Sunday, February 3, 2013
Brown a trade candidate?
By Doug Mittler
The Philadelphia Phillies completed their search for a corner outfielder by bringing in Delmon Young on a one-year, $750,000 contract that could be worth $3.5 million based on roster and performance bonuses. The Phils hope Young will be the club's everyday right fielder, although GM Ruben Amaro says he will have to earn the job first.
That isn't a given, actually, as FanGraphs' Dave Cameron, writing for ESPN Insider, explains that although there's still some hope for the 27-year-old Young, he has been almost uniquely unproductive to this point in his career.
Prior to the deal, the Phillies had four players –- Darin Ruf, John Mayberry Jr., Domonic Brown and Laynce Nix –- vying for two corner outfield jobs, so someone will lose the game of musical chairs.
MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says Mayberry will likely make the team, because he is the only viable option to back up Ben Revere in center, plus he has no remaining options. Nix will likely land a job because the Phils need a left-handed bat coming off the bench, which leaves Brown and Ruf to stage a spring training battle in Clearwater.
ESPN Insider Paul Swydan writes that Brown might be worth more to another club than he is to the Phillies:
Paul Swydan
What can Brown do for Philly?"Still, rather than publicly saying that the team believes in Brown, its message to him has consistently been "show me you belong." That's not always the environment best suited to success, especially when that environment also contains 40,000 fans who are frothing at the mouth. The team has now signed Delmon Young, and even though ZiPS projects Brown to have a wOBA 20 points higher than Young, Young has been handed a starting gig and Brown will have to fight for a share of the left-field job with John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix and Darin Ruf. It's time for Brown to get out of Philadelphia. He might not have a ton of trade value, but the Phillies should trade him and see if he can flourish in a more accommodating market."
