CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips could be headed for a reunion with Dusty Baker if trade talks with the Washington Nationals pan out, major-league sources told FoxSports.com.
Phillips has two years left on his six-year, $72.5 million contract, and enjoys full no-trade rights as a player with 10 years of service time and five with the same team.
So the Nationals would have to woo him somehow, either through an extension or a boost in salary (he's owed $13 million next year and $14 million in 2017).
Sources told FoxSports.com that the Reds, trying to rebuild after a dismal season, likely would receive prospects for Phillips.
In November, Reds President of Baseball Operations Walt Jocketty told WCPO that nobody's off limits for trading -- and that includes Phillips. He hit .294/.328/.395 with 12 home runs, 19 doubles and 70 RBI. His average and on-base percentage were his best since 2011.
The Nationals announced Nov. 3 they were hiring Baker to manage the team, after the Reds fired him two years ago.
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WCPO.com's John Fay contributed to this report.
