Report: Yankees showing interest in Reds 2B Brandon Phillips

On Tuesday, reports came to light that the New York Yankees were “kicking the tires” on second baseman Omar Infante in the wake of the possibility that their star, Robinson Cano, could leave in free agency. Now, there is a report that New York’s search for a Cano replacement could be moving to Cincinnati.

The above from report from Jon Heyman of CBS comes as a bit of a surprise, but it also makes some sense. The Yankees, historically, have been able to take on high-cost, high-ability players as a way to remove salary constraints from other teams, and that would be the case here with Phillips.

Heyman’s report includes this inkling about Phillips:

"Phillips is said to be available in the right trade, but word is, the initial price is way too steep."

I can’t see the Yankees paying anything close top dollar for Phillips, given that he is still owed $50 million over 4 years, but if the Reds were simply looking to unload him (as was reported when there were rumblings of a Dan Uggla-for-Phillips swap), I’m sure the Yankees would be happy to oblige.

Phillips has been a declining player in recent seasons, and while he did drive in 103 runs this season (old-school stat alert!), his on-base percentage of .310 leaves a lot to be desired for a player with declining skills and athleticism. This is a situation to monitor in the coming days, but look for nothing to be “resolved” until after Robinson Cano picks a destination.