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Are the Atlanta Braves Now Stuck on Brandon Phillips?

By Andrew Scherer

Mar 7, 2016; Dunedin, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Ozzie Albies (87) smiles as he works out prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2016; Dunedin, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Ozzie Albies (87) smiles as he works out prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the recent acquisition of second baseman Brandon Phillips, the question arises: does this affect top prospect Ozzie Albies’ path to Atlanta in 2017?

The Atlanta Braves farm system has quickly risen to the top in baseball, and near the top of that list is second baseman Ozzie Albies.

Following up an efficient 2015 season in Rome, Albies burst onto the scene in 2016. Across Mississippi and Gwinnett, Albies hit a combined .292/.358/.420 to go along with 83 runs, 6 home runs, and 30 steals.

A season like that does not go unnoticed, with Albies now being named the 11th ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. With all of this being said, should we be worried that Brandon Phillips will block Albies from reaching the bigs?

For starters, this trade was a must for the Braves. News recently broke that Sean Rodriguez would possibly miss most of the season with a shoulder injury, stemming from a horrible car accident he and his family was in a couple of weeks ago. Due to this, the Braves went out and traded for the guy they wanted in the first place, Brandon Phillips.

Phillips is not the 30-30 guy he once was a couple of years back, but he is still a serviceable major league starter. In his age 35 season, Phillips slashed .291/.320/.416.

To go along with that line, Phillips posted a 0.8 WAR. Not anything “eye-popping” per say, but he still has value. The question that may follow this trade is obvious:  will good play from Phillips keep Albies from coming up?

Clearing a Path

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To get this conversation going, Phillips will not hold Albies back. This trade was incredibly team friendly, as the Braves only truly owe Phillips one million dollars. The Reds are covering 13 million of the 14 he is owed, which is a huge plus for the Braves.

This trade allows the Braves to not be heavily tied down to Phillips, which plays a big role in Albies’ potential promotion.

Also, the Braves will honor the list of 12 teams that Phillips is open to being traded too…or buy him out for half a million. This paves the way for the possibility that the Braves will flip him for more prospects next season.

Last off-season the Braves acquired shortstop Erick Aybar from the Angels. Before the season even started the rumblings were clear:  “would Aybar hold Swanson back?”  Swanson performed well in the minors, opening the door for him in Atlanta no matter who was ahead of him.  I see the same situation happening this season with Albies.

The Braves do not have much tied into Brandon Phillips at all. He is an average player who will give this team average production, which is not a knock on him. But due to the investment, it is nearly impossible for him to block Albies.

Next: Going to WAR Over Catchers

The steady improvement of Albies will not be slowed down by a 35 year old Phillips, especially with the minimal investment the Braves have put in. Expect to see Albies this summer.

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