Another Brandon Phillips blocked trade took place this past November. This time, the Cincinnati Reds second baseman prevented a deal to the Atlanta Braves.
After 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds, Brandon Phillips isn’t about to part without a great opportunity placed in front of him. Perhaps it’s the city’s barbecue or scenic rivers. Maybe he just loves playing for a city that elected Jerry Springer mayor. Whatever the case is, Phillips seems determined to stick in Cincinnati. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Phillips blocked a trade to the Atlanta Braves this past November.
Phillips is no stranger to using his no-trade clause. He used it previously to prevent a deal between the Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason. He did the same when Phillips stopped a deal that would have sent him to the Washington Nationals. Of course, this ended well for the Nationals as it allowed them to sign 2016 MVP runner-up Daniel Murphy.
Atlanta has had a great desire to add veterans this offseason. They’ve already signed ageless veteran starters R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon. They also remain in the mix for catcher Matt Wieters and welcomed Matt Kemp last summer. So, it’s somewhat understandable that they would have wanted Phillips who enters the final year of his contract with the Reds.
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Phillips’ decline in recent years has been quite notable. This is especially true when compared to his peak years. He’s no longer the elite fielder he once was. Phillips also seems to have lost all patience at the plate. Over the course of 584 plate appearances in 2016 he walked just 18 times. Although he has never been big on regarding his on-base percentage highly, the lack of walks has contributed to the reduced production.
The Braves did move on quickly from Phillips. They made a wiser decision and signed utility man Sean Rodriguez. Rodriguez should get the majority of starts at second base for Atlanta in 2017. He has a lot more position flexibility than Phillips does and is coming off a stellar season with the Pittsburgh Pirates as well.
It’s difficult to foresee whether or not the Reds have any chance at moving Phillips with his continuous trade blocking. Until Brian Dozier is moved, there is no reason why anybody would now even attempt to make a deal. By this point, many teams may feel it’s a waste of time to even attempt a deal.
The 2016 campaign was a particularly bad one for Phillips who ended with a 0.8 WAR. This was his lowest since his first year with the Reds in 2006. A big part of it was due to his negative defensive numbers. The four-time Gold Glove winning second baseman finished the year with a -0.5 WAR. This just the second time in his career he has been a negative defender. The other time, as you may have guessed, was in 2006.
By not moving Phillips the Reds will further delay the development of their young players. Jose Peraza showed in 2016 that he’s ready for more starts, but this may further delay it further with Zack Cozart remaining on the roster as well.
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Benching Phillips permanently is not going to happen. However, there’s a good chance we see him ride the pine more often. Perhaps only when pride from a lack of playing time nips at Phillips’ playing time will he finally accept that it’s time to move on.