The Washington Nationals rumors have been tied to a pair of second basemen.
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Moving to Washington could be a complicated decision for Phillips, considering that when he signed a contract extension with the Reds, he accepted payment deferrals and chose to move to Cincy year-round.
He is due $27 million over the next two seasons ($13 million in 2016 and $14 million in 2017).
Nationals manager Dusty Baker has been hoping for a reunion with Phillips, whom he managed in Cincinnati from 2008 to 2013.
On Tuesday, it was reported by Fox Sports that Washington Nationals are talking with the Cincinnati Reds to acquire Brandon Phillips. For any deal to happen, Phillips would need to waive his no-trade protection as a player with 10 years major league service and five consecutive with the same team. The Reds received three prospects in return from the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Jose Peraza, who could be the replacement at second base for Phillips.
So as long as Phillips agrees to the deal, that will all but take the Nationals out of the running to get Murphy, whose market hasn’t quite developed yet and with a team like the Nationals out on Murphy, it could take a while for teams to get in on him.
Several other Reds players including Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman and Jay Bruce have all been subject of trade talks this offseason as the team looks to get younger and clear some payroll space. His performance, his best in two seasons, was one of the few bright spots in a hard season.
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LAST SEASON: Phillips finished with a.294/.328/.395 slash line, 12 home runs, 70 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. He has spent his career with the Cleveland Indians from 2002 to 2005 and the Reds since 2006.
