Phillies acquire first baseman Mike Sweeney

With Ryan Howard out for at least the next two weeks, the Phillies made a move for a new first baseman, acquiring Mike Sweeney from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Sweeney, a 16 year MLB vet, spent most of his career with the Royals but played the last two seasons with Seattle. A 5-time All-Star back in the early 2000's, Sweeney still has some pop in his bat but has dealt with a number of injuries in recent years that have kept him from playing consistently. In this season alone, Sweeney has had back problems that have limited him to just 99 at-bats, though he does have 6 homers and is hitting .263 for the season.

Sweeney will step right into the lineup and be the every-day first baseman for as long as Howard is out. When Howard returns, Sweeney will slide back to the bench and will be a nice right-handed pinch-hitter. While he is far removed from his 20 homer, .300 batting average heyday with the Royals, Sweeney is a professional hitter who will contribute a key hit here and there.

Another solid August pickup for the Phillies, who have made a habit of acquiring players after the July 31st trade deadline (Jamie Moyer, Matt Stairs) that have made a significant impact down the stretch. Sure, Sweeney won't put up numbers similar to Ryan Howard but he will be a solid upgrade over the Ross Gload/Cody Ransom platoon at first. Sweeney is a strong low-risk pickup by the Phillies.