Phillips Blocks Trade to ATL

[Kc61]

Brandon has turned down some pretty good destinations. Nats with Dusty, DBacks, home town Atlanta.

If he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, not sure he's going to find more desirable takers.

Increasingly, it seems more likely Reds will eventually just let go.

[Tom Servo]

I still don't understand why people are so upset that Phillips is exercising a right that he has earned.

It's within his right, but what Brandon wants is not necessarily what is best for the Reds. That qualifier is being generous too, it is flat out bad for the Reds that he won't accept a trade.

[dougdirt]

I still don't understand why people are so upset that Phillips is exercising a right that he has earned.

We can be both upset, and understanding that he's earned it and understanding as to why he is doing it, can't we?

[TheBigLebowski]

We can be both upset, and understanding that he's earned it and understanding as to why he is doing it, can't we?

That's 3 things.

[mikemo14]

Sure he has earned the right but after three attempts to deal him.... At least two of them to what would appear to be ideal destinations for him, the Reds have every right to make him a utility guy outif him in 2017and play the kids

[OhioRiverBarge]

LOL

[Big Klu]

It's within his right, but what Brandon wants is not necessarily what is best for the Reds. That qualifier is being generous too, it is flat out bad for the Reds that he won't accept a trade.

I understand, but he is under no obligation to do what is in the Reds best interests, only what is in his own. Because one thing I have learned in life is that if one doesn't look after his own interests, nobody will do it for him. He knows his own interests better than anyone else. If he prefers to remain in Cincinnati rather than be traded elsewhere at this point in his career, then that is his right.

[Big Klu]

We can be both upset, and understanding that he's earned it and understanding as to why he is doing it, can't we?

But do we know why he is doing it, or is RedsZone just making assumptions because they want him out of the picture?

Sure he has earned the right but after three attempts to deal him.... At least two of them to what would appear to be ideal destinations for him, the Reds have every right to make him a utility guy outif him in 2017and play the kids

I agree. They absolutely have that right, and are under no obligation to guarantee him the regular 2B job.

[dougdirt]

That's 3 things.

Math's hard, man.

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But do we know why he is doing it, or is RedsZone just making assumptions because they want him out of the picture?

I'm not sure we need to know why he is turning down trades to be upset about him turning them down.

[Big Klu]

To each his own, I guess. But I will never begrudge anyone for exercising a right which he has earned through the collective bargaining process.

[dougdirt]

To each his own, I guess. But I will never begrudge anyone for exercising a right which he has earned through the collective bargaining process.

There's a difference in begrudging him, and being upset that he's saying no.

I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at the situation. I can't speak for anyone else - but from where I sit, I don't blame him at all for it. But I do think the situation sucks because I want the Reds to benefit here and I feel that they have done everything in their power to make this work for everyone, but he's not having it. The reason why doesn't change that.

[OhioRiverBarge]

For me it's not an issue of exercising rights or BP doing what he thinks is best for himself as opposed to the team or anything like that. It's really just a bold move--one that has consequences for which I'm not entirely sure he's fully aware.

Whatever this principle is he's living by may seem like he's taking a stand, at least in his eyes, but there's a pretty good chance this is going to end badly for him; either released, benched, or (my guess) benched, he runs his mouth about it, THEN released. And what's worse as a fan is that he not only is going to harm himself, but the team as well. It's a kamikaze mission. And that's what makes me lose respect for the guy. He could be helping himself, taking a trade, maybe have a good year, and set himself up for free agency for another potential contract. But he's choosing to potentially hurt himself AND the team, which seems more spiteful than noble.

[Tom Servo]

There's a difference in begrudging him, and being upset that he's saying no.

I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at the situation. I can't speak for anyone else - but from where I sit, I don't blame him at all for it. But I do think the situation sucks because I want the Reds to benefit here and I feel that they have done everything in their power to make this work for everyone, but he's not having it. The reason why doesn't change that.

Yeah I blame the Reds for the situation. I thought the extension wasn't a good idea and letting the rights kick in DEFINITELY wasn't a good idea.

But still, c'mon man. Just take a damn trade, or else they are gonna cut you. It's hard to see this "principle" as anything more than stubbornness.

[FlightRick]

Man alive.... this is a brain melter, for sure.

As a Reds' fan, there's nothing I love more than a player who just really, really wants to be a Red, so there's a part of me that wants to be happy that Brandon Phillips is so doggedly determined to never not be a Red.

But as a realistic, pragmatic human being: unless Brandon Phillips is retiring at the end of 2017, he's going to be Not A Red at least once before the end of his career, so holding out for an extra 9 month stint as a lame duck in the Queen City when he knows the team is looking ahead to a future without him, well.... that just doesn't really make any sense. Is there something about Cinci, the City, that is such an appealing draw for Brandon that it trumps whatever awkwardness his insistence on staying with the Cinci, the Baseball Team, will generate? I'm having a hard time how he's doing that mental calculus, anyway.

Yes, he's got the right to do so. And if I understood clearly why he was doing so, this would be a whole lot easier to swallow. But as it stands, as a Reds' fan, what I see is Brandon Phillips taking $12m from the Reds when there are still at least a couple of other teams who would do so more enthusiastically than the Reds, and the only thing that changes for him is where he sleeps half the nights between April and September 2017....

Unless he knows something we don't, and he's hanging it up after 2017, and wants to be known as an almost life-long Red, or something, in which case, I'll continue to be vaguely annoyed at whatever minor delay he's causing in the finances of our rebuild, but I suspect that 3-4 years down the line, no one would be a more popular Reds Ambassador than Dat Due BP... but I'll be honestly shocked if there's not at least another couple of years of bouncing around the bigs as a clubhouse leader and utility guy, in which case this whole deal with him refusing to be traded just seems awfully silly.


Rick


PS: And yes, if the Reds would just have listened to all of us when we were screaming "DO IT NOW, BEFORE THE 10/5 RIGHTS KICK IN!" that would have been the easiest solution of all, but oh well....

[nmculbreth]

To me it appears like Phillips is playing a game of chicken and doesn't believe that the Reds are going to play somebody else at 2B on a regular basis. I'll be curious to see if his tune changes if/when he's playing once or twice a week.