Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 9:04am

BRAVES BAG VET SECOND SACKER PHILLIPS

The Atlanta Braves acquired infielder Brandon Phillips and a player to be named later from the Cincinnati Reds for pitchers Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo.

What does it give the Atlanta Braves
Adding the 35-year-old Phillips helps Atlanta in a variety of ways: not only is he a Georgia native, Phillips is also a three-time All-Star who can provide veteran leadership to a retooled roster. Those factors should make the Braves more appealing to hometown fans, and Phillips should additionally bring some much-needed run production. His arrival also gives Atlanta a replacement at second base for the injured Sean Rodriguez, and provides a stop-gap while top second base prospect Ozzie Albies keeps developing in the minors. Even better for the team, Atlanta will pay only $1 million of Phillips' $14 million salary. *Note: In August, Atlanta received infielder Kevin Franklin from Cincinnati to complete the trade.

What does it give the Cincinnati Reds
This is a curious trade for the Reds. While moving on from Phillips makes sense for this team's rebuild, they are still paying most of his contract anyway ($13 million) and getting two mediocre pitching prospects in return. McKirahan is a 27-year-old left-handed reliever who has struggled at the major league level, while Portuondo is even older (29) and has not been dominant as a right-handed fireman in the minor leagues. For the Reds, this deal looks mostly about opening up opportunities for their younger infield prospects (Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera), and also to finally be rid of veteran Phillips.

Fantasy impact
This trade improves the 2017 fantasy values for Cincinnati middle infield prospects Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera, while it hurts the short-term values of Atlanta second basemen Ozzie Albies and Sean Rodriguez. Peraza can provide steals and a good batting average, while Herrera is more of a power hitter who can also steal some bags and bat for a decent average. The swap might also open up more chances for Reds infield prospects Arismendy Alcantara and Alex Blandino. Look for Phillips to possibly be rejuventated a bit by the change of scenery, but do not expect too much (since he is 35 and his numbers have been declining for several seasons). *Note: Infielder Kevin Franklin was sent to Atlanta in August to complete the deal. He was a second-round pick in 2013, but has struggled in the lower minors so far and has an uphill climb to become a prospect worth watching for fantasy leagues.