Travis Lee is no sure thing. The Diamondbacks grew tired of his laid-back attitude, and he's in the second season of a decline from his 1998 "breakthrough" year in which he hit only .269 with 123 strikeouts. Still, he does have a smooth swing that should lead to more power as he ages and learns. He's also a top-caliber first baseman with an above-average glove. Phillies manager Terry Francona liked to say that when Schilling started, his team was as good as any other club in baseball. Philadelphia has lost that edge. Will the four players they got back make them better on those other four days? That remains to be seen. And third baseman Scott Rolen is watching closely. While the Phillies' new ballpark plans get bogged down in politics -- further delaying putting a grass field underneath Rolen's tender back -- the team had better make significant progress next season without Schilling to convince Rolen to stick around after the 2002 season rather than leave as a free agent. In short, how the Phillies fared in this trade cannot be judged for at least another year and a half -- while they keep an eye on Soriano and Sexson, not just Lee. The Diamondbacks' end of it will become obvious in a much shorter period. The prospect of facing Randy Johnson and Schilling up to four times in a seven-game series must concern any team in baseball, even the Braves. For the first time in almost 10 years Atlanta has a team in its league that matches up evenly -- at least -- with its top two starters. Schilling has dominated Atlanta twice this season, rendering Andres Galarraga particularly ineffective. The Diamondbacks have become a dangerous postseason team without taking anything away from the core of their current club. (Lee was in the minors and Daal being used in long relief.) Of course, the Diamondbacks still have to get to the playoffs, but it's difficult to imagine Arizona falling into any prolonged slumps with two stoppers in their rotation. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send a question to his mailbag.
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