PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — When the Phillies traded Hunter Pence to the Giants in July of 2012, the hope was that the pieces they got back would help them retool if not rebuild.
That hasn’t worked out as planned. The Phillies acquired veteran outfielder Nate Schierholtz and he spent the rest of the 2012 season in Philadelphia before being allowed to walk away as a free agent. Catcher Tommy Joseph was probably the key to the deal, however he has spent much of his time in the organization dealing with concussion issues.
But there was a third player picked up in that deal and he has quietly put together an outstanding season for the Phillies top minor league team the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.