but the Phillies are starting to see what can happen when you trade away prospects to get an established pitcher. Taylor Buchholz, who went to Houston in the trade for Billy Wagner, went 8 2/3 innings last Friday against Pittsburgh and gave up no runs and two hits. On Monday, Elizardo Ramirez, who went to Cincinnati in the Cory Lidle trade, gave up two runs in seven innings to get the victory.
Don't get me wrong. I would make the Wagner trade every day of the week, even though he took the money and ran to New York after two seasons and the Phillies have nothing to show for it. And Lidle has certainly been serviceable during his time in Philadelphia.
It's just that sometimes you make a trade like that, and it's one-sided because the prospects never amount to anything. And other times, the prospect you give up for a veteran pitcher is someone like John Smoltz, who was a minor-leaguer when the Tigers traded him to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander (Alexander went 8-0 the rest of the 1987 season for Detroit, which made the playoffs, but he fizzled after that). Smoltz, meanwhile, will most likely be in the Hall of Fame.
Buchholz and Ramirez have a long, long way to go before they're John Smoltz. Still ...
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