Atlanta Braves: Brandon Phillips boosting trade stock with hot streak

Brandon Phillips looks rejuvenated with the Atlanta Braves, which could ensure his ticket out of town.

After spending 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Brandon Phillips accepted a trade last February to the Atlanta Braves. The veteran second baseman has been on a tear of late, and he could be playing himself into another change of address.

Phillips has collected at least three hits in three of his last four games. Last Wednesday he went 4-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored in a 13-2 drubbing of the Nationals. Yesterday, his 10th-inning single delivered a walk-off victory against the Marlins. Since the beginning of June, Phillips is slashing a hearty .333/.352/.478, raising his season slash line to .306/.346/.432 in 60 games. He has also added four home runs, 22 RBI and seven stolen bases.

The Braves acquired Phillips to be a veteran presence on a young, developing team. They added pitchers R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon in free agency for similar reasons. Like those two, Phillips is essentially on a one-year deal with his current contract set to expire at season’s end. That way the experienced vets could become trade chips at the deadline should Atlanta fall out of the race.

While a serious postseason run was always something of a long shot, the Braves indeed find themselves on the outside looking in as far as the playoff picture is concerned. At 30-37, they are 11.5 games behind the NL East-leading Nationals and a further 12 games off the pace for the league’s second Wild Card.

Naturally, it’s a good idea to start thinking about tradable assets, and Phillips seems to be pushing his way to the forefront. The Braves probably didn’t know quite what to expect with their new second baseman. Though able to hit for average over the previous two seasons, his overall performance had been declining. He has generated a bWAR over 2.0 just once in the past four campaigns.

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As we pass the midpoint of June, the 35-year-old Phillips is doing his best to prove he still has something left in the tank. If he maintains his 104 OPS+, it would give him his first mark over 100 in that category since 2011. And while his defense no longer rates as elite, he’s grading better there than a year ago, per Fangraphs.

All told, Phillips has likely built up more potential value than the Braves expected, if they do decide to shop him. And according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, it looks like that’s going to happen. Of course, trading Phillips has proven tricky in the past and it may do so again.

As a 10/5 player with the Reds, Phillips reportedly rejected trades to multiple teams, including the first attempt to send him to Atlanta. Eventually he relented in order to return to the area where he grew up and went to high school. After the move, Phillips retains a partial no-trade provision in his contract which allows him to block deals to 12 teams. He would also receive a $500,000 roster bonus if he waives the no-trade clause. That gives the Braves something else to consider as they ponder their midseason plans.

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While it’s not hard to imagine Phillips irked by the possibility of being traded again so soon, the Braves have to do what’s right for them. Top prospect Ozzie Albies is the future at the position, making Phillips’ best value to the team that of trade bait. If his recent performance continues, they’ll want to capitalize.