Brandon Phillips told reporters upon arriving to Reds’ camp last month that he hadn’t spoken with the club about a possible contract extension since December. That’s about to change.
Reds general manager Walt Jocketty confirmed to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com this afternoon that he plans to meet with Phillips’ representatives when they arrive in Goodyear, Arizona next week.
Phillips is currently due to make $12 million this season before hitting free agency. He has previously said that he’s not willing to give a “homeboy hookup” to the Reds and “just want(s) what other second baseman got.” If that’s the case, he’ll likely use Dan Uggla’s five-year, $62 million deal with the Braves as a benchmark.
Phillips, who turns 31 in June, has a .280/.331/.449 batting line with 124 homers, 135 stolen bases and a .779 OPS since joining the Reds in 2006. Only 12 players have more hits (997) during the same time span. Considered one of the best second basemen in the game, Phillips has won the Gold Glove award in three out of the past four seasons.
