As long as we are proposing trades... Phillies and Royals

As long as we are having a good time proposing trades as the trade deadline draws near, I believe that the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals are a perfect match.  The Phillies have told teams that they are willing to deal anyone in their farm system except Dominic Brown and Jared Cosart.  With all the trades the Phillies have made over the past two years, they still have a wealth of talent in the minors.

If the Royals are serious about building a second wave of talent then the Phillies match up perfectly.  The Royals need to give up the pipe dream of competing for the division in 2012 and target several young prospects with a lot of potential in the Phillies organization.

The proposed deal:

Joakim Soria (CL)

Melky Cabrera (OF)

for

Jonathan Singleton (1B/OF)

Brody Colvin (RHP)

Trevor May (RHP)

Sebastian Valle (C)

Jiwan James (OF)

Why the deal makes sense:

The Phillies are said to be targeting Beltran.  The Braves and the Giants have a better shot at landing Beltran however, since the Phillies took Brown and Cosart off the market.  If the Phillies lose out on Beltran, Melky would provide a nice alternate for the stretch run.

The Phillies are also thought to be pursing Heath Bell or Mike Adams.  I consider Soria to be a better option than both Bell and Adams.  Soria would give the Phillies bullpen the stability it needs for the stretch run.

Here is a little bit about the prospects involved:

Jonathan Singleton (1B/OF)

He'd probably be better off at first base, but with Ryan Howard entrenched in Philly for the foreseeable future, we need to consider the big slugger named Jonathan Singleton as a corner outfield prospect, instead. He's competent in the outfield, and his powerful left-handed bat did nothing but hit on the way through Rookie ball (.290 .395 .440) and A-level Lakewood (a similar .290 .393 .479) in his march to the top of the Philadelphia rookie ladder. He'll taste high-A in 2011 and should be a lock in AA for 2012, with the new Vet on his radar soon after that.

Brody Colvin (RHP)

A tall and solid righthander from Lousiana, Phillies prospect Brody Colvin looked awfully good in his first trip to A-level Lakewood (Sally League) in 2010, posting a tidy 3.39 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Even his strikeout-to-walk ratio (120:42) was a pleasant development. His easy arm action makes scouts smile, and the heat he generates from such a low-effort delivery is plenty hot: 94 with natural sink, which he complements with a breaking ball that's unusually sharp and reliable for such a young player: it could be a real plus pitch soon. He's a few years away from MLB readiness, but he should be a good one when he arrives.

Trevor May (RHP)

The depleted Phillies farm system has provided an opportunity for a few mid-level prospects who can now break into the top levels. Pitcher Trevor May is one of those who will be getting a lot more attention in the near future. May brings three good pitches to the plate every time out, and he's already had some pretty stunning success at low levels of minor league ball. He stumbled a bit when faced with high-A batters last year, but that sort of adjustment period is common, and it shouldn't scare the Phillies away from what remains a very solid and still-developing athlete. May's fastball is a standard 92-94 offering with heavy sink, and his secondary pitches (a hammer curve and a straight change) are almost ready for more advanced hitters. He's a pitcher to watch in 2011, though any meaningful big-league effectiveness is still a year or two away.

Sebastian Valle (C)

The most-likely catcher of the future in Philadelphia, Mexican prospect Sebastian Valle is a young offensive dynamo with plus bat control and a powerful swing that should play at any level. Already holding his own against much older competitors (.307/.335/.531 at Williamsport at age 18), Valle is due to hit AA sometime in late 2011. Give him another year or two to master the intricacies of handling a top-flight pitching staff, and he should be a fixture in Philly soon enough.

Jiwan James (OF)

Nathanial Jiwani James is the fastest player in the Phillies farm system today, and now that he's been converted from a two-way player to a full-time outfielder, he should have every opportunity to put that speed to use. Jiwan put together a solid .270/.321/.365 line at A-level Reading in 2010, highighted by a nifty 33 steals in 37 attempts. He's still a bit strikeout prone, but if he can pick up a little patience to go with the blazing wheels and all-fields stroke, he'll be the leading candidate to take over the top of the Phillies lineup when it's time for Jimmy Rollins to step down in the order.

Of course if you are GMDM you would rather have Vance Worley instead of Trevor May to fit the mole of Mazzaro and SOS