Bye-Bye BP

One of the hardest things for any sports fan to go through is the rebuilding process of their favorite teams. It can feel like somebody is rubbing salt in the wound as teams undergoing reconstruction generally have losing records and also trade away players perceived as fan favorites. Trading away the star players that fans had grown to love is perhaps the hardest thing about rebuilding a franchise as it usually catches fans off guard when it happens. For members of Reds Country, the rebuilding process has been felt for the past few years. Guys like Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, Mike Leake, Aroldis Chapman, and Todd Frazier all contributed to the success the Cincinnati Reds had from 2010 to 2013 and have all since been traded due to the rebuilding efforts of the franchise. All the players previously mentioned left an impact on the franchise that fans will never forget. However, the Reds’ most recent trade might prove to be the most difficult for fans to swallow as the franchise traded team veteran and Cincinnati favorite Brandon Phillips to the Atlanta Braves for a pair of young pitchers.

Rumors of the trade began to circulate late Saturday night and intensified into Sunday. Baseball experts and various sports outlets were reporting that a trade between the Reds and the Braves involving Brandon Phillips was a done deal. I was a bit skeptical when I read these reports as the Reds have unsuccessfully tried to ship Phillips out of the Queen City multiple times in the past. Each time it seemed like the Reds had finally traded away the popular second baseman, news would break saying that Phillips exercised his no trade clause and would remain as a member of the Reds.

I followed the story throughout the morning on Sunday and did not see anything notably different than what was originally reported on Saturday night. I thought the trade was going to fall through again. A few hours later, a notification appeared on my phone saying that the Reds had traded Phillips to the Braves in exchange for two pitchers. I immediately checked the Twitter account of the Reds. To my shock, a statement had been released by the franchise confirming the trade. I was stunned not because the Reds traded Phillips but because Phillips had accepted the trade. I had heard reports of how Phillips loved Cincinnati and had hoped to retire as a Red. That is why he kept exercising his no trade clause. I began to expect him to leave via free agency since a trade was having trouble materializing. However, the Reds managed to get Phillips to accept the trade and ended his decade with the franchise.

Phillips was my favorite player on the team. He came to Cincinnati in 2006 and dazzled fans with his defensive prowess. He routinely made fantastic plays such as bare handing grounders, making diving catches, and throwing out base runners by tossing the ball behind his back. During his decade with the Reds, Phillips won four Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger award, became only the third Red in history to join the 30-30 club, and made the National League All-Star team three times. He also helped revitalize the franchise by bringing playoff baseball back the Queen City for the first time in 15 years. Aside from his on field accomplishments, Phillips was a fantastic representative of the Reds. He usually signed autographs before every game, never hesitated to take pictures with fans, and would occasionally pop up at high school sporting events in the Greater Cincinnati area. He was one of the friendliest players on the team, and the city will miss his trademark infectious smile.

Phillips was a huge fan favorite and had a genuine connection with the city that only few players can muster. He created a defensive highlight reel with the Reds and was one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise. His skill on the field combined with his love for Reds Country was well received by the city, and it is definitely sad to see him go. However, that is the cost of rebuilding a franchise. Fan favorites leave and make room for young prospects. As a Reds fan, I am excited to see what the two young pitchers the team got in exchange for Phillips can do. Hopefully they can help lead the Reds to prominence once again and have an impact on the city similar to that of Phillips. Thanks for the memories BP, and good luck in Atlanta.

Go Redlegs!