While reports at this point are conflicting, there are some MLB trade rumors out there involving a major deal between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, as the two sides are reportedly discussing a swap of Jose Bautista and Domonic Brown.
According to multiple reports from Hardball Talk and SB Nation, the two sides are in talks for a possible deal to trade sluggers, as the Blue Jays would send Bautista to the Phillies for the young star in Brown, who had a breakout season in 2013 with 27 home runs and over 80 RBIs while hitting .272 and this comes after the Phillies reportedly signed Marlon Byrd to a deal. Bautista would represent a major power upgrade for the team after the way he has played over the past few seasons and the Phillies have enough money to deal with his $14 million salary over the next two years and with a team option in 2016, Bautista is a manageable superstar and could be a way for the team to snag a big "free agent-type" player without signing a free agent.
Losing Brown would hurt, but the Phillies have been bad over the past couple years and adding a player like Bautista would automatically change expectations leading into next season, especially if the team can add some more free agents. The team already has one of the best rotations in the league when healthy with Cliff Lee and Cole Hammels and adding someone like Bautista would radically change the lineup in a good way. Bautista could be a fit at third base or in the outfield for the Phillies and he has been slugging it hard the past four years, making it to the All-Star game each season and he also has over 150 homers in that span with 28 home runs last season and he would be a huge snag for the team.
Some reports have said there is no truth to the rumors, but they have to start from somewhere and this time it was from Howard Eskin of 94 WIP and this would be a huge deal in the MLB. Both of the players were All-Stars this season and each has the potential to hit 30-40 home runs each season and while Brown has more of an upside because he is younger, the Phillies want to find a way to rebuild quickly and a trade could help with that.
The 26-year-old Brown showed off his talent this season and with the Phillies having some other players to bring up, they feel that losing Brown could potentially help the team get back into the playoff hunt, since it would get them Bautista. The Phillies can handle his salary and while the deal is unlikely, it is interesting to look at and it could move farther along later in the winter at the GM meetings. Bautista has dealt with injuries in each of the past two seasons, but that may not stop the Phillies from pulling off a move.
The team made an early strike in free agency, sighing Byrd to a two year deal worth $16 million and that adds some pop for a player that had 24 home runs and 88 RBIs last season. Byrd came in on a small-ish deal, but it is a lot for a player that never hit that many home runs in his career before. Byrd can play the outfield and had a solid postseason with the Pirates after ebing traded from the Mets.
