Two former Philadelphia Phillies outfielders may separately decide who wins the National League West this season.
On the same day that the Phillies traded away eight-year veteran Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers, they also sent 29-year-old Hunter Pence to the San Francisco Giants for three players.
In the trade deadline deal, the Phillies received outfielder Nate Schierholtz and minor leaguers Tommy Joseph, and Seth Rosin.
Pence, batting .271 with 17 home runs and 59 RBI on the season, is on his way to a new team for the second time in two years. The Phillies acquired Pence last June from the Houston Astros. In about a seasons worth of games for the Phillies, Pence batted .289 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI. The seven-year veteran was leading the Phillies in six offensive categories, including runs, hits and home runs.
“Thank you Philadelphia for all your support and passion,” Pence tweeted after the trade was announced. “Excited to see what awaits me in San Francisco!”
The Giants, currently tied for first place in the NL West with the Dodgers, were looking for a power bat to help push them to the finish line, and Pence fills that roll.
The Giants have only hit 62 home runs this season, the lowest total in baseball.
“I don’t think anyone really anticipated the season that’s gone on,” Pence reportedly said after the trade, according to The Associated Press. “It was the perfect storm of injuries and things didn’t go right for us, so that’s the way the business of the game is and you have to understand that.”
Schierholtz, 28, who the Phillies got back in the deal, is batting .257 with as many triples—5—as home runs.
