Proposed blockbuster Phillies trade sees Philadelphia land Bryce Harper's WBC teammate, deal three top prospects in return
· Yahoo Sports
Proposed blockbuster Phillies trade sees Philadelphia land Bryce Harper's WBC teammate, deal three top prospects in return originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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After losing Harrison Bader and cutting Nick Castellanos, the Phillies have one of the weaker outfields in the MLB. Sure, they have Adolis Garcia and Brandon Marsh, but neither make the outfield great.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer proposes a solution to that problem: call up the Minnesota Twins, and make a deal for Bryce Harper’s WBC teammate, Byron Buxton. Buxton brings the offense that the former Phillies outfielders used to bring, and a Defensive Player of the Year glove to center field.
The trade would look like this:
Phillies get: OF Byron Buxton
Twins get: No. 53 overall prospect OF Justin Crawford, PHI No. 4 prospect RHP Gage Wood, PHI No. 6 prospect 2B Aroon Escobar
“This is partially about the stubborn weakness the Phillies have had in center field, but more about them properly going all-in to get past the Los Angeles Dodgers to make it back to the World Series. It's a tall order that requires one more big swing, and Buxton has more than enough upside to justify such a swing on him. His durability is an ever-present concern, but he's coming off a career year marked by a 136 OPS+, 35 home runs, and 24 stolen bases. Since Buxton is signed through 2028 at just $15.1 million per year, he's worth a huge haul in a trade. That's what the Phillies would be paying here, though they would at least hold onto Aidan Miller and Andrew Painter,” Rymer wrote.
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This past season, Buxton slashed .264/.327/.551/.878 with 21 doubles, 35 home runs, and 83 RBI in 126 games played. He’d truly be another great bat in their offense, and his Platinum Glove would be great in center field.
He’s also on a team-friendly contract, and for a Phillies team that just shells out for Kyle Schwarber, that could be attractive.
Hopefully, Harper uses his time at the WBC to recruit Buxton, and have him tell the Twins to get on the phone with Philly ASAP.
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