Eight years ago, the last time that the Philadelphia Phillies made the playoffs, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. acquired 28-year-old outfielder Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros as he looked to replace Jayson Werth in right field and give the Phillies the best chance to win their second World Series title in four years. In 2019, the Phillies have their best chance since 2011 to reach the postseason and make a run in October, and Pence, although unlikely to be a fit for the Phillies, is playing himself into being a trade candidate again.
Now 36, Pence is in the midst of an improbable career revival.