By Jordan Long
On Monday, the Atlanta Braves made a move in hopes of adding more offense, making a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. The Braves acquired second baseman Brandon Phillips in exchange for left-handed pitcher Andrew McKirahan and right-hander Carlos Portuondo. According to ESPN, Braves General Manager John Coppelella said, “We are excited to add Brandon Phillips to our club. He is a Gold Glove-caliber defender who will also deepen our offensive lineup. We are thrilled to ‘welcome home’ Brandon to Atlanta, where he will play in front of his family and friends and many of his fans.” How will this help the Braves?
Phillips is entering his 16th Major League season. Last year with the Reds, Phillips hit .291 with 11 home runs and 64 RBI’s. The Reds were looking to trade him because Phillips was in the last year of his deal. He will make $14 million this season. Phillips had a full no trade clause and had to agree to the deal.
On paper this upgrades the lineup. Phillips can hit and drive in runs. He steals bases to get himself into scoring position to allow a teammate to bring him in on a base hit. Phillips stole 14 bases last year.
The downside of this deal is Phillips makes too many errors. Last season Phillips made a career high 14 errors. That is far too many. If those errors happen this season, the Braves may need to bench him because that could cost them games.
The Braves are hoping Phillips is the answer at second base. Sean Rodriguez was supposed to be the starting second baseman but he injured his shoulder in a car crash and is going to miss most of the season. Phillips must show the Braves that his errors are behind him. Hopefully for the Braves this upgrades the position.
What do you think of the Atlanta Braves acquiring Brandon Phillips?
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