Phillips extension coming soon?

[love_that_reefer]

According to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM, the Reds are prepared to give Brandon Phillips a six-year, $72.5 million contract extension.
In fact, Bowden predicts that a deal will get done in the next 24 hours. If true, the total value will fall short of Ian Kinsler's five-year, $75 million extension with the Rangers. Phillips, who is nearly a year older than Kinsler, is currently due to hit free agency following the 2012 season.

Six years is a bit much as he will be 37 at the end of the deal but his entire extension will be less than Kinsler's. Kinsler is the better ballplayer but Phillips is a good defensive 2B with some pop. His SB rates are terrible so he needs to either pick his spots better or cut down on the attempts dramatically. This isn't a deal I would give out if I were Walt Jocketty

[zodious]

Here's the thing, 3 of the reds top 10 prospects are middle infielders. Brandon is one of, if not the best defensive second basemen the reds have ever seen and in baseball currently. He will hit anywhere you want him to in the lineup. They don't have a #1 hitter because Stubbs strikes out so much, when Rolen gets hurt he bats 4th so the reds don't have votto then Bruce, it breaks up the back to back leftys.

All that said, how long can he sustain his D and .avg? 37 is really old for a second baseman of his caliber.

[love_that_reefer]

Looks like a done deal. Jocketty should have stuck to his guns with five years. Reds now have Votto, Phillips and Bruce locked down. It's not a bad trio to build around but the backend of Phillips and Votto with hurt this mid-market team even with revenue sharing paying for Votto.

[Prez WilCo]

Yea not a big fan of deal. Phillips is great fan favorite but 6 years is too long. Read that Phillips would become the first 36-year-old second baseman to make $12 million or more. I'm just not sure what he will have left at 35-36 yrs old making that much. We have plenty of prospects capable of playing 2B.

[zodious]

We have plenty of prospects capable of playing 2B.

What happens with Billy Hamilton now? Is he taught LF? You figure Todd Frazier is the 3B of the future that leaves LF as the only position not locked up or under control for a couple years.

[Prez WilCo]

Not just Hamilton.. 2B Wright in AA(15th best prospect).. SS DiDi Gregorius is the 7th best prospect (projected to make ML in 2013, Hit over .300 in spring training). Then we have Chris Valaikia, Frazier, and SS Negron all at AAA.

[zodious]

Gonna say trade, but for what? They can't take on much more salary...

[missionhockey21]

I am not crazy about this deal either. Its nice to have a core locked up, but I think a deal like this, that extends into an age like Phillips will be at the end, is reserved for special players whose value is with their bat and have a skillset that translates to near 40 well. Phillips is a great 2B, and his bat is great for the position. That said, when he becomes an average fielding 2B, or worse, and his bat regresses, are we really happy paying him for 12+? I don't think so at all. Maybe he'll prove us wrong, of course that is the optimist in me talking.