The Braves have announced that they’ve acquired second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo. Phillips is owed $14MM in 2017, the last year of his contract, and the Reds will pay all but $1MM of that sum.
[RELATED: Updated Braves and Reds Depth Charts]
Phillips previously blocked the Braves’ attempt to acquire him in November, which came after he shot down efforts from the Nationals and Diamondbacks to land him a year ago. But the 35-year-old finally had a change of heart and will head to his native Georgia. The Braves will honor Phillips’ limited no-trade clause (12 teams), and they’ll give him a $500K bonus if he’s dealt to a club not on his list, general manager John Coppolella announced.
The Braves seemingly picked up at least a part-time second base solution when they signed Sean Rodriguez as a free agent in November. However, Rodriguez needs left shoulder surgery thanks to a January car crash and will be out three to five months, according to FOX Sports’ Rosenthal (Twitter links). The right-handed Rodriguez could have platooned with the lefty-swinging Jace Peterson at the keystone. With Rodriguez out of commission, the righty-hitting Phillips will now take over at second and provide the Braves a respectable stopgap as they count down to the start of the Ozzie Albies era.
Phillips has historically performed better against southpaws (.284/.332/.455) than same-handed pitchers (.271/.315/.409), but the three-time All-Star obviously doesn’t carry an alarming platoon split. He’s also coming off yet another fairly productive offensive season, having slashed a decent .291/.320/.416 across 584 PAs. Phillips simultaneously surpassed double-digit home run and stolen base marks (11 and 14) for the ninth time, too. On the other hand, the normally adept defender’s production in the field declined sharply, as Phillips registered minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-2.1 Ultimate Zone Rating after recording positive marks in each category from 2007-15.
By moving Phillips, the rebuilding Reds will open up playing time for young middle infielders Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera. Peraza fared well in a 256-plate appearance stint as a utilityman in 2016 (.324/.352/.411), but Herrera hasn’t yet debuted with the Reds since they acquired him from the Mets for outfielder Jay Bruce last summer. The Reds aren’t getting much in return for a longtime franchise cornerstone, though. Neither the 27-year-old McKiran nor Portuondo, 29, will land on the Reds’ 40-man roster or receive invitations to big league camp, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Moreover, ESPN’s Keith Law classifies the two as “non-prospects” (Twitter links).
Phillips’ exit from Cincinnati brings about the end of a long and fruitful tenure that began in 2006. The Reds acquired Phillips from the Indians that year in exchange for a player to be named later (right-hander Jeff Stevens), which undoubtedly counts among the best trades in the history of the Cincy franchise. Phillips hit .279/.325/.429, swatted 191 home runs, stole 194 bases and racked up 31.7 fWAR over 6,899 trips to the plate with the Reds from 2006-16. He also never played in fewer than 121 games in any of his 11 seasons as a member of the club, and he exceeded the 140-game plateau 10 times – including in 2016. Along the way, Phillips helped the Reds to three playoff berths, the first of which came in 2010 and broke a 14-year drought.
The Reds have now gone three straight years without a postseason trip, and given that they’re not close to contention, GM Dick Williams is taking the organization in a Phillips-less direction. Phillips’ departure will make superstar first baseman Joey Votto the Reds’ longest-tenured player.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported that a trade was close. He also reported that the Reds would eat most of Phillips’ salary and get a minimal return. Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the concessions the Braves made to Phillips, and he was the first to identify the players the Reds received. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com first reported that the Reds would get two minor leaguers in return. ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that the trade was done. ESPN’s Jim Bowden reported on the exact concessions the Braves had made to Phillips. FanRag’s Jon Heyman first reported that the Reds would eat $13MM. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Interesting.
surprised this didn’t happen sooner
It would have but BP blocked a nearly completed deal
Why?????
BP is a great fielder for the reds. Hit hitting hasn’t been great over the years but once he gets back in his prime he’ll be HOF
yeah right.
Haha in your dreams
Lol. No.
I’m curious as to how a 35-year old “gets back into his prime”?
Easy, he will find the fountain of youth when the Braves play the Marlins
Except he was a terrible fielder last year
^^^^^^^^
No way he is HOF. Just compare him to 2B in HOF. His defense and power are on the decline–if he retired today he would have better but still failing shot.
HOF? Hitting On Fridays?
Just for fun, there is a half-decent case to be made for BP’s HOF bid, although it relies more on the arbitrariness of Hall of Fame inductions than it does on actual merit. BP’s best HOF comp is Bill Mazeroski, another glove-first 2B that managed to hit just enough (1 home run was enough) to make it to the Hall.
Maz career WAR: 30.9 (FG), 36.2 (BR). Phillips career WAR: 30.6 (FG), 30.0 (BR). They also have identical 7 year peak WARs (25.7). Maz career wRC+: 82, Phillips: 95. BP will rack up 200 HRs and 200 SBs before he hangs em up, so he beats out Maz there by a substantial margin.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he should make the HOF out of absolute merit, but that’s rarely what gets these fringe guys in anyway. Point is, there’s plenty of more deserving HOFers than Brandon Phillips, but there’s also plenty of players enshrined there that are considerably worse than him.
I wonder if the Cincinnati Reds Competitive Balance Round A pick would be involved in this deal. I believe it’s the 32nd overall pick.
Why would the Reds give up a pick just to get rid of a semi-useful player?
To free up 14 million and playing time for Jose Peraza? It might be something like that Ryan Webb trade to the Dodgers a few years back. With Sean Rodriguez possibly being out for 3-5 months, it makes a little bit more sense too.
The reds are going to pay most of his 14 mil salary btw
no way they would trade a pick to free 14 million. If your gonna do that, you release him so you don’t have to give up a pick.
Releasing him, they’d still have to pay his remaining $$
Lol, you do know when a team releases a player they are still on the hook for his salary rught?
i obviously know that. The person said the reds would trade the 30th something pick just to get rid of phillips. So i said they’d release him (and pay his full salary) before they’d trade that pick
i’m an angels fan. We’re still paying hamilton 23 million. We payed a lot to wilson last year too . I’m fully aware that you can’t release players and not have to pay them
Yeah I guess as an Angel’s fan you’ve seen your fair share of bad contracts.
Albert Pujols…
Pujols is not comparable to the other bad contracts they’ve dished out. At least he still produces at a high (albeit not remotely close to his old self) level.
Did not happen. Crazy idea anyway with what was already on table.
I wonder if he will reject this deal a second time
I hope he does
You’d have to guess they wouldn’t go to far down the road with it again unless they had his consent.
No, Phillips has already wavied his no-trade clause! They better get something decent for him, management owes the fans for supporting them!
INB4 Phillips uses no trade clause
Probably will decline it again
Let’s hope
He’s gonna waive his 10-and-5 rights to go to Atlanta? What’s in it for him?
$$$
He lives in Atlanta
They already traded for him.. and he said no.
but yeah.. leave it to the Braves to trade for a bad player to block their best non-Swanson prospect.
He only has one year left on his contract, Albies still becomes a September call up.
Not sure you understand what blocking is. Guys on 1-year deals are never, ever blocking anyone, ever.
Braves fans dont want Phillips. Why
hes old, hes blocking Albies and hes bad
Sounded wrong. Questioning the Braves motive in this deal
He’s on a one year deal. Albies could easily slide in as a utility if needed
How is it blocking Albies? He wasn’t going to start the season in the big anyway. Phillips will be gone at the end of the season.
Yes, Braves fans do want BP.
Why? They already have Sean Rodriguez
He is out for up yo 5 months with a bad shoulder from a car wreck.
YES PLEASE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!
I share your sentiment. Lol.
Interesting how it will happen now. Love to see what the team gives up for him?
Probably wouldn’t lose too much talent for him. He’s not what he used to be
What do the braves need from phillips? They have albies waiting in the ranks but if he isnt ready rodriguez and peterson can handle it until he is
This is a straight dump. Reds pay most of salary, get a minor prospect from Braves. Braves hope he hits some dingers and then flip him at the deadline for a slightly better prospect.
Rodriguez was injured in the car crash and out for 3-5 months as reported by rosenthal. Albies is coming back from significant injury. It’s a year left on his contact so he’s really not blocking or costing the braves anything.
For who!?
Please decline it! Braves fans don’t want him. We’ve got too much in the pipeline for 2B (not to mention Rodriguez) for this to happen. For us there is no prospect worth departing with. That’s not an insult to BP just not a fit for us. Not now.
I like it. Hopefully we’re not giving up too much…ideally we’re offloading some salary, but I’m not holding my breath there.
In either case, there goes my wishful Chase Utley theory.
Nvm that I missed the news Utley signed back with the Dodgers yesterday
..
Lol pls
This makes so much sense for the Reds. Clears a spot for Peraza or Dilson Herrera. Why the Braves are blocking Albies when they also already have Sean Rodriguez is beyond me.
Rodriguez our 3-5 months. Albies is coming back from significant injury. One year is not blocking anyone.
With the number of people mentioning Sean Rodriguez, and that it will be blocking Albies, I really wonder if people actually read any more. Please people, before commenting, READ THE ARTICLE you are commenting on. Blue paint has provided a nice summary, but it appears you aren’t even reading that. And as the Braves had signed Rodriguez even before this trade, obviously the Braves don’t think Albies is ready yet, so what do you know that they don’t?
You beat me to it. People READ the article before commenting jessss
Not defending all, but 90% of the comments were well before most details came out. Agree, most are jumping to conclusions, but still.
Even if 90% were before all the details, Rodriguez didn’t just get hurt.
Understood, but for a lot of fans, the severity wasn’t well known.
EndinStealth, it was realized that Rodriguez was involved in the unfortunate accident, but nowhere was it published that Rodriguez was injured in any such a way to involve the potential for surgery. That detail (and rightfully so because of HIPPA laws) was omitted.
Lol, I’ve known about it for awhile now, as have lots of people. But even at that the news didn’t JUST break that he’s out at least 3 months.
Let’s hope this doesn’t go through unless it’s a give away. Still not fond of BP taking up valuable roster space
BP accepted
Braves are close to landing Brandon Phillips. At least he’s a great fielder. Makes up for him being such an average hitter..
But seriously, can’t say that I’m happy about this news. Also, one note on Rodriguez, Braves are better with Rodriguez at 3B and Phillips at 2B than they are currently with Garcia at 3B and Rodriguez at 2B.
You are being serious?
“Makes up for him being such an average hitter..” Really?
A 2nd baseman with a career ave of .275 is an “average hitter”. Well i’ll take that ‘average hitter’ everyday, even though he may be in slight decline. Over his past 11 seasons he has 70+ rbi’s or more in 8 of those seasons, the other three were 51, 59, and 64 respectively. Sounds pretty ‘average’ to me for a 2nd baseman.
You’re using batting average and RBI to assign offensive value? Ok. Phillips drew 15 walks last season. And he can’t really field anymore.
And you’re using what exactly? You make a statement and then you say absolutely nothing to support what you’re saying.. He’s still a productive player.
..He has 41 errors out of 99 in his whole career, and those 41 errors were made in 3 seasons, one of those in the 3 being last season, 14 errors. I didn’t see all 14 errors, did you? Maybe his range is in decline and is becoming limited, but do tell who you want to write on the lineup sheet at 2nd base for the moment,.
You want to use metrics again to justify your position, laughable.,
Yeah man, metrics, because they are better at judging production than stuff like batting avg and errors. Last year, BP was 25th of 27 guys with at least 400 plate appearances in terms of WAR (0.9 fWAR).
He was 24th in wRC+ (a better, more accurate gauge of batting as it takes obp, power and the types of hits a player gets into account as well as adjusting for park and league)
He was 14th out of23 guys to play 800 innings at 2b last year in terms of defense as well (14th in DEF, 15th in UZR/150, 13th in UZR and 20th in defensive runs saved)
He is 35 heading into his age 36 season, guys don’t tend to get better at his age. They tend to continue to decline.
Suntrust is a bigger park than great america
His OBP and power have been declining as as his defense.
probably because of price and production, he won’t be awful out there, but the Braves aren’t getting age 28 BP out there, they are getting the older,crappier version.
Wow. Then you double down with errors. Phillips is a below average player at this point. Fielding has dropped off a cliff the last two seasons, he doesn’t get on base, the power has dried up, he gets caught stealing too much…I mean, I could go on, I suppose.
below average. here ya go. fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=791&positi…
below average offense and negative defender.
Wow, just wow. You do realize just the fact alone that he was one of 27 guys to have at least 400 PA has alot of value in it, right? I’d think more would get to that number, but I wasn’t the one who looked everything up. I mean, I guess I don’t disagree with you too much, he’s not a stud anymore, but I think he is definetely still useful.
400 at-bats of bad baseball actually hurt his team, but he’s not exactly the kind of player that would have accepted a bench role.
Mr. Bream, I will just point out exactly how valuable Phillips is: the Reds are sending him to Atlanta, paying almost all of his salary, and receiving almost nothing in return. That’s a player without value.
The Reds need to get on with youngsters playing to see if they are the future.
They needed to get rid of him, but his 11 years with the Reds were worth the 1 year they have to eat at the end. It’s a business
The Reds have traded for a young 2B, who can’t play while BP is on the team. That’s their reason for moving him. The Braves not only tried to acquire him before, but came back to complete the deal, Plus another team tried to acquire him but BP used his no trade. He obviously has value. Seems actual teams are seeing something you are missing, You have already acknowledged that if its not new metrics, you think its obsolete, and ignore it. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean the value is not there.
Actually, the Reds are the closest team to where I live so they’re one of the major league teams I see the most. So watching him last season it was quite obvious he couldn’t really field the position anymore.. He swings at everything too, because he can’t really catch up to a good fastball. He’s no longer a good baserunner for the same reason he’s not a good fielder anymore. He’s lost his first step, which isn’t surprising for a 37-year-old.
He is durable, but the fact that a team is only willing to take him for free doesn’t point to any sort of value, only desperation. Add to that his prickly personality and I wouldn’t touch him, but the Braves need someone to stand around at second and I guess they don’t think Albies is ready. And a free player is a free player.
He has value, like these 2 non-prospects have value.
400 PA on a bad team mean nothing. That’s a silly argument.
Philips is an awful fielder now. So OP’s comment makes no sense all around.
This is not gonna block Albies. He needs more time in AAA and will be called up later in season. Shoring up the defense and a name for the open of the new stadium. Rodriquez is an utility guy and can play 3rd and be the 4th outfielder.
Ken Rosenthal Reported that Sean Rodriguez’s surgery wasn’t minor and that he will be out 3-5 months…Definitely adds clarity to the move…BP becomes the everyday 2nd basemen and Peterson becomes the Utility role till Rodriguez comes back.
Probably got that backwards. Peterson is LHB and hit RHP decently well. He also had a .350 OBP, played decent defense and is 9 years younger. There is at least a chance that Peterson has a good season.
The braves have to do a better rebuild than that to become competitors
Yes, because ATL is rebuilding with a 35 year-old 2B on a 1 year deal that plays the same position as their top prospect (Albies).
In light of Sean Rodriguez’s injury, they acted even before the extent of his injury was announced by convincing a former All-Star to come to ATL to fill in and maybe (but not likely) return some value. Coppy loves to upgrade prospects by trimming the fat with deals like this (he’s done it 3x this offseason acquiring Luiz Gohara, Luke Jackson and Alex Jackson – trading away expendable talent in Mallex Smith, Tyrell Jenkins, Rob Whalen, Max Povse). If they didn’t do a deal, fans would be questioning their depth.
Agree as always Run, was a pretty decent move, even before knowing prospects and dollars.
A little risky seeing that ATL now inherits BP’s no-trade clause after he’s used it at least 3x in the past – if Coppy was hoping to extract any trade value from him down the road – which he was.
Sure Coppy wouldn’t take the trade if he was concerned.
I don’t think anyone expects the Braves to be competing for the Playoffs in 2017, but they will at least be in more close games with all of their veteran additions. I like the moves because they are one year deals. If one or two of their top prospects catches fire in the Bigs after an early or mid season call-up, then they could win some of those close games. If not they lose and continue the rebuild next year with a fan base that is still interested in the team. They’re not trying to buy a winning attitude but simply show young talent what it looks like to work and make it through a long and difficult season.
“I don’t think anyone expects the Braves to be competing for the Playoffs in 2017…”
Tell that to half of the Braves fans posting on MLBTR !
Sure, it’s great for them to hope, but this roster is built to win just enough games to draw fans to the new stadium, show them some familiar names to root for, and slowly accustom the young guys to the major leagues.
A former all star? Nice spin.
Sean Rodriguez will need surgery and will be out 3-5 months. That’s why they are making this trade. Not happy about it because I don’t think BP is a good fit for us but at least I know WHY they are doing it.
I didn’t know about the surgery for Rodriguez. This makes a little more sense now. Peterson definitely a weak link in the Braves offense last year
Yep, apparently it’s a result of the car wreck he had.
If Phillips had approved the trade to the Nats last year, the NL east would be so different. The Nats would not have signed Murphy, and he more then likely would have ended up with an AL team. The Nats would have been FAR weaker, perhaps even enough for the Mets to take the division. If nothing else, it would have deprived the Nats of a premier hitter for 3 years and really made life sweeter for the Mets and their fans. so, screw you dat dude for making life suck more for us!
Very interested in seeing what the Braves look like next year. They’ve made some moves. Not sure how those moves will work out but they are definitely trying.
Thought it could possibly be a Touissaint type deal…
I like the move but curious what the Braves gave up. Looks like the Braves might want to give Ozzie a few more months. Who knows! They could always let him play third and maybe give him some playing time there in the minors. Or maybe they try Phillips at third. Just please get rid of Garcia!
Phillips is still a decent player. He would help a contender. Not sure the Braves are that team.
Dang! I thought we dodged that bullet already.
Albies wasn’t going to start the season with the Braves any way. They want him to spend more time in AAA. Peterson isn’t n every day player & with Rodriguez out, Phillips makes a lot of sense. He’s still a solid player & he’s a good teammate. It’s not like Phillips has 4 years left on his contract. It’s a good short-term move for Atlanta
I guess some people don’t read the whole article before they post. I, being a life long Braves fan, am on the fence with this, I would be satisfied signing Kelly Johnson & let him platoon w/ Jace. But, I can see Coppy bringing BP in, then he has one heck of a yr. Then we trade him at the deadline even if we are still in it, b/c OA should be going good by then.
I guess some people, you for example, don’t understand what a platoon is. Peterson and Johnson are both LH batters.
Well in defense I think some Braves fans lately only understand second, SS, and third base as a multitude of players, confusing that with platooning.
Way to be an a**hole
How is that?
I don’t see a problem with this trade from either sides perspective. Phillips is still a decent hitter and defender. Average wise his home road splits were about the same. He isn’t going to average 20 HRs anymore, but he will hit his fair share of doubles. This allows the Reds to start playing one of the younger guys at 2nd and if they trade Cozart anytime soon they might have space for the other. Even though I am not sure if Peraza or Herrera will grade out well there. However only time will tell.
For the Braves it buys time for Albies. Let him play in Triple A the first 3-4 months and see how he does. If Phillips plays well enough you might get a mid level prospect from a contender at the trade deadline.. If he doesn’t you could waive him since Cincy is eating most of the money. Which would open a spot for Albies. Not to mention then Allies would not qualify for Super 2 status.if they wait to call him up mid season.
Cool. BP killed the Pirates.
Now we finally get a look at Dilson “He’s such a good prospect that the Pirates traded him for two months of Marlon Byrd, the Mets traded for Neil Walker instead of using him and then traded him for Jay Bruce” Herrera.
Good riddance
Lifelong Reds fan and still watch them every night. I don’t care what stats might say- he still makes plays! He’s a great community guy too. I hate that baseball has devolved into teams like the Reds having to give away – or not being able to sin talent. I’m mixed on this as Peraza will be our guy. However the Braves landed a good guy
They don’t “hav(e) to give away” – they desperately want to give away; so much so that they were willing to eat most of the salary and expect almost nothing in return.
They could have kept him, but being one of the worst hitting 2B last season, with below average fielding resulting in his being one of the single lowest valued 2B in the game…. well, why even contemplate keeping him for that one last season of non-competitive baseball anyway? By trading him you open a spot for a kid to get experience and you are able to bring in a guy who at least has a shot at helping your club over the next 5 or so years.
Win-win move for the Reds, and one that has nothing at all to do with the current state of the game. It’s a simple addition-by-subtraction transaction they would be foolish not to make in really any decade.
.291 BA is bad? Then what’s good?
Then what is good? Not using BA as a means to evaluate a hitter.
He didn’t say that his BA made him a good hitter. He just said that wasn’t a bad BA. Good job trying to make an assumption and make a fool out of somebody
@BravesBoi
What posts did you read, exactly?
BravesFan oddly tried to defend against BP being one of the worst hitting 2B in the game last year (a fact) by changing the conversation to what a good BA is. If he isn’t trying to imply BP is a good hitter because of his BA, then why his odd changing of topic to focus on nothing but a 1800s stat?
We all know why…
What was foolish was the Reds trading for pieces that they had no opening for playing. BP is getting moved to allow the traded for assets to get playing time. If the Reds had actually traded for positions that had openings (novel idea) they would probably be farther along in the rebuild. Teams obviously see value in BP or he wouldn’t have had need to use his no trade clause. The Braves taking on the no trade clause shows that they are trading for HIM, not what they might get at a deadline trade (because they can’t trade him!).
No, they will probably just release him when they think Albies is ready It’s not like the Braves are actually going to contend this season, although I think they want to give that impression because they’re moving into a new expensive taxpayer-funded stadium.
I’ll always have a soft spot for Phillips. It is thanks to his indifference to losing that the Nats ended up with Daniel Murphy and not the rapidly-declining, vastly overpaid replacement-level player that is Brandon Phillips. God bless his soul for not caring if he wins or loses. Lord knows he’ll be doing a lotta losing in 2017 so it should make for a pleasant year for him!!
God bless him for making a TON of money while you come to a website to be a HATER! YOU WIN!
He is right though. The Nats likely don’t make the playoffs or at the very least win their division of Phillips was on that team
“God bless him for making a TON of money”
My, how the definition of Grace has eroded…..
Omg please come to the braves
I don’t see why any braves fan wouldn’t want to see this? Phillips has been a very consistent fielder and hitter over the past 10+ years. His contract is up after this year, the Reds appear to be covering most of the money, and they don’t appear to be giving up much in return. This is a no lose situation for Atlanta. He’s a Georgia guy. They would gladly have had him over Sean Rodriguez, but unfortunately Sean was injured in a wreck and fortunately Phillips changed his tune on trade ailability, so that turned tables after the fact. Braves sign Colon and Dickey and fans want to complain about Phillips? Should be the least of the worries.
Here’s how much value he has: The Reds paid his salary to make him go away without receiving anything of value in return. Thos empty batting averages hide that he isn’t a good defender or baserunner anymore, plus he’s kind of a PITA. And would be the kind of guy who would never accept a bench role.
Never mind the fact that they are trying to DUMP $$$. Glad you decided to omit that crucial point in your Soliloquy. Teams don’t usually get back much when dumping salary.
But the Reds aren’t dumping salary. They’re paying basically his whole contract to make him go away. That’s not a salary dump. That’s a player dump.
You’re an idiot.
Yep
.291 is an “empty batting ave”.. I’ve now heard it all on MLBTR.
I’ll help explain to you why it’s an empty average.. BP hit .291, but he had a very poor 3.1 BB% which led to his .320 OBP. That OBP is below average. What that means in a practical sense is BP makes more outs than the average MLB player. That’s important because each team only gets 27 outs and each one is very important. He also had a well below average .125 ISO. ISO or isolated power measures extra base hits. Phillips had an empty average because while his avg was high, he still had a below average OBP and power. Once you take into account that he plays in a hitters ballpark you have a below average hitter despite his .291 average.
It is empty, as evidenced by his 94 ops plus
Exactly, and you also have to take into account his below-average baserunning. The goal is to not make outs and BP makes a ot of outs because he’s durable and puts the ball in play too much.
ummm, no. S-Rod was the superior player last year , more OBP, more power better defense.
The past two years he hit .297 in 2015 and .291 in 2016 how is he a sucky offensive player
Ten times better than Peterson even if he’s 37
because he doesn’t get one base much anymore, his power has declined as has his defense. Stop using batting avg to judge hitting. it’s 2017 we know now it doesn’t tell us nearly enough to be useful.
Last season he was near the bottom among all 2b in hitting stats, baserunning and defense. He’s an aging player in decline.
He has virtually no cost, and is better than what they had. Braves just improved. Nuf said.
they improved, but only by about half a win or so (and lost a win if S-Rod had been able to play)
ut doesn’t matter much as he costs nothing and the team was not a playoff contender with or without him.
it’s a pretty nothing deal really. they got a warm body with name recognition to lure the casual fanbase and gave up spare parts
Because average doesn’t show how good of a hitter you are. The other numbers in his slash line weren’t good, especially when you take into account that he played in a great American small park
Regardless of the all BS above, the bottom line is that the guy is a very good baseball player….otherwise other wouldn’t have been pursuing him. I believe that most of the stat quoters on this board don’t actually watch the players to very much extent. Fantasy leaguers.
*teams
do you realize how ignorant this is? Most fantasy baseball uses old stats not metrics. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean you get to ignore it. The new stats are better, either join the modern world or sit back and be left behind, your choice.
Phillips is old, in decline and barely useful anymore.
@bravos4evr
Explain what “old” has to do with it, absolutely nothing.
Furthermore, if he is in decline as you say, why don’t you specify exactly what aspects of his game are in decline. Someone that is totally in decline does not have elite strike out rates, and very good to excellent babip %.
His defence may be in question or in decline, but he provides good experience at 2nd base and in the batting lineup, and the Braves aren’t losing anything. Metrics are not the be all and end all like you want to suggest they are.
He is in decline in some aspects of his game, not all, and that’s why Atlanta are taking him, I’d say they have a reasonable clue about what they’re doing..
I watched him play in person several times last year, as Cincy is the closest ballpark to me. He’s got a bad first step now, because he’s 35, which really hurts him defensively and especially on the basepaths, where he is just a below-average runner now. He doesn’t walk at all anymore, and because he cheats on fastballs he puts lots of balls in play. Too many. He hits into a lot of double plays, because he’s slow out of the box. Again, that’s not surprising because he’s 35. His one asset is his durability, and, for the Braves, a free player is a free player. Plus, Atlanta is moving into a new stadium, is trying to pretend to contend, and I believe Phillips is from Georgia, or at least played his high school baseball there.
I’m just gonna go by 2nd basemen because I don’t feel like sorting through all hitters, but both stats that you tried to use to make a point are wrong.
Babip 12/21 qualified – not elite
K% 17/21 – not elite
Here is his player stat page. Perhaps you can look at it and figure out for yourself why people say that he is in decline, cuz ya know, he is. fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=2b&stats=bat&#…
Metrics aren’t the be all end all, but your incorrect claims are? If you’re going to try to say that something is wrong in one part of your post, look up the stats that you are trying to use to justify that point. You just come off as uninformed and it makes it hard to take anything you have to say seriously.
Both of the stats that you just tried to use are incorrect. Going by 2nd basemen (don’t feel like looking through all hitters) He’s 12/21 in babip and 5/21 in k%. Neither of those are elite.
People say he is declining because he is declining. You can go ahead and look for yourself fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=791&positi…
now that the PED era is over, players start to decline on the wrong side of 30, and 2b at age 35 start to majorly decline.
He’s old, slower, not as good as he once was. He is a below average hitter, averagish fielder and a mediocre baserunner now.
he;s old
old
@chesterarthur Disagree with Rotowire then rotowire.com/baseball/player.htm?id=6891 Tell them they’re uninformed. So you think I made it up, laughable indeed..
Well stated stratcrowder and hit the nail on the head. BP is a baseball player and will help the Braves, especially since Rodriguez is projected to miss 3-5 months. BP will help on the field and off it, too.
Wait, wait, wait. If he’s so good, why is Cincinnati paying most his salary and not recieving anything of value? How does that make any sense at all to you?
Love this deal for my Braves. Albies had a rough go of it in AAA last year so this gives him a solid year there where he will still be one of the youngest guys at that level. With all the young guys on their way up we get to see guys clocks being spread out a little.
I wasn’t to big on Rodriguez as the 2B I looked at him more of a super utility role which he now can fall back into and actually be able to supplant Garcia now.
Now the big question where’s he bat in the lineup ?
Ended
Phillips
Markakis
Freeman
Kemp
Swanson
Garcia
Flowers
Ender
Swanson
Freeman
Kemp
Phillips
Markakis
Garcia
Flowers
Manager said yesterday he is planning to put Swanson at the top of the order
Oh didn’t see that. Contemplated swapping Swanson up, but stayed pat.
Batting Phillips second would be nuts. He’s an out machine and hits into a ton of double plays. He’s a #8 hitter at this point but he would probably sulk insufferably if batting that low.
I agree with you steelerbravenation… I’m very pleased with this deal for the Braves. Coppy nailed it. Extremely low risk trade with strong upside.
oh yeah, went to the braves, strong upside! For SURE
I love you Chesteraarthur, only reason I come on this site.
I am in total shock that Brandon would agree to waive his no trade clause. I know it said that the Braves had to make changes to his deal to get it done, but Brandon seems like the kind of player that once he gets mad, he would stick it to the Reds by not agreeing to the trade. I am glad it’s happening and at least Brandon isn’t the only player being moved. I hope Brandon will enjoy his time in Atlanta.
The braves are being pretty methodical in executing their plan… the mix of veterans and youngsters are extreme, but you can see what they are wanting to do.. will be interesting to see if this year is just a bridge year or if they can make a wild card run
Would be a shock if they could swing the WC, but I agree, love how Coppy is maneuvering the line up.
I remember the Cubs going ‘in’ to 2015.. they had just had a respectable (as in .500) last 50ish games.
In comparing the braves moves to the Cubs ‘before’ the 2015 season …
After signing Lester (which was the pivot point to step on the gas), Theo/Jed went immediately towards ‘getting veterans’ to balance the youngsters they anticipated coming up (this was before Bryant, Russell or schwarber had even had 1 AB).
Guys like denorfia, hammel, motte, fowler, montero were all brought in as part of the strategy ..
Granted coppy has signed guys all ‘older’ than this group, the guys he has brought in are all 1 year contracts
Throw in the ‘the braves might make a run at Quintana’ rumors and with a little squinting, you can see both approaches mimicking each other
they were projected to win between 72-76 games with the superior rodriguez in the lineup, adding Phillips probably drops that by one win or so.
Give it a rest Bravo, you made your point. You are unhappy.
Your negativity is all over this post
yeah, how dare he use facts to silence the non-sense that this move makes the braves good.
Who said that this makes the braves good? I just commented that ‘… it will be interesting to see if this is a bridge year… of if they ‘can’ make a run at a WC…’
Everyone knows the rumors about the braves sniffing around on Quintana, weitera and headley and the opening of the new stadium ‘… it will be interesting to see …’
Nothing more… nothing less..
it’s a smart move to get a guy like BP for basically free, but I;m not naive enough to think he’s some impact player that’s going to make us better.
a deal can be both smart and not very impactful
I am in total agreement that the deal can be both smart and not very impactful (on the field)…
perhaps I should have clarified my comment to speak to ‘… it will be interesting to see if this move is indicative of the braves FO wanting to compete this summer vs viewing the Rodriguez injury as a step in helping them ‘tank’ for 1 more year’..
Somehow the Braves managed to roster the youngest
*and the oldest team at once…impressive
Any Braves fan that thinks Albies is now blocked from this deal is mistaken. This allows Albies to save his service clock and truly be ready in the minors. If Phillips stinks it up, The Braves owe him hardly any money and can simply release him.
The deal breaker to this trade is what the Braves gave up. BP is a better option than anything we currently have at second, and hopefully he won’t be a clubhouse cancer.
Lol good one braves
READ THE ARTICLE AND MOST OF YOU WOULDN’T NEED TO COMMENT!
We do not know what they gave the Reds yet.
What are you crying about?
How damn drunk was coppy?
Am I the only one who is concerned with the Braves landing most of the aging players this season? I understand that every team needs a veteran presence but seems as if the Braves are getting every old guy they can and realistically how much more production do these guys have left in the tank? I think they should be leaning toward younger guys and fully commit to the rebuild
they are mostly all 1 year deals so they don’t stifle anyone’s development. They allow the young players to not be rushed in the system nor start their service clocks until they are ready.. Good moves on a team with little chance to compete in 2017
I don’t see the problem with it. If they aren’t producing they always have the youngsters to take their place.
Love what the Braves are doing. They’re going to have to be one of my teams to watch in 2017.
Apparently Rodriguez got hurt pretty bad in a car accident last week and will be out 5 months. So that is why they got BP
Anyone want to predict who ATL (2 prospects, reportedly) is giving up for pride? Go!
Wes Parsons and Levi Hyams , or players at that level.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Coppy take the opportunity to dump any of Wren’s top picks that have not lived up to hype like Braxton Davidson or, less likely, Jason Hursh, who could still be salvageable in the bullpen.
well if Cincy is eating a big chunk of the cash then probably something somewhat decent.
So much depth, hard to choose. If Reds in fact are paying most (85%), I say a pitching prospect in the organizations 28-30 range and a position player way outside top 30.
Phillips had averaged equal HR and SB until last year when he put up 3 more SB. Just thought that was interesting.
No trade rights carry over??? Wow, that was the change of heart right there. Great move by him and Coppy.
Yeah, I reacted the same way, but considering they’re not paying a whole lot they would most likely release him.
For those not following Coppy has now acquired 2 of the 4 parts of one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history (between the Expos & Indians in 2002) by obtaining Bartolo Colon and Brandon Phillips.
Now, what are Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee doing??
Unfortunately, John Hart was not the Indians GM at the time of the trade, having left his position 1 year prior (2001), being replaced by Mark Shapiro.
Thought that was sounding familiar.
Lol my god you guys stop whining. This is nowhere near the end of the world. He plays till all-star break then gets flipped to a contender in need. Then they can bring up your beloved Albies (assuming he’s even ready).
I know I’m not the only one who is OK with this deal but it feels like it. Plus I rather see what Phillips can do in the six hole in this lineup over Peterson. Might not be that bad… and if it is there’s still Sean Rodriguez
not for 5 months
Sigh I assumed you would assume that the Braves would give Phillips the duration of Sean’s recovery to prove his worth
Not might my fault you made an uninformed statement,
Plus the fact, even before your post, it was stated that he keeps his no trade clause. His no trade clause carrying over is most likely to ensure he goes nowhere this year.
How is that uninformed? If he’s not up to snuff he gets benched in favor of Rodriguez? You decided it was uninformed on god knows what
@gogerty no-trade clause on a contract that is negligible monetary wise for the Braves means next to nothing. A. If for example Coppy wants to trade him he can reject it and sit on the bench and fume or B. Accept whatever team comes for him and get back to the postseason and up his value in contract year. Finally C. He plays exceptional baseball helps the Braves to a WC birth and everyone quits whining.
I see no issues with any of these scenarios
You are absolutely correct sir. My apologies Layercake, to be honest I misinterpreted your comment. Your assessment (along with your original post) was on point.
If Brandon Phillips gets benched he would make that entire bench and clubhouse miserable. If he performs as poorly as I think he probably is going to, the Braves would be much better off just releasing him than benching him.
Still wondering about the money. But this is the thing I like about trades. While not bashing anyone here, so say “no trade clause goes away” and “can trade him later….” never know how trades are gonna go and the carry over of no trade value probably means Reds are paying even more. Plus don’t think the Braves gave up all that much, two late 20 year olds, one off TJ and the other almost 30 that hasn’t gotten about AA.
Will the Reds now entertain trade talks for Votto??? He definitely could help any contending MLB team. Plus, the Reds could and should receive some major league ready minor league players along with a young veteran or two.
Votto has stated he wants to stay in Cincinnati, so the odds of him waving his no trade clause is probably even more less than Phillips.
The way Toronto took their time with free agents Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, I thought Joey Votto would have a Blue Jay uniform on by now.
From the looks of it, the pitchers don’t seem like big pieces. I like this for the Braves.
Sucks for the Reds that they couldn’t get anything decent or contributory to their rebuild from trading Phillips. Feel like any of the previous deals would’ve netted more return if he had accepted one of them
They would have gotten more but he declined the trade. At this point they were just going to release him which is why he agreed to the trade. This way they at least got something and saves $1M
Its not saying much because 2B was a weak position in the NL last season. Brandon Phillips was 4th in offense after Jean Segura, Daniel Murphy and DJ LeMahieu and 4th in defense after LeMahieu, Cesar Hernandez and Segura. I do expect Phillips to have a comeback season. This move seems a win/win for both teams.
Atlanta could maybe contend for a wildcard. They’ve added pieces to a good core in Inciarte, Freeman, Swanson, Teheran so who knows how it goes
I think that’s jumping the gun, maybe a year or two they can compete.
Deal should have been Brandon Phillips, Nick Senzel and Jesse Winkler for Ian Anderson, Aaron Blair and either Sean Newcomb or Matt Wisler. This helps both teams much more.
Cincy does need pitching, but their giving up to much in that deal
Anderson and Newcomb both MLB top 100 just as Senzel and Winkler. Blair is a big overpay for Phillips with 5 years of control remaining. Reds get two pitchers that can give them 300 innings this year and two rotation pieces at least for the future. Yes, Senzel and Winkler have talent bot neither has proven big league talent. It is basically a three for two deal with pitchers for position players. Helps both clubs.
senzel is ranked 9. Those braves players are outside the top 50. No.
That is two top 100 players for one. Winkler is Cincinnati #6 no national rank. Phillips was a burden. Blair and Wisler could both start in the rotation this year, or Newcomb next year and Anderson ceiling of a #2 who was picked right behind Senzel last year. So the trolls live in the Northern Kentucky area.
Yeah you aren’t sneaking Senzel in that deal.
Then no Newcomb and Anderson. Remember this in a couple seasons.
I seriously can’t tell…are you a troll or just a huge homer?
One of the most overrated player in the game.
So many couch know-it-alls here, it is amazing! This is a very solid move by the team. They are a better hitting team now then before the trade. He has 1 year left in his contract little kids complaining. This does not in any way disrupt their rebuilding plan at all.
It does help, but I think braves fans are definitely overvaluing him. At this point in his career, he is at best league average
Who cares if you think he is league average? What difference does it make? They acquired him for nothing and are only paying him 1 million only. He makes the team better. Interesting to see these people’s reactions if he produces a solid season.
Those people “knew this was a good trade from day one!”
while munching on their doritos and highly saturated/trans fat food. “Phillips sucks. He is old. WAR says he sucks.” *crunch*
I bet he’s better than you are
Exactly that’s my point. He’s league average now but they got him for nothing. There’s to many people saying he’s good though just because he hit .291, while providing nothing else
He is better than Peterson that is for sure. Decline or not, he is a short term upgrade at second. I’m going to throw this out there but maybe the Braves will let Phillips play third. He can’t be any worse Garcia. Let Albies play second if he produces in spring training. Obviously pipe dream, but who knows!
“He is better than Peterson that is for sure.”
…based on what, exactly?
Jace was light-years better at getting on base last season (.350 OBA against just .320 for BP) and there is a pop difference, but Phillips was also playing in a park which helped him in that department
When all is said and done, the two were actually worth about the same with the bat last year and Jace even comes out on top as far as overall 2016 Offensive value according to Fangraphs
Now we are talking the absolute bottom of the barrel when comparing these two 2B options, but if a team had to choose one or the other I imagine most would take the chance on Jace (at just 26 he is entering his prime seasons now and stands a much better chance of out-performing 2016 production)
Honestly the fact that you are even praising Peterson in some form is a good thing because i actually did like him as a player. But to even argue that Peterson supplies any more value than Phillips is wrong. Lets not get carried away with his OBP in 2016 to try to argue the point. Peterson is a platoon/bench value at best. Phillips, despite any decline you want to believe in, still has potential to put decent numbers in 2017.
Im not praising Peterson in any way possible – he has been playing at replacement level
…BUT, Jace (.317 wOBA, 95 wRC+) also hit better than Phillips (.315 wOBA, 92 wRC+) and is just about to enter his peak ages while BP is just about to retire
If I had to place money on which would be more valuable in 2017, I’d probably put it on Jace – Phillips, now at 36, should be expected to decline even further from his last 4 seasons of poor numbers. (but again, we are discussing probably 2 of the bottom 3 2B options in the game here…)
Phillips was moved off short in the minors because his arm wasn’t good enough for the position. No way he would ever play third, especially now, when his physical skills are in decline.
Everybody wins, sort of.
The Reds, who know him best, don’t want him. Savings: $1M less the value of whatever contract tweaks they gave him. At bats and playing time go to candidates with at least some upside.
The Braves get a warm body who can hold the fort until Rodriguez returns from injury, for a lousy million bucks. That’s almost literally free, since the minimum salary is about half that. They also no longer have to pay the minor league wages and benefits of the two non-prospects.
Phillips gets a few extra bucks for his retirement account. He will need it. He’s not going to be employed in baseball when this is over. It doesn’t look like he ever wanted to be.
He’ll play again after 2017 but won’t get near the 14M. A year or 2 after this at 2 mil sounds about right
As a Braves fan initially I was baffled as to why this deal was happening, but that was before news came about Rodriguez’s shoulder injury and his need for surgery. Now that all the facts are out this trade is a win win situation for both teams.
For Atlanta – Jace isn’t an everyday player. He’s a good utility guy and I like him, but not as an everyday guy. Phillips, despite whatever short comings people say he has offensively and defensively, is a step up from Peterson. Would I rather have Sean? Of course but he’s injured so we have to do something. BP gives us a capable everyday 2B until Sean can come back or until Albies is ready whichever comes first. For those who keep saying BP isn’t good offensively I’ll just remind you that people said the same things about Kemp when we got him and look what he did for us and how he changed our offense. Will BP have the same effect? We will see. I can’t and won’t predict how it will go. But it’s not a bad move considering we gave up someone who had already been suspended for PEDs and has gone through 2 Tommy John Surgeries, as well as a guy that until today no one even knew of. So stop complaining.
For Cincinnati – They were going to release Phillips. All signs pointed to that. They want Peraza and their other new prospect to play. With BP around that won’t happen. So they were going to get rid of him one way or another. This at least saves them $1M and gives them someone who maybe later on down the line will help in the bullpen.
The irony of this whole deal is that the Reds are sending Phillips to ATL so they have a spot for a former top Braves prospect to play.
I’m surprised the Dodgers didn’t take a one year run at him and save Deleon for something else. A Phillips/Utley would have probably worked for this year.
Not if you’re trying to win
There’s no guarantee that Forsythe will be any better than a Phillips/Utley combination. Last year it was 3.4 WAR vs a combined 2.8 not including what they might have received for Deleon.
Yeah, but that’s bad math. A single roster spot worth 3.4 WAR is way more valuable than 2 roster spots worth less.
Do you realize that the Utley/Phillips combination you are talking about was for 1150 PA, whereas Forsythe had 567 PA?
I would guess that either Phillips would not waive his no trade clause to be a bench bat or the Dodger front office was wary of Phillips’ attitude.
They did pay quite much considering the difference between Utley/Phillips and Forsythe/Utley might not be dramatic.
With the many offseason acquisitions the Braves have made giving their fanbase hope for a WC playoff berth???? I gotta think teams from NL West have the greatest shot at a WC birth for the simple reason they all have 19 games against the Padres.
Fills a temporary hole, decent move. I still see a 70+ win team continuing their rebuild.
Braves acquire old declining 2b
braves fans here “love this move by coppy. He has so much upside. Braves may be able to compete if i just ignore all logic!”
Thank you Chesteraarthur, you have made my day better.
More like, “Braves acquire a decent everyday player for absolutely nothing”.
No one is expecting huge things from Phillips, but if he can perform at or near 2016 level, he will be a marginal upgrade over Jace Peterson.
I don’t see any downside, could you enlighten me on any downside here from Atlanta’s perspective?
Chester is the one to give you downside for Atlanta for sure.
McKirahan is an interesting piece. A former Rule-5 guy who’s been through drug suspension and TJ surgery. He might have some value to the Reds if he can get back on track.
I’m not sure I want to live in a world where Brandon Phillips is playing for the
Atlanta Braves.
Welcome to Reality.
Best of luck to Brandon. He represented the Reds the right way. His defense was the best I have ever seen and he did it with flair. I did say was the best. Reds have to move on and get younger.
Did you not see Joe Morgan?
No bad. The Braves just got a quality veteran second baseman for $1 million and a few dinged up prospects. The Braves are now paying the lowest out of all of the second basemen in both leagues according to Baseball Reference and Spotrac while receiving the offense of some of the mid range second basemen. Frees up more money to do more with the team. Could the Braves be wild card valid at this point?
This is a win win for the Braves, blows my mind how some of you can complain. we’re paying 1 mil and 2 prospects that we don’t really care about that much for a player that is an awesome person, used to be a great player, and you never know.. he could have 1 last hoorah and have a good season. or maybe he can’t.. it’s not a big deal either way..
“Awesome person?”
He’s well known as a great teammate and great person in the community.
One of our memories here in Pittsburgh of BP is the time he unsuccessfully tried to smear Jared Hughes as being a racist. I don’t remember the date or the particulars but I do remember that it was unfounded, denied by all and that he was not supported in his reckless accusation by his teammates.
this is a win for the braves. you’re getting a veteran all star and you don’t have to pay 14 million.
Very very idiotic
Just a heads up the roster resource link for the braves depth chart has Aaron Blair’s position as a 3rd baseman thanks for all the great work mlbtr staff!
Glad hes gone. Should have done it before he could reject it
They gave up nothing for him. Jon Hart is known for giving up way too much for so little in return. He traded Inciarte. Dansby Swanson would have been just fine. But Inciarte is not that good. Hart already overpaid him with that extension
The idiocy is real with this one! That is why i never take people in these forums seriously!
Its not idiocy when it’s true. Jon Hart is well known for overpaying players and giving up way too much for average players.
So explain to me how getting Blair, Swanson, Inciarte for Miller an overpay for the Braves? You didn’t fall on your head as a child did you?
So him obtaining Inciarte and Swanson etc was a bad thing? Especially seeing he sold high on a mid rotation starter. I’m not seeing the logic.
Inciarte hit .290 with a gold glove, and got a cheap extension, you are an idiot.
Cheap extension? More like overpay. He’ll never hit .290 again. That’s like the Nats giving Daniel Murphy 100mil$ extension that’s about 75 mil more than he’s worth. If he could Jon Hart would give 500 mil to get Harper. Over the course of 7 years.
Who Gives a F&ck! LOL AS A MET FAN I REALLY DON’T THO
Then why read and comment? I contend, that you do care, even slightly.
Good I’m glad Peterson won’t be starting
Prediction Alert: Brandon Phillips wins the NL MVP this year!
The big question now is who do the Braves cut / trade from the 40 man roster to make room for BP?
Adam Walker cleared waivers and was dropped from the 40-man.. The Braves are down to (I think) 38 spots on the 40-man, so they have room for Phillips. If they put Rodriguez on the 60-day, that will open up yet another spot.
We’re counting down to the era already eh? I’ll hold my breath in anticipation.
Imagine if the Braves still had Simmons, that would be a highlight reel double play duo.
Wow, I can’t believe that BP’s stock has dropped so low that Cincinnati has to foot the bill AND can’t even pull a ranked prospect…I would not be happy at the recent returns for “Franchise Players” if I were a Reds fan…
One thing I would like to point out. If baseball were in fact a popularity contest and how likable your players were determined how successful you were on the field. I think the Braves would be near the top of the league this year. haha
I almost want simmons back in atlanta just so he could turn some DP’s with BP. Just kidding espinosa and simmons are going to be just as fun to watch this year. I like BP a lot. good luck Brandon!!!