Brandon Phillips appears to be packing his bags after more than a decade in Cincinnati.
The Reds have agreed to trade their longtime second baseman to the Atlanta Braves, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported Sunday, citing a source. It’s unclear what Cincinnati will acquire in return, but FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal doesn’t expect it to be much.
Rosenthal was the first to report the teams were close to a deal for Phillips, which is expected to be finalized Monday, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Phillips was a staple of the Reds’ infield for 11 seasons, earning three All-Star nods over that span as one of Cincinnati’s most dependable players. He tallied at least 17 homers and 75 RBIs in seven of his first eight seasons with the Reds after joining the club in 2006 and was an excellent defender, winning four Gold Glove awards.
Yet Cincinnati has two promising middle infield prospects in 22-year-olds Dilson Herrera and Jose Peraza, and with the 35-year-old Phillips entering the final year of his contract in 2017, the team wants to give its young players a chance to prove themselves.
The Braves, meanwhile, are in need of a second baseman with infielder Sean Rodriguez expected to miss several months while recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in a Jan. 28 car crash.
Thumbnail photo via Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports Images
