10:59pm: The Braves have now formally announced the trade.
10:17pm: Braves GM John Coppolella has acknowledged the deal to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter links). While there’s been no formal press release announcing the swap, Coppolella tells O’Brien that the Angels were the ones who approached the Braves on the deal. Atlanta felt it was a chance to reward Phillips by allowing him to receive the $500K trade assign bonus in his contract and also get a chance to play in the postseason.
10:08pm: Phillips’ contract calls for a $500K assignment bonus in the event that he is traded, and the Angels will be responsible for paying that sum, Bowman tweets.
9:55pm: The Angels have swung a deal to acquire infielder Brandon Phillips from the Braves, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Reports earlier today indicated the sides were close to a swap, with the only hang-up being whether Phillips would accept the deal. (He could block a trade to the Halos and eleven other teams by the terms of his contract.) According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, the Angels are sending former big league catcher Tony Sanchez to the Braves in return (Twitter link).
Phillips recently shifted from second base to third base in Atlanta to accommodate the promotion of presumptive second baseman of the future Ozzie Albies, but he figures to slide back to his natural position of second base in Anaheim. While he’s no longer the offensive force that he once was, Phillips and his .291/.329/.423 slash line will be a marked upgrade for an Angel club that has seen its second baseman post a collectively abysmal .196/.271/.318 batting line in 2017.
While Phillips represents an immediate upgrade to the Angels’ Wild Card chances in the American League, he’s as pure a rental as they come; the three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover will hit free agency following the 2017 season. However, by acquiring Phillips on Aug. 31, the Halos have ensured that he’ll be eligible for their postseason roster in the event that they do ultimately secure a Wild Card berth. At present, they’re 1.5 games behind the Twins for the second slot in the American League and 2.5 games back of the Yankees for the top Wild Card slot.
That Sanchez, a former top pick who has now been relegated to journeyman status, is the return for Phillips speaks to the fact that the veteran infielder did not carry significant trade value. The Reds shipped Phillips to Atlanta this offseason and picked up all but $1MM of his remaining salary, and the Braves will presumably shed that commitment while giving the 36-year-old Phillips a chance to return to postseason play — an opportunity he wouldn’t have been afforded in Atlanta this season.
Sanchez has posted a .272/.355/.374 slash in Triple-A this season, and while he could conceivably be a September call-up, it seems unlikely that the Braves would carry him on the 40-man roster all winter. In all likelihood, his time with the organization will be limited.
For the Braves, shedding Phillips provides a relatively nominal amount of cost-savings but also opens regular at-bats for younger options to prove themselves capable pieces of the future in the season’s final month. Albies was already penciled in at second base, while Dansby Swanson has demonstrated immense improvements at shortstop upon his recent recall from Triple-A. Johan Camargo, another young infielder who has taken a step forward with a successful, albeit BABIP-driven rookie campaign, could be in line for at-bats at the hot corner down the stretch.
Atlanta could also use the now-vacated at-bats to take a second look at Rio Ruiz — a former fourth-round pick of the Astros that signed a huge bonus out of the draft and came to the Braves alongside Mike Foltynewicz as part of the Evan Gattis trade. While Ruiz underwhelmed in his first taste of big league action, he only turned 23 years old in late May and has shown a bit of pop in Triple-A this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Swap him with who
For a minor league catcher
BOOM my man Eppler!!
BOOM my man Eppler!!!!
who we get
Pretty busy day
Hoping he can make a comeback in 2018. Was a great little run in Atlanta. Hope he keeps up the great play in LA.
You’ll settle for former backup catcher Tony samchez
Coppy struts like a peacock when he receives a former 1st rd pick in return, which he has in Sanchez way back when.
Hahaha
For Mike Trout obviously!
Bah. Making it tough for my Twins. Wish Sano and Buxton were playing.
I like it second base has been such a sore spot since Howie left
For a minor league catcher
Marsh would be nice but we can settle for Edvin Rodriguez. Unless they swap one of their pen arms. Then that’s fine as well.
you wish
haha you’re funny. you realize a one month rental gets you next to nothing right?
Marsh are you insane? You must be hanging out with those Braves fans who think they can get Fulmer for Ian Anderson and a toss in
Wish him the best! has been fun to watch him this year!
Ima miss Da Dude tho. What a professional and good player. He did a great job helping Swanson and Albies.
Could you expand on the Swanson thing?
They make a halfway decent chicken pot pie.
Minor League catcher Tony Sanchez in return for Phillips
Okay bad deal. Could of just let him finish out the season instead of trading him for a catcher who wont be on the team next season
1) They get something for a player who will be gone
2) They do a favor for Phillips
3) They let camargo and Ruiz play
Not a bad deal at all.
This is a bad return for what BP has done this season. Could of at least gotten a low-A pitcher. Not a catcher who make not be with the team in a few months
Agreed.
Also, it’s not much, but players like these kinds of things when choosing teams. This doesn’t doesn’t sway any one FA in the future, but I doesn’t hurt their persona.
Sooooo, you are trading a 2nd baseman who will not be with the Braves next year for a catcher who will not be with the Braves nest year……..how is this a bad deal??? Sounds like a friggin wash to me.
The Braves also know that Phillips waived a NTC to go there this season, receives a half-million dollar assignment bonus for being traded, and now has a chance to go to the playoffs.
I don’t view the deal as one meant to get much in return but one to provide a veteran that they respect with a chance at a returning to the playoffs. Phillips’ value was obviously limited the moment he cleared trade waivers despite only being owed a couple hundred thousand through season’s end.
Phillips can sign with a contender next season if he wanted to. Angels won’t go that far in the playoffs. But we have seen surprises before.
Angels were a wild card when they won in 2002. Great team but this one is grittier and now they have Trout. They have been excellent against the Yankees, Red Sox and other top teams this year. If the Angels get one of the wild cards don’t sell them short.
That 2002 Angels team won 100 games. They had the bad luck to have the Moneyball A’s in the same division.
It wasn’t really bad luck. Let’s say the Angels win the division and the A’s are the WC. Flipping the 1st round matchups might stop the Angels from getting to the WS at all. You never know.
I believe it also allows them more protection from the Rule 5 draft for someone that they could either re-sign next year, and had the ability to turn down trades meaning less parties interested. Considering he would not talk about 3B with the media, one could assume that he would not be interested in playing the hot corner in 2018, so why not let him the playoffs and receive another project?
Not sure why people say Phillips couldn’t bring back much. Same with Upton at that. How were the A’s able to get Manea for Zobrist? Or the Yankees got that package for Chapman? Im sure we can name several other deals too. Its just that media hypes certain players and not sure if that has any whatsoever effect on team’s asking prices. I mean, look at Todd Frazier and his returns? Come on Coppy. Don’t try to say it was to reward Phillips. Could of gotten more
The Reds tried for two years to trade him. Ask them about his value. This wasn’t a trade to a acquire value. That being said, Gwinnett needed a catcher with Freitas up, right? They did us a solid, too.
reds couldn’t trade him because of the NTC.
Nice meme
This guy actually thought they could get Brandon Marsh, a borderline top 100 prospect. Probably one of the Braves fans who thought he could get benintendi and moncada for teheran last year.
I said it would cost more to get Marsh. Plus they have 3 other outfield prospects in front of him. Teams deal from the depth. We have infield depth in the bigs and minors. We lack outfield depth. Particularly ones that hit from the left side. I know what Im talking about and even brought up Angels are a landing spot for Phillips long before this.
Sorry dude but you pretty clearly don’t know what you’re talking about
It’s a 36 year old rental dude! You weren’t getting anything of value for him
Yes you can get Marsh, but add Teheran please
Imagine if they would have made these moves 30 days ago? 10-12 more wins!!! But it’s never to late and if we get our foot in the door we stack up against any team Yay Arte Finally!!!!!!!!!
The Angels only lost 10 games in August.
What’s this catching prospects defense look like? Can he call games? Pitch frame? He can obviously get on base, journeyman or not.
He wears t-shirts some of the time.
(Not personally, I don’t know the guy, but as a baseball asset) I hate Tony Sanchez so much.
Years ago the Pirates passed on Matt Wieters to draft a reliever with the #4 overall pick (he busted). Then to make up for that mistake, a few years later they overdrafted Tony Sanchez with a #4 overall pick and passed on Mike Trout to do so.
He became a “never will be” years ago. He can hit a little, but has no position.
It seems like the person you should hate is your front office for passing up on Trout.
Angels give up little to get Upton and Phillips. I wonder if Tigers and Braves trying to play nice right now just in case Trout gets made available within the next 2 seasons.
nope. in the case of Upton, the Tigers got salary relief and in the case of Dat Dude, the Braves got more at bats for their young players and room on their 40 man roster to bring up another young arm that will need protection from the rule 5 draft to evaluate and decide if they are need to be protected.
Braves could trade with Rays////////////Pache,Demeritte,Wisler,Fried,B.Wilson, and Blair for Archer and Jesus Sanchez.
That’s a Terrible deal for both teams. I’ve heard scouts say Anderson and Wilson have more upside then soroka and Allard. You don’t trade guys like that until you are ready to contend.
It doesn’t matter if the value evens out or not. (I haven’t checked) Teams just won’t trade their top player unless you throw in a top prospect. Pache, out of that list, is the only truly good prospect.
If you want Archer you will need to give up two of your top 5 prospects.
But you don’t trade future guys away for someone when you aren’t ready to contend. Braves need to stick to their plan and let some prospects pan out.
Gotta hand it to Eppler, job well done today.
This is actually a great deal for the Angels, and a solid deal for the braves. It opens up a roster spot to save a rule 5 prospect, and it also gives us a chance to see some more AB’s from young guys. At the end of the day, if the braves want brandon phillips back, we could go get him after the season, but for now, give the man a chance to play in the postseason. Wish the best for him.
It’s not like the Braves would have sat Phillips for the month of Sept, but they want to try out some young talent, so they trade Phillips to a contender. Thus opening up an on-field position and save a little money on his contract. Plus, the article states that Phillips gets a $500K bonus for being traded to a contender (paid by Angels)…
So Braves benefit, Phillips gets extra cash and a shot at a ring, and the Angels get to fill a Jupiter-sized hole at 2B that has been vacant since Howie Kendrick left.
WIN-WIN-WIN (Braves-Angels-Phillips)
From an Indians fan who thought Phillips was contentious when he was with the Tribe, good luck sir… you turned things around very well!
At this point, the Braves might as well have traded Phillips just to let the young guys get more experience, and to lose a couple extra games so they could get a better draft pick. It only helps the future.