The Reds announced they’ve acquired pitching prospect Connor Phillips from the Mariners. He’s the player to be named later in this month’s deal that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez to Seattle.
Cincinnati maintained at the time of the deal they’d add a notable prospect as the player to be named later, and they indeed pick up one of the better arms in the Seattle system. Baseball America ranked Phillips 12th among M’s farmhands this winter, writing that the right-hander owns a 94-96 MPH fastball and a plus slider. BA suggests that Phillips’ below-average changeup and inconsistent control figure to make him a reliever in the long run, but he worked as a starting pitcher during his first full professional season.
Phillips, whom the Mariners selected 64th overall out of a Texas junior college in 2020, made 16 starts with Low-A Modesto last year. The 20-year-old tossed 72 innings of 4.75 ERA ball, striking out an excellent 32.3% of opposing hitters but issuing walks at an alarming 13.7% rate. He was bumped up to High-A Everett for his final start of the year, allowing three runs in four innings.
Phillips becomes the latest power arm added to the Cincinnati system as part of their recent sell-off. The Reds also picked up Brandon Williamson in the Winker trade and landed 2021 first-rounder Chase Petty from the Twins in the Sonny Gray deal.
Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reported Phillips’ inclusion in the deal shortly before the official announcement.
Aight, now this makes sense.
How does this hurt?
It doesn’t.
Exactly
That’s it? That’s the significant piece Rosenthal reported. Honestly cannot handle this poverty franchise anymore
Poverty? Are you serious?
The Athletic had him as the #9 Mariners prospect and pretty much every one had him in the top 15. That’s not bad for a PTNBL….which is usually somewhere between a bath of peanuts and a PBNJ Sandwich.
A bath of peanuts sounds delightful.
Wait, who’s taking a bath, the person or the peanuts?
I don’t know about peanuts but apparently you can buy Christina Aguilera’s bath water. Here’s the link for proof:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/christina-aguileras-dirrty-bath-water-539382
Doesn’t Belle Delphine sell hers as well
But can you buy Rick Aguilera’s bath water?
You simpleton fans that call franchises poverty are the same fans excited when they sign players like moustkas to huge deals and cry when they’re forced to give away other good players with crappy players who they never should have extended in the first place.
Teams like the A’s and rays stay competitive by not signing free agents for multiple years thus they usually don’t have bad money on the books.
Nope I was not excited in the least bit when they signed Mouse or Nick. Honestly I grew up in Tampa so they rays have always been my second team I follow and their model is perfect. I personally just feel the reds neglect their system and like you said overpay for washed up players. I was actually excited when they traded Winker but not at the value they got, and same with Gray. Reds always trade players when their value is relatively low
Welcome to life as a Pirates fan. At least you guys tried.
Oh thank goodness, this makes it so worth it! A+ for the Reds on this trade!
I thought Cash Considerations was on his way to another team
Cash is gonna play cf for the M’s minor team
They wanted Cash Considerations to play 2B and Cash said “Nope.”
20 year old high draft pick, had a big college year before going pro and had a lot of strikeouts in his debut. doesnt look like a bad lottery ticket, but that doesnt mean it turns into a plus trade for the reds
although him and williamson plus an mlb capable starter and left fielder is not as bad a return as many make it out to be
As a Ms fan, Williamson could be a #2 starter from the left side. Fraley is at best a limited power platoon bat so don’t expect much there. Dunn missed a lot of last year and looks like he will miss more this year with a shoulder issue. He’s most likely a reliever in the long run. Phillips is a solid pitching prospect but he’s not far off (2023-24)
Reds fans who dream of a solid ML player as this piece of the trade know very little about baseball trades. This sounds like a solid, promising prospect and good for the last piece of a multi player trade. The damage was done when Winker was included and this piece could not be expected to turn the entire deal around.
Wait til you actually watch Justin Dunn pitch (if he ever gets healthy), he’s just not good. His stuff is sloppy and he has no command
I’d say he’s a little more than just a lottery ticket. 14th best prospect in the Mariners’ system per FanGraphs. Now ranks #14 on MLB Pipeline in the Reds’ system.
Players ranked in the teens are lottery tickets, how ever a lottery ticket isn’t bad when it’s paired with Williamson.
I agree pohle. The only caveat to that might be that the Reds got rid of Suarez’s contract which short of getting rid of Moustakas contract was something they really needed to do.
Last year:72inn and 104k’s. And only 1 freaking HR!
5.4 BB/9 in A-ball is a huge red flag. Hard to hit a HR when the ball is never in play…
Check josh haders stats when he was 20-21 in low minors. Alot of walks also.
Last minors year 5.4 bb/9
1st year in majors 4.2bb/9
I think the mariners won this trade big time. Should be interesting to see how it unfolds. Wish my Tigs could’ve picked up Winker.
Impressive so9 however!
Winker isn’t as valuable as people seem to think. Corner OF only, mediocre fielder, platoon bat (albeit a good one). Suarez was negative value, so subtract that from Winker’s value. The Reds did completely fine. Always a risk to trade for pitching prospects, but they got two big arms.
The Mariners traded from their depth and while losing Phillips “hurts,” it really doesn’t. He was depth that was 3 years from even possibly making the MLB rotation. Until he can control the ball at higher levels, he’s the noodle you throw at the wall and hope it sticks. If he does for the Reds, cool! That’s not a loss for the Mariners. Williamson stings but if that’s the cost for Winker then so be it.
Suarez was negative value in the grand scheme, sure, but in the second half of last season he showed life and the M’s had plenty of room to add payroll. If he does pretty much exactly what Seager did on a lesser AAV no one will care too much.
He had shoulder surgery in January, 2020, after an injury swimming. He wasn’t the same upon his return. He was no longer hitting the ball hard, and then they moved him to SS last year (for a while). That probably wasn’t a great idea.
Until late July last year, he ran a low BABIP nearly all season, but the hard contact returned and started to pay off in September. He finished the season strong, which is probably part of the reason why ZiPS has him pegged for a rebound.
There’s a strong argument that Seattle shouldn’t be banking on rebound-candidates, and I made that argument myself, but Suarez was the one position player that made sense if they missed out on the infield free agents.
And here we are.
It will take 2-4 years to really know how this trade went, but if Suarez is back to his old self and Winker continues to mash RHPs…
Good thing Abraham Toro can spell Suarez at 3B. And Seattle had a left handed power hole in the middle of there lineup with no full time DH. Kyle Lewis, Julio Rodriguez, Jarred Kelenic, and Mitch Haniger can hold down the outfield. Seattle has an abundance of depth! So poor defenders don’t really bother me that much as long as Servais is playing the right matchups, which he usually does.
While I am a Winker fan he has trouble against LHP last year hit .176. If Reds had kept him I would have made him full time DH. Also he has never gone over 113 games since 2017, always seems to get hurt. Suarez was beloved by all because of a stellar personality and his booming bat. However his hitting either through an injury or Reds tinkering with his defensive position went south to the tune of .198. He did have 31 bombs but those likely to go down now that he is out of the Reds ballpark. Not to mention his salary, quiet large for that kind of production, at least for the fiscally challenged Reds. Does it sting losing these two players. Sure it does but only time will tell if the Reds are the better or worse for this trade.
There are no financially challenged Major League Baseball Team. The Reds may not bring in as much revenue as the Yankees, but the franchise is far from poor and is valued at over a billion dollars.
For what’s it worth, Suarez’s xHR was 34 in GABP and 34 in T-Mobile Park. So we shouldn’t see too much of a decrease in his power.
Winker and Suarez are garbage defenders….give it a year homie.
Winker will probably DH a lot for Seattle with Haniger in RF, Kelenic in LF and Rodriguez eventually in CF.
He’s getting some work in at 1B with Perry Hill as well, so that’s something to watch.
Very wise If they put Winker in the DH. I have no idea how he would do at first base but his injuries over the years speak for themselves.
Probably why there loading the starting rotation with power strikeout pitchers. Less times you need defense!
Wonder why the delay. Medical review?
Probably had multiple prospects to choose from.
Reds bargain cell phone plan ran out of minutes yesterday; just rolled over today.
Better piece than I expected. Not a Oakland A’s return but makes this trade respectable.
Pretty decent prospect.
Keith Law break down:
15. Connor Phillips, RHP
Age: 21 | 6-2 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 64 in 2020
One of the Mariners’ two second-round picks in 2020, Phillips, who went to a two-year college in Texas, is a strong right-hander with power to everything he throws. Coming from a quick, high-effort delivery that he has a hard time repeating, he’ll show above-average velocity and good ride on his fastball along with a slider that’s trending toward plus. He walked more guys than you’d like last year, but it was also inconsistent — he had several outings late in the year where he started pounding the zone and had more across-the-board success. He doesn’t show a lot of touch-and-feel to his pitching, with a below-average changeup and no other real weapon to keep lefties off base, and missed some time midyear with an unspecified injury, all of which points to at least 50/50 odds he ends up in relief.
A “high-effort delivery” is always a concern. It doesn’t have to portend injury, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless.
Decent for a PTBL. #15 Mariners prospect and former 2nd round pick. High So/9 ratio.
Can’t wait to see the stats for this guy. Something tells me he’s got a checkered injury history, or more likely he’s currently injured, and when he’s not on the IL he’s putting up something like a 5.00+ ERA in AAA. We shall see.
He’s a little more than just a flyer lotto ticket. He was a 2nd high school round pick who had a big strikeout rate and only gave up 2 homers in 76 IP between A-Ball and Advanced-A. Ended the 2021 season on FanGraphs prospect rankings at #14th in the Mariners system, which isn’t bad considering they still have a decent farm. MLB Pipeline already updated their rankings to include Phillips on the Reds’ top 30 list. He ranks #14 there too.
Has a mid-90’s four-seamer that tops out at 98. Pairs that with an upper-70’s curve, two pitches that are considered plus. Also throws a slider and change-up. His command needs some sharpening up. Had a 13.5% walk rate last year, though he did spend most of his season in a league that was still getting familiar to digital K-zones. Still needs to refine that though.
*2nd round JUCO pick
Nice addition. People write “likely bullpen” like it is a horrible thing. The Angels just spent a boatload revamping their bullpen.
This isn’t nearly as bad of a trade for the Reds as it is made to seem. However, I get the frustration as management hasn’t spent much of the savings from shipping off two decent salaries.
Exactly….every team can use a Johs Hader or Devin Williams which is where this kid COULD realistically end up.
Realistically end up? That’s not a realistic expectations at all. Being the best RP in baseball is hard to do
FLEEEECCCEEDDDDDD
Agreed…Marinsers got screwed as usual
Lol Mariners won this trade by a landslide. Don’t care how bad Winker and Suarez play defense.
Exactly! Seattle needed to add offense to their lineup and they got some big thumpers. They have plenty of guys that can play defense or platoon if need be. But Winker and Suarez put up big offensive numbers which is what Seattle paid for.
Winker is a great hitter no doubt…..against RHP. Suarez had an OPS+ of 80 last year.
Hi myaccount2. I am a lifelong Reds fan. I posted this above but thought I would share a it as reply to your post. Their defense was not great but might have been hovering around average so that was not the crux of my response to the trade.
While I am a Winker fan he has trouble against LHP last year hit .176. If Reds had kept him I personally would have made him full time DH. Also he has never gone over 113 games since 2017, always seems to get hurt. Suarez was beloved by all because of a stellar personality and his booming bat. However his hitting either through an injury or Reds tinkering with his defensive position went south to the tune of .198. He did have 31 bombs but those likely to go down now that he is out of the Reds ballpark. Not to mention his salary, quiet large for that kind of production, at least for the fiscally challenged Reds. Does it sting losing these two players. Sure it does but only time will tell if the Reds are the better or worse for this trade.
Screwed Like : France, JP, toro, haniger, Marco??
Yes, graveman, O’Neil were lost in some of those
As usual? Have you even paid attention to the recent trades they have made the last couple of years?
The Reds surprised everyone by asking for prospects that play positions other than 3rd base. Historically, no one has loved 3rd basemen more than the Reds. They play them everywhere.
94-96 is no longer a power arm. Pretty much average.
Seems true at the ML level.
This young man is 20 years-old. You think this is as hard as he’ll ever throw? Do you and others here think that what a prospect shows in the low minors will be his repertoire in 3-5 years – assuming he remains healthy?
Is a 13 SO/9 average? The stupidity on this board amazes me…OK actually no it doesnt
lol…mlb is littered with guys that k’d 13/9 in low-A and never amounted to a hill of beans
Solid pick up for the Reds and was in the top 15 of the farm. Honestly, better than I thought it was going to be. I was thinking someone in the 25 -30 range of M’s prospects.
As a mariners fan I loved Phillips so good trade for both sides imo, Williamson and Phillips with Dunn and Fraley is a pretty good pickup imo
It’s actually not. A terrible hitter combined with a guys who’s shoulder who may never be right. Then you add in a guy who has a 50% chance of being a bullpen arm. Williamson is the only piece that really matters and he will be a 3/4 starting pitcher at best. That’s a bad return for an All star lf.
Winker is a .terrible OF’er. You will figure that out very quickly and Suarez was the worst MLB player in the league for most of the season by WAR.
Projection-bullpen arm
The guy sounds like a project, but you can’t teach velo. IF his control improves, he could be an MLB reliever. If that and he develops at least one more pitch, he could start. That’s what you get with a lottery ticket.
They have rolled this guy out a few times and all I am left with is smh and throwing up my arms up with a big ‘why’
I hope the Pirates handle the Reds this year,..
I remember Dipoto being very high on this kid when they drafted him and has been ever since we’ve had him in the system. Phillips is a darn good prospect. But Williamson, damn! Why did we have to trade Brandon. I wish we would’ve traded Hancock before Williamson. Plus he was a lefty.
He’ll develope. He’s 20 and has just 1 year in pro ball. Give him some time
I watched homie pitch, enjoy reds. He is not good. Very very erratic. Looks lost.
Not as big of a trade as people make it out to be. The Reds got rid of one of MLBs worst contracts (Suarez) by including Winker, who can hit RHP like Ted Williams and does everything else like Ted Turner. He’s useful as a platoon DH. So the Marinaras spent $50M ($34 on Suarez, and Winker probably makes $15M over the next 2 years in arbitration) for 3 years of another Rob Deer and two of Winker. If that’s the way you wanna spend $50M ….
Reds got Williamson and three lottery tickets back. About right. Not a huge haul, b/c they didn’t give up much.