Headlines

  • Astros Sign Martin Maldonado To One-Year Extension
  • No Extension Negotiations Between Braves, Freddie Freeman
  • Adrian Morejon To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Neil Walker Announces Retirement
  • Yasiel Puig To Sign With Mexican League Team
  • Starling Marte Suffers Fractured Rib
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Brett Phillips, The Rays’ Thrice-Traded Hero

By Mark Polishuk | October 25, 2020 at 6:52pm CDT

Despite the new August 31 date and all the uncertainty about how player movement would be impacted by the circumstances of the pandemic-shortened season, the lead-up to the 2020 trade deadline went more or less the same as deadlines past.  Some big names switched uniforms, non-contenders looked to dump salary and add prospects, and just about as always, one unheralded trade ended up paying big dividends in October.

On August 27, the Rays made a move to shore up their bench depth by acquiring Brett Phillips from the Royals in exchange for infield prospect Lucius Fox.  It was one of several seemingly minor swaps Tampa Bay made prior to the August 31 deadline, and while the Rays were already coasting towards a postseason spot by that point, the argument could have been made that a bigger move was necessary to boost their chances at a championship.

Little did we know, the Phillips trade was that move.  Phillips’ ninth-inning RBI single last night started a wild, game-deciding sequence and an 8-7 comeback victory for Tampa in Game 4 of the World Series.  After entering the game as a pinch-runner in the previous inning, Phillips’ first plate appearance since October 7 resulted in his entry into instant legend status in Rays history.

Not bad for a player who was primarily seen as a defensive and pinch-running specialist at the time of his acquisition.  In fact, it’s not bad for a 26-year-old player playing for his fourth different organization, which is perhaps why Phillips was such an unlikely candidate to deliver the Rays’ biggest hit.

Originally a sixth-round pick for the Astros in the 2012 draft, Phillips began to turn heads after a very impressive 2014 season at the A-ball and high-A levels.  He continued to produce into 2015, and while this breakout might have made him into a building block for the rebuilding Astros if it had happened a bit earlier in Phillips’ career, by 2015 the Astros were looking to win.  As such, Houston made a major trade deadline swap with the Brewers that sent Phillips, Josh Hader, Domingo Santana, and Adrian Houser to Milwaukee in exchange for Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers, and $287,500 in international bonus pool money.

The Astros went on to reach the postseason that year, falling to the Royals in the ALDS, yet the aftershocks of this trade continue to reverberate around baseball.  Gomez ended up being something of a disappointment for Houston that year, though Fiers went on to become a solid member of the Astros’ rotation through their 2017 World Series-winning season and then…well, you know the rest.  On Milwaukee’s end of the deal, Hader developed into one of the game’s best relief aces, Hauser has emerged as an intriguing starter, and Santana delivered some solid production over 351 games for the Brew Crew before he was traded to the Mariners in the 2018-19 offseason.

The one weak link of the Brewers’ trade return, however, was Phillips.  There was no doubt that Phillips had MLB-caliber speed and glovework, except after a promising .799 OPS over 98 plate appearances in 2017, he struggled badly the next season and found himself on the move again.

This time, Phillips was headed to Kansas City (along with right-hander Jorge Lopez) in another deadline deal, as Milwaukee picked up Mike Moustakas for the pennant race.  The Moose was a key part of a Brewers team that came within a game of the 2018 NL pennant, and the Brew Crew reached the playoffs again in 2019 thanks in large part to Moustakas’ All-Star season.  For Phillips, he found himself on another rebuilding team with another opportunity at a fresh start, yet he again couldn’t capitalize — Phillips hit .178/.256/.308 over 236 PA spanning three seasons with the Royals.

As a player who relied on doubles and triples rather than homers, Phillips wasn’t quite a “three true outcomes” player in the minors, though he used a keen batting eye to counter-act his strikeouts and generate a career .274/.362/.478 slash line over 3174 PA.  The problem is, Major League pitchers have feasted on those holes in Phillips’ swing, as he has struck out 133 times in his 383 plate appearances at the big league level.

Phillips’ trade history is indicative of his declining prospect stock, as he went from a headline piece of a blockbuster deal to last August’s swap that didn’t generate many headlines.  Not many headlines, that is, until last night.  While Phillips’ first two trades carried so much import for other teams and players involved, it wasn’t until his third time changing uniforms that Phillips himself now stands as the most important part of a trade.  Phillips is still only 26, and given the Rays’ penchant for finding hidden gems, perhaps last night’s heroics will only raise the curtain on a big second act of Phillips’ Major League career.

Share 0 Retweet 1 Send via email0

Brett Phillips Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Milwaukee Brewers Tampa Bay Rays

Orioles To Re-Sign Stevie Wilkerson
Main
Red Sox, Tigers Interview Carlos Mendoza For Managerial Vacancies
View Comments (28)
newest oldest

Comments

  1. stubby66

    6 months ago

    This guy is one of the best guys around. He leaves it all out there. Hopefully he will be a late bloomer and put it together like Yaz did San Francisco.

    1 Like
    Reply
  2. DarkSide830

    6 months ago

    it was a great hit, dont get me wrong, and credit to him for it. but dont go praising the move as another masterstroke by the Rays. the way he was playing he really shouldn’t have made the WS roster.

    6 Like
    Reply
    • yankees500

      6 months ago

      Totally agree. Can’t just start praising every move they made. The Rays should’ve lost that game if Roberts was a little better at using a bullpen. Cash mismanaged too. If he hadn’t have used all the guys on his bench, phillips would’ve been pinch hit for in a heartbeat.

      1 Like
      Reply
      • mgomrjsurf

        6 months ago

        At least DH been used in World Series and expanded Rosters to.

        Like
        Reply
    • itslonelyatthetrop

      6 months ago

      Too soon to call it anything but luck.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • Michael Chaney

      6 months ago

      I came here to say the same. I mean, I hope Phillips DOES become a good player for the Rays. He seems like an incredible guy, and he’ll remember last night for the rest of his life. I loved his interview after the game and I’m happy for him.

      But right now on the surface, he isn’t much more than a 4th-5th outfielder that made the roster for his defense and just happened to have an incredibly clutch hit in his only at bat during the last 3 weeks. This can’t really be considered another Rays heist unless and until he becomes an everyday player, although he’s young enough and still has the upside to do so.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • Chief Two Hands

      6 months ago

      But I thought he was a “hero.”. Didn’t he also save some lives or something in that inning?

      Like
      Reply
      • ShieldF123

        6 months ago

        Seriously Chief, I agree with you. Bothers me when we start referring to these guys as heroes because they’ve had success in a sporting competition.

        There are plenty of real heroes out there who don’t get anywhere near the recognition.

        1 Like
        Reply
        • ICanSeeTheFuture

          6 months ago

          They used the definition properly though…

          – “the central figure in an event, period, or movement”

          His base hit tied the game and it was his at-bat that ultimately won game 4 for the Rays. He was the hero of that game lol

          2 Like
          Reply
  3. Jgwi2az

    6 months ago

    Best laugh in baseball!

    2 Like
    Reply
  4. Trip9

    6 months ago

    If no one makes any kind of Batman joke in regards to Lucius Fox I’m disappointed.

    Like
    Reply
    • itslonelyatthetrop

      6 months ago

      At the time, I commented “Hope he got the memo.”

      1 Like
      Reply
      • Trip9

        6 months ago

        And I appreciate the reference.

        Like
        Reply
  5. Laughing@You

    6 months ago

    I hope the dodgers just start shoving the rays off bases too holy hell

    2 Like
    Reply
  6. SalaryCapMyth

    6 months ago

    The guy pulled a Francisco Cabrera!

    Like
    Reply
  7. MikeyHammer

    6 months ago

    Can’t believe I come in here and everyone is smashing on Phillips. Should’ve not been on the roster this, and would’ve been pinch hit for that, give this kid some love. Came up huge for a team that was dead if he didn’t. Came in cold, big pressure spot, tough reliever. Been working his whole life to get right there. Damn. Good job, kid.

    4 Like
    Reply
    • SalaryCapMyth

      6 months ago

      Good post. Your point is well received with me.

      2 Like
      Reply
    • ShieldF123

      6 months ago

      I don’t think its so much bashing him as the article. The way it’s written you would think that the Rays made some unbelievable trade for a perennial all-star that everyone else missed

      Like
      Reply
      • SalaryCapMyth

        6 months ago

        I don’t know how you get that idea when you read the second and third paragraphs especially. I think it’s an overreaction from a commenting community that prefers a cynical perspective.

        2 Like
        Reply
      • MikeyHammer

        6 months ago

        Not all baseball games are won by ‘perennial all-stars’, and sometimes it’s the believable trades that bring in a key piece of a Championship puzzle. How many guys can we name who have stepped up in a huge moment, that are otherwise anonymous ? A ton. Kid worked hard his whole life, has his greatest moment, and armchair athletes feel the need to diminish it, in some way. Showed him.

        1 Like
        Reply
  8. tropicoflungcancer

    6 months ago

    Dodgers win in six, Phillips is never heard from again. Such a spoiler, I know.

    Like
    Reply
    • mlbnyyfan

      6 months ago

      Regardless of what Philips did the Dodgers win anyway. The Rays were probably never winning this series. Only delaying the inevitable. Does anyone think WS should be at a neutral site? The Dodgers playing there last few weeks gives them an advantage

      1 Like
      Reply
      • yogineely

        6 months ago

        How so? In the last series Atlanta fans were showing up more than dodgers fans even on home games.

        Like
        Reply
    • madmc44

      6 months ago

      He’ll have a job and play out his dream for years, maybe decades to come.
      You gave many people hope with your hit and postgame interview. I’m sure his teammates, over the years, have some fond memories that were relived Sat. night. Here’s to you Brett Phillips.

      2 Like
      Reply
  9. whyhayzee

    6 months ago

    I hope he celebrated with a screwdriver.

    Like
    Reply
    • mlbnyyfan

      6 months ago

      If the Rays can’t get motivated and win WS after game 4 nothing will.

      Like
      Reply
  10. AshamedMethGoat

    6 months ago

    Nice story. Dodgers in 7…Still.

    Like
    Reply
  11. So. Cal. Giants fan

    6 months ago

    If the Rays lose game 6, it’s on Cash! Stupid to remove Snell who was rolling

    Like
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Astros Sign Martin Maldonado To One-Year Extension

    No Extension Negotiations Between Braves, Freddie Freeman

    Adrian Morejon To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Neil Walker Announces Retirement

    Yasiel Puig To Sign With Mexican League Team

    Starling Marte Suffers Fractured Rib

    Jay Bruce Announces Retirement

    Nationals Place Stephen Strasburg On Injured List, Select Paolo Espino

    Cody Bellinger Has Hairline Fracture In Left Leg

    2021-22 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings

    Recent

    Mike Trout Suffers Left Elbow Contusion

    Latest On Luke Voit

    Marlins Place Brian Anderson On 10-Day IL, Recall Jose Devers

    Phillies Sign Greg Garcia To Minor League Deal

    Padres Place Dinelson Lamet, Keone Kela On 10-Day IL

    Cubs Place Joc Pederson On 10-Day IL

    MLBTR Poll: Struggling 2020 Playoff Teams

    Dinelson Lamet Leaves Start With Right Forearm Tightness

    Brewers Designate Jacob Nottingham For Assignment

    Blue Jays Acquire Jeremy Beasley

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • Francisco Lindor Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Indians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version