New York Yankees a match for Brandon Phillips

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told The New York Daily News that it’s “hard to identify” an option at second base on the trade market that would be an improvement over incumbent second baseman Stephen Drew. I know it’s hard to see very far in New York City what with all the skyscrapers and whatnot, but there’s a pretty obvious option out there by the name of Brandon Phillips.

Phillips seems to always get overlooked when talking about the game’s top second basemen, but he’s in the midst of yet another solid season. While his power numbers are down, the 34-year-old is hitting .279 with 11 stolen bases and his second-highest walk rate since 2010. He’s everything Stephen Drew isn’t, and like essentially everyone else on the Cincinnati Reds, is likely available in trade discussions.

Guess my good player radar is a newer model than Brian Cashman’s.

While Phillips is due a sizable salary, signed for multiple years and is getting older, the Yankees are the one team that those factors have never seemed to stop. It appears that the one time it shouldn’t stop them, it will. And that’s a baseball trade tragedy, because Phillips could not be more of a fit for New York.

Phillips is all the on-field production, personality, marketability and club house presence that goes into being a good option for the New York Yankees. And he’s available at the most opportune time, with the Yankees sitting four games up in the American League East in mid-July. With the division struggling and New York’s roster getting older (as it always seems to be), this may be the best window they’ll have in the foreseeable future, so they’d be wise to go after Phillips unless they plan on clearing house this winter. And it’s the Yankees, so that’s not happening.

While it may cost New York Rob Refsnyder, Jacob Lindgren and Tyler Austin to land Phillips, it’ll be well worth it when the Yankees are winning games in August and September. Too often teams get stuck in in-between phases where they “feel good with what they got” even when what they got isn’t so great. New York is atop the most mediocre division in baseball by four games, but if they’re committed to winning, they need to make a play. Second base is a legitimate hole on their roster, and they have an opportunity to do something about it. They should strongly consider taking advantage of it.

Next: New York Yankees Need To Move C.C. Sabathia To Bullpen

More from Call to the Pen