Reds trade Brandon Phillips to Braves
The Reds have traded second baseman Brandon Phillips to the Braves, the team announced Sunday.
In exchange for Phillips, the Reds received pitchers Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo.
The Braves became interested in Phillips partially due to a left shoulder injury sustained by infielder Sean Rodriguez in a car accident, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Rodriguez will have surgery and is reportedly expected to be out between three and five months.
Phillips blocked a trade to Atlanta earlier this off–season. The veteran attended high school in Stone Mountain, Ga.
Phillips, a 15–year MLB veteran, has played for the Reds for the last 11 seasons. In 2016, he bat .291 with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs in 141 games.
The Braves finished the 2016 season 68–93, while the Reds finished the year 68–94.
