Ben Revere Traded To Phillies For Two Pitchers

Ben Revere has been traded from the Minnesota Twins to the Philadelphia Phillies, helping the team fill their biggest need right before winter meetings come to a close.

Revere, a center fielder, was traded to the Phillies in exchange for two right-handed pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May, reports Sports Illustrated.

Revere, 24, was able to bat.294 last season with 40 stolen bases in 124 games. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stated:

“Ben is an outstanding, young, controllable center fielder who fits nicely with our club.”

The Phillies have been looking for an everyday center fielder ever since they traded two-time All-Star player Shane Victorino in July. They have pursued free agents B.J. Upton and Angel Pagan before they turned to the idea of trading players.

Upton has since gone to Atlanta for a $75 million, five-year deal, while Pagan was wooed by a $40 million, four-year deal in San Francisco. Before they traded for Ben Revere, All-Stars Michael Bourn and Josh Hamilton, both of whom are free agents, piqued the Phillies’ interest as well, notes USA Today.

Now that Revere has been traded to the Phillies, it is likely that Bourn may land with the Seattle Mariners, who have also been heavily involved with premier free agent Josh Hamilton.

Revere will not become a free agent until 2017, though he will be up for arbitration in 2014. Until then, The Phillies have inherited with him a solid, manageable contract price, freeing up more money to woo Hamilton.

Are you surprised to see that Ben Revere was traded to the Phillies from the Twins?