Report: Phillies In Trade Talks With Blue Jays For Jose Bautista
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Phillies need lineup help, that much is clear. The first offseason shoe to drop happened Tuesday, when they signed Marlon Byrd to a two-year, $16 million deal. There might be a bigger shoe to drop.
94WIP's Howard Eskin reports that the Phillies are in serious talks with the Blue Jays to send Domonic Brown as well as other, unnamed of-yet players to the Blue Jays for right fielder Jose Bautista.
Brown is coming off of the best season of his career, making the National League All-Star team due to a one month stretch where he was the most dominant hitter in baseball. He trailed off during a second half that saw Brown struggle with injury issues.
Bautista has had injuries limit his production over the last two years, but when healthy, has been one of the most effective power hitters in baseball over the last four years. He hit 54 and 43 home runs in 2010 (161 games) and 2011 (149 games) respectively, and hit a combined 65 home runs in 211 games over the last two seasons.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that a straight up, Brown for Bautista deal is not a possibility.
MLB.COM's Todd Zolecki told the 94WIP Morning Show Wednesday that there "isn't anything serious happening in Bautista discussions," in exchange for Brown, but did say that he believes that the Phillies would consider trading Brown in the right deal.
