On Thursday, the Kansas City Royals traded outfielder Brett Phillips to the Tampa Bay Rays in return for an infield prospect.
It’s been a season to remember thus far for the Tampa Bay Rays. Currently finding themselves 2.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees at the top of the AL East standings, the first-placed club has now added a reinforcement for the outfield.
According to MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Rays have acquired centerfielder Brett Phillips from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for prospect Lucius Fox.
The Kansas City Royals are at the bottom of the AL Central and are in the middle of another rebuild
For the Rays, they’re getting a hard-hitting lefty in Phillips who has yet to reach his potential. Thus far throughout 2020, the fourth-year pro has hit .226, with one homer and two RBI in 18 games for the Royals. Phillips began his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, but was traded in the middle of the 2018 season to Kansas City.
Last year, he appeared in 30 games for the club, but struggled mightily at the dish. He posted a .138 average in 65 at-bats, recording seven hits. He’ll look to get things back on track now that he’s with Tampa, a club which has some high expectations the rest of the way.
The same can’t be said for the Royals, who are once again struggling to stay competitive in the AL Central. Kansas City is in last place of the division with a 12-19 mark, which includes going 6-12 for their road showdowns.
With things going south once again, adding more young talent is exactly what they need to try and build for the future. Fox, 23, is known for being a speedy shortstop. Fox hit .221 in Double-A and Triple-A last season, belting three homers in 119 games.
Fox will look to work his way up and help Kansas City get back on track, while Phillips now finds himself in a position to help Tampa win the AL East.