You heard it at the 2014 non-waiver trade deadline and at the start of last offseason.
"The Phillies are unrealistic in their trade demands," rival executives said. "They can't make a deal."
Well, time to give credit where credit is due.
The Chase Utley trade was the sixth significant deal by the Phillies in a span of eight months, following moves involving Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and Cole Hamels/Jake Diekman.
The Phillies parted with a total of $24.2 million in the six trades, including cash in every one to acquire better prospects in return. They also took on the remainder of Matt Harrison's contract in the Hamels/Diekman trade, assuming an obligation of approximately $32 million.
Did the Phillies wait too long to unload their veterans? The answer still would appear to be yes. But as one rival executive said, "They did what they needed to do -- sold everyone they could get value from."
The revised prospect rankings at MLBPipeline.com reflect the Phillies' new talent. Nine of their top 16 prospects arrived in the five trades. The players ranked 3-4-5 -- pitcher Jake Thompson, outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro -- came in the Hamels/Diekman deal.
The outcomes of the trades will not be known for several years. Incoming club president Andy MacPhail still seems likely to fire general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., an unpopular figure among many fans. But at least now the Phillies are pointing toward the future.
It's a start.
