Philadelphia Phillies in Trade Talks for Ben Revere

The Minnesota Twins have made young outfielder Ben Revere readily available on the trading block, and the Philadelphia Phillies are the most recent team to join trade talks with the Twins for Revere, per Jon Heyman. The 24-year-old can’t hit well at all, but he is one of the best defensive players in baseball and has elite speed.

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Perhaps a perennial 40-steal player, Revere was worth 3.4 WAR last season in just his second year in the Majors. He’ll never be a star, but Revere will consistently be a solid player for a team. His hitting isn’t that bad, and it’s easier to deal with if he is placed in center field. The CF/RF doesn’t hit as well as most other corner outfielders, and his defense is still excellent in center. He is definitely best utilized in center, because a team can that pick up a better hitting corner outfielder to slot into right field.

Revere’s offense isn’t even that bad, because he did post a .333 OBP last season and can get on base. However, there is no doubt that hitting isn’t his strongest suit and that he is a well below-average hitter when compared to other right fielders. In center, he’s fairly mediocre compared to his peers. The biggest problem with playing him in right is that he provides virtually no power (no career home runs, career ISO under .050) at a position that is usually known for its power.

The Phillies are wise to inquire about Revere, and I could see him being a good fit for them. We’ll see what the Twins asking price is for the young, talented OF who is usually compared to Juan Pierre.

Update: The Phillies have acquired Ben Revere for starting pitcher Vance Worley and top prospect Trevor May; not exactly a good deal for the Phillies. What a steal for Minnesota.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.