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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Reds sign Phillips to four-year deal
Contract worth reported $27 million ends threat of arbitration
By Jim Molony / MLB.com
The Reds agreed to terms on Friday with second baseman Brandon Phillips on a four-year contract with a club option for 2012 worth at least $27 million.
The agreement means the two sides avoid arbitration.
The Reds did not announce terms, but according to Major League sources, Phillips is guaranteed $27 million plus an additional $12 million if the club option is picked up for the fifth year. That option becomes a mutual option if Phillips is traded, and salary escalators in the option year could increase the total value of the package to $43.25 million.
"This is the one team I wanted to play for," Phillips said. "I didn't want to go to arbitration. When [Reds general manager] Wayne [Krivsky] started talking to my agent about a long-term deal, I was very happy about that. The Reds gave me a second chance. They opened up the door for me -- the city welcomed me with open arms. I'm going to give back to the community. I'm going to do many things within the city. I'm going to be really into the community -- I want people to know who I am."
Phillips, 26, had been seeking a one-year deal worth $4.2 million, while the Reds were offering $2.7 million for the 2008 season. Phillips, acquired by the Reds from the Indians on April 7, 2006, for pitcher Jeff Stevens, was paid $408,000 last season.
Phillips accepted the new deal even though he may have commanded more by signing a shorter-term deal, having a good season and testing the free-agent market down the road.
"My agent told me you're losing some money by [accepting the deal], but I wasn't really worried about that," Phillips said. "I just wanted the Reds to sign me to a long-term deal. I've said that since Day 1. I just wanted it to be a fair deal, fair to me and fair to my family. [I don't care] about me losing money and stuff -- the Reds [are] my home now."
Phillips said the new contract won't add any pressure to live up to the obligation.
"I'm just going to continue to be myself," he said. "I'm still hungry. I'm not that type of person -- my momma didn't raise me like that. I'm still going to go out and play the game the way I know how and try to do better than I did last year. I love the pressure."
Phillips batted .288 with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs in 2007, and he stole 32 bases and scored 107 runs, finishing ninth in the National League in both categories, while posting a .990 fielding percentage and a career-best .816 OPS. He became only the second second baseman in Major League history to produce at least 30 homers and 30 steals in the same season.
It was a performance that surprised even Phillips.
"I didn't think I was capable of hitting 30 home runs or putting up the numbers I did," Phillips said. "My goal was to be 20-20. I didn't know I could exceed my goal by that much. I went from 10 to 30 [homers]. It just surprised me. I knew I was capable of doing that, but I didn't think it was going to happen last year.
"That just showed me things that I didn't think I can do. [Ken] Griffey [Jr.] told me, 'Don't limit yourself to anything, because you don't know how good you are.' I'm just going out there to have fun and go out and do the things I can do."
While establishing single-season franchise records for a second baseman in total bases (315) and home runs (30), in 2007 Phillips also led all NL second sackers in fielding percentage (eight errors, .990), total chances (782), putouts (341) and assists (433).
Among all Major League second basemen, Phillips ranked in the top three in almost every major offensive category. He led the Reds in games (158), runs, hits (187), total bases, triples (six), stolen bases and multi-hit games (56).
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=mlb
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Nice signing I guess.
I still wouldn't hit him 3rd or 4th.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Pressure's off big guy, now get back in the cage and learn to hit righties!
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
This is from John Fay:
Quote:
When you promise a guy a fortune -- as the Reds have with Brandon Phillips -- it helps if he says this:
“I wanted a contract that would keep with the Reds for a long time,” he said. “This is the one team I want to play for. I don’t want to be with nobody else.
"The Reds gave me a second chance,” he said. “They opened up the door for me. The fans welcomed me with open arms. I want to make sure I give back to them. I want to do community service. I want to give back to the community. I’m going to do many things in the city. I’m going to go to certain places and try to find me a field. I want people to know who I am. I want to bring more people to the stadium. I want to be how Barry Larkin was."
Phillips was willing to take less money to stay.
"My agent told me that. I wasn't really worried about that. I just wanted to Reds to sign me to a long-term deal. I said that from Day 1. I wanted to be with the Reds. I'm not going to say money wasn't a thing. But I just wanted it to be fair, fair to me, fair to my family."
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Raisor
Nice signing I guess.
I still wouldn't hit him 3rd or 4th.
5th, he's the right handed power
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KronoRed
5th, he's the right handed power
I think the main reason he has hit 4th is to separate the lefties.
If Griffey was replaced by a RH hitter, I think you would see Phillips hitting 5th, with Dunn 4th.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PuffyPig
I think the main reason he has hit 4th is to separate the lefties.
If Griffey was replaced by a RH hitter, I think you would see Phillips hitting 5th, with Dunn 4th.
I know you were just being hypothetical, but for the sake of discussion, I'd put Phillips third and Griffey fifth. Griffey just doesn't get around the bases fast enough.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
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Originally Posted by
jojo
Teddy needs to tell Brandon to keep his eye on the dot.
Because that's all there is to it :rolleyes:
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
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Originally Posted by
traderumor
Because that's all there is to it :rolleyes:
Hey, if BP can get his OBP up to the 360 range without taking more walks, more power to him.
Right now he's an out machine, especially against RHP.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Raisor
Hey, if BP can get his OBP up to the 360 range without taking more walks, more power to him.
Right now he's an out machine, especially against RHP.
Right, I just think jojo is being a bit simplistic on how to accomplish that, similar to the early suggestion someone made for him to quit swinging at bad pitches. Sorta like if I tell my clients if they'd quit spending money, they'd have more of it. While true at some level, I doubt if I'd get paid for that advice.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
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Originally Posted by
Johnny Footstool
Absolutely, but I haven't noticed any hitter getting fooled by one particular pitch as much as Phillips. The low-and-away slider seems to be Brandon's kryptonite.
Adam Dunns too. The guy couldn't lay off of it if his life depended on it.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
traderumor
Right, I just think jojo is being a bit simplistic on how to accomplish that, similar to the early suggestion someone made for him to quit swinging at bad pitches. Sorta like if I tell my clients if they'd quit spending money, they'd have more of it. While true at some level, I doubt if I'd get paid for that advice.
I think jojo was commenting on how simple Teddy made it look by making reference to how to identify the pitch based upon it's rotation.
Not only is that funny, good stuff, its not the same thing as telling Phillips to quit swinging at bad pitches.
BTW, assuming clients are trying to build wealth, if at some point their financial planner doesn't advise them to quit spending so much money, he's not doing his job and shouldn't get paid.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Johnny Footstool
Absolutely, but I haven't noticed any hitter getting fooled by one particular pitch as much as Phillips. The low-and-away slider seems to be Brandon's kryptonite.
You guys have short memories. Sammy Sosa and Alfonso Soriano have never hit a ball that breaks, and they swing at everything that was once in the zone. Soriano is 10x's worse than BP when it comes to laying off the slider.
Also Wily Mo comes to mind.
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jojo
I think jojo was commenting on how simple Teddy made it look by making reference to how to identify the pitch based upon it's rotation.
Not only is that funny, good stuff, its not the same thing as telling Phillips to quit swinging at bad pitches.
BTW, assuming clients are trying to build wealth, if at some point their financial planner doesn't advise them to quit spending so much money, he's not doing his job and shouldn't get paid.
Aside from the use of first person in reference to yourself, if it were as simple as all that, either you'd be the hitting coach instead of typing advice for free or you'd be playing.
As for my analogy, I hope your financial planner is providing a little more than "don't spend." That is the point of the analogy--simplistic advice. Likewise, if you're Brandon's hitting coach and your advice is "keep your eye on the ball, son" as it boiled down to what you were saying, he is likely going to give you one of these :rolleyes:
In both cases, the person has every right to say, with finger in full picking position, "gee, I never thought of that."
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Re: Brandon Phillips, Now Really "The Franchise", Signs Long-Term deal
My little league coach was always telling me that... are you saying he was providing poor advice?? ;)