Phillies Add Buchholz in Trade With Boston

Overview: Red Sox trade Clay Buchholz to Phillies for minor leaguer Josh Tobias.

The Phillies don't plan on contending in 2017, but in bringing on Clay Buchholz in exchange for minor league second baseman Josh Tobias, they have added another veteran arm to the rotation. After Jeremy Hellickson accepted his qualifying offer, the Phillies have also brought on veteran arms Joaquin Benoit, Pat Neshek, and Sean Burnett, while adding veteran hitters Howie Kendrick and Daniel Nava. This influx of veterans could help in the clubhouse as they try to develop their young rising stars, such as Aaron Nola, J.P. Crawford, Mark Appel, Maikel Franco, and Roman Quinn. At the deadline, some of those veterans could then be traded for more prospects, somewhat replenishing the talent lost. As for Buchholz himself, the 6'3" right hander has had a very inconsistent career in Boston, some years looking like a Cy Young candidate and other years struggling to stay in the rotation. For example, in 2013, he made just 16 starts, but in that half season, he went 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He followed that up with 28 starts in 2014 in which he struggled to an 8-11 record with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Last year was somewhat of a middle ground, as he split time between the bullpen and the rotation and finished 8-10 with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP over 37 games (21 starts). Given that the Phillies play in a hitters' park like the Red Sox do, that is about what they can expect from Buchholz. For his career, the East Texas native is 81-61 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 206 games (188 starts), all with Boston. His 81 wins are the 27th most in the Red Sox' storied history.

Going back to the Red Sox, who also save over $13 million in trading Buchholz, is minor league second baseman Josh Tobias. Boston's newest prospect was a tenth round draft pick out of the University of Florida in 2015, but his bat has exceeded expectations during his brief minor league career. After hitting .321 with 19 doubles and four home runs over 61 games for Class A Short Season Williamsport in 2015, he hit .304 with 24 doubles and seven home runs in 93 games for Class A Lakewood this year, striking out 59 times to 31 walks. Promoted to High Class A Clearwater, he scuffled a bit, batting .254 with seven doubles and a pair of home runs in 34 games, striking out 30 times to 12 walks. Already 24 years old (that will happen when you're drafted as a college senior), the clock is already ticking for Tobias to break through, but he's ascended through the low minors fairly rapidly, especially for a tenth round pick. He doesn't have any flashy tools, but he has decent power, good plate discipline, some speed (22 stolen bases in 188 minor league games), doubles power, and he can get on base, so he could make a solid utility man down the line. At 5'9" and 195 pounds, he doesn't have the most projectable build, but if he can turn even some of that doubles power into home run power (playing home games at Fenway will help), there's a chance he could end up a starter in Boston.