Washington Nationals discussing Brandon Phillips with Cincinnati Reds
Todd Frazier isn’t the only Cincinnati Reds star whose name is being thrown around in trade talks. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Reds are shopping second baseman Brandon Phillips as well, with the Washington Nationals emerging as the primary suitor at the moment.
A trade to the Nationals would reunite Phillips with former manager Dusty Baker, though he would need to waive his 10/5 no-trade rights.
A three-time All-Star, Phillips has been one of baseball’s most dynamic middle infielders over his 14-year major league career. Since joining the Reds in 2006, he sports a .278/.325/.430 slash line. His best season at the plate came in 2007, when he hit .288/.331/.485 with 30 home runs (second among all 2B) and 94 RBIs (fourth).
Phillips’ performance began to fade in recent years, but 2015 was something of a bounce-back campaign for him at age 34. He slashed .294/.328/.395, connected on 12 homers and drove in 70 runs. His batting average was his highest since 2011 when he hit .300, and he also swiped 23 bags, his most since 2009 when he stole 25.
Switch-hitter Danny Espinosa handled the bulk of this year’s games at second base for the Nationals. The 28-year-old posted a .240/.311/.409 slash line in 118 games while adding 13 homers and 37 RBIs. Washington likely feels that Phillips would represent an appreciable offensive upgrade. Espinosa has also played some shortstop during his six years in the league, so he could conceivably move there if needed.
Defensively, Phillips still provides a rather dependable glove, averaging 5.8 DRS (defensive runs saved) over the past five seasons.
Phillips is signed through the 2017 season at a total of $27 million. Though there is always risk of decline in a player signed through his mid-to-late 30s, the Nats may feel more comfortable making a two-year commitment to Phillips rather than signing a longer-term deal with one of the prominent free agent second basemen like Howie Kendrick or Daniel Murphy.
Next: Giants to sign Johnny Cueto
The rebuilding Reds are looking like one of the teams to watch right now, with several key players who could make for legitimate trade candidates.