So the Phillies finally got off the pot and traded all-star closer Jonathan Papelbon, but as Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies didn't want to just get rid of the franchise's all-time save leader, they just didn't have a need for him.

"We didn't want to just get rid of him," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. explained. He had an extraordinary career with us, the fact of the matter is he was as good as advertised and maybe better, we just didn't play very well around him. Unfortunately we didn't have a club that was a reason for him to be here."

In return, the Phillies received Double-A pitcher Nick Pivetta from the Nationals for Papelbon and cash considerations. Pivetta is looked at as a possible middle-of-the-rotation or back-of-the-rotation pitcher.

"It worked out great," Amaro Jr. said.  "At the end of the day we end up getting a good quality arm."

Pivetta, 22, was a fourth-round draft pick in 2013, has gone 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA in a combined 18 games (17 starts) between single-A Potomac and double-A Harrisburg.  He made his first 14 starts of the season with Potomac, where he was named to the Carolina League mid-season All-Star team, before being promoted to Harrisburg earlier this month and was ranked prior to the season by Baseball America as the Nats' No. 10 prospect.

"For me it was more about making sure we added to our club," Amaro said. "This is the right thing for our club and the process, this is part of the rebuild."

So will Pivetta one day join Cole Hamels in the Phillies rotation?

He is still in Philadelphia but there is definitely interest in the Phillies ace.  It's still unknown whether Hamels will would wind up approving a deal to Houston, but it appears the Astros are one of the teams that are making a push to get the lefty.


(Listen to SB Nation MLB insider Chris Cotillo talks Hamels) 

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