With Ben Revere out for at least six to eight weeks with a broken right ankle, the Phillies are suddenly looking for a center fielder to fill the void.
From Todd Zolecki of MLB.com:
"The prognosis doesn't sound too good," Amaro said. "I think it's something that's going to take a while. … Whoever we think is an upgrade, whether it's defensive or offensive. We'd like to probably get a little bit better. John [Mayberry Jr.] is a good center fielder. He's not a plus defender. So if we can get a better one than that, that'd be good."
Revere was one of the hottest hitters on the Phillies at the time of his injury. He was hitting .347 since the end of April, the sixth best in baseball in that time span.
While the Phillies are looking internally for a replacement, there are more likely to test the trade market. Here are a couple options:
Alejandro De Aza
While De Aza may not be the strongest centerfielder defensively, he has been a productive hitter for the White Sox for the last two years. He is arbitration-eligible for the second time in the offseason and his salary is manageable at $2.08M for 2013. The White Sox are selling and looking to rebuild. De Aza could potentially garner a couple decent chips for rebuilding.
Justin Ruggiano
The Marlins are not interested in trading Ruggiano according to a report by Juan Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Ruggiano is a top-notch fielder and has a solid power and speed. He is under team control until 2016 and is not yet arbitration eligible, so the asking price will likely be high.
Colby Rasmus
This one is totally dependent on whether or not the Blue Jays will become sellers at the deadline. General manager Alex Anthopoulos' team is currently 11.5 games out of first place and eight games back in the Wild Card race. A losing streak could easily push them out of contention. Rasmus has one year of team control left before free agency. Any team interested in Rasmus will likely need to pay a pretty hefty price. A former top prospect for the Cardinals, Rasmus has a lot of potential and tools.
David DeJesus
DeJesus is currently injured and there is no timetable for his return. That alone would prevent him from being traded. When he is healthy, DeJesus is very good against right-handed pitching and has a cheap club option for 2014, so he would likely be more than a rental for any team that goes after him. He may be available in August if he can clear waivers.
Alex Rios
Rios has not player centerfield since De Aza arrived in Chicago in 2011. He is currently hitting .270 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI and a .326 OBP. Rios' contract is set to expire in 2014 with a club option for 2015. The White Sox could get a pretty good package for the outfielder.
More from MLB Daily Dish:
- Cubs rumors: Sides making progress in Matt Garza talks
- Yankees rumors: Robinson Cano likely headed for free agency
- Red Sox rumors: Looking hard for bullpen help
- Phillies interested in Joba Chamberlain
- Join the MLBDD community and write a fanpost!
