MLB Trade Rumors 2015: Phillies Get Former Number One Pick Mark Appel in Swap for Ken Giles Deal
The trade involving Ken Giles was already known to everyone as early as Saturday, with the Philadelphia Phillies receiving four players in return from Houston. However, there was a sudden change of plans when both teams revealed that instead of putting outfielder Derek Fisher in the package, the Phillies will now get Mark Appel, along with the fact that the team will be receiving not four, but five players.
The revision of the deal came in as somewhat surprising for the fans of both teams already gearing up for a new setup. But Appel's inclusion is an intriguing one because the right-hander is actually a first overall pick of Houston back in 2013, which means that he has tons of potential in him.
The 24-year-old actually didn't have a good overall performance in his stint in the minor league, but this opportunity to be part of a pitching rotation for the Phillies is a definite challenge for him. In college, he made a name for himself, winning the National Pitcher of the Year award back in 2012 while still playing for Stanford.
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Aside from Appel, Philadelphia also got three right-handers in Thomas Eshelman, Vincent Velasquez, and Harold Arauz, as well as left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. Giles for his part will be trooping to Houston, along with young shortstop Jonathan Arauz.
This latest news about Appel's trade to Philly is part of an interesting trend in the MLB in two weeks. Just last week, another former number 1 pick Dansby Swanson was traded to the Atlanta Braves as part of a deal involving Shelby Miller.
Appel, however, isn't the kind of player Swanson is, at least not for now. This year's first overall pick hasn't played a single game in the major league, but it doesn't mean he's not good. At 24, he still is very young and has a lot of good years to prove himself in Philadelphia.
