Philadelphia Phillies: 15 best trades in franchise history
By Tim Boyle
7) Best Philadelphia Phillies trade: Bobby Abreu for Kevin Stocker.
Kevin Stocker was the first Phillies shortstop I knew as a fan and a rather underwhelming one compared to others like Larry Bowa and Jimmy Rollins. A decent guy to have around, it was clear he wasn’t the same player as many others at the position. His .262/.347/.350 slash line for the team with limited power made him expendable when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays asked the Phillies about a trade.
The trade itself was a simple one. Stocker for Bobby Abreu. A young outfielder Tampa Bay had taken in the expansion draft was already headed to a new city before ever playing a game for them.
Abreu was magnificent for the Phillies almost from the start. From 1998 until mid-2006, he was their starting right fielder and the best friend of future analytics geeks. Abreu batted .303/.416/.513 for the Phillies while regularly clobbering 20+ home runs and driving in 100. He was more of a doubles hitter than anything else, leading the league with 50 in 2002.
Abreu’s reputation with the club may not have been as terrific as the numbers show. A different style of hitter, his lackadaisical outfield play at times and absence of having the will to crash into the wall had some questioning “how Philly” he is. Nevertheless, the numbers hold up in a fantastic way. He was twice a 30/30 guy in home runs and stolen bases. If we add in doubles, we can make him a two-time 30/30/30 player.