With free agent second baseman Robinson Cano's future as a Yankee in doubt, New York has "inquired" to the Cincinnati Reds about what it would take to trade for second baseman Brandon Phillips in the event that Cano signs elsewhere out of free agency. Will Phillips be the team's backup plan if Cano departs for another team?
CBS Sports reports that the Bronx Bombers checked in on Phillips just in case Cano splits, and they've also looked into free agent second baseman Omar Infante.
The Yankees find themselves in quite a bind, as they find Cano's asking price of $300 million to be too steep in their pursuits to stay under the luxury tax, while CBS Sports reports that the return in which Cincinnati would command in order to deal Phillips would also be taxing on the club and its future.
Phillips, who has four years and $50 million left on his $72.5 million, six-year contract he signed with the Reds, hit .261 with 18 homers and 103 RBIs this last season for Cincinnati, in a year that saw them once again play well throughout the regular season only to find the team exit the playoffs early, this time via a National League wild-card game loss to the division rival Pittsburgh Pirates.
Phillips has made a couple of waves during his time in Cincinnati, including blasting ownership for their handling of his negotiations before he landed the six-year extension and for also going haywire on a Cincinnati Enquirer reporter who tweeted about his low on-base percentage, which finished at .310 in 2013.
Cano, easily regarded as the top free agent in this year's crop, hit .314 in a contract-year with the Yankees with 27 homers and 107 RBIs, but the Yankees were beat-up with injuries all season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Infante, who the New York Post reported the Yankees inquired about, hit .318 with 10 long-balls and 51 RBIs.
It remains to be seen if the Yankees will land Cano, but the team is at least looking at backup options in case the 31-year-old defects to another team.
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