Report: Reds' Phillips blocked trade to Braves in November

Brandon Phillips must really love his life in Southern Ohio.

The Cincinnati Reds second baseman reportedly exercised his no-trade clause to block a trade for a second straight winter. This year, Phillips apparently vetoed a deal that would have sent him to the Atlanta Braves in November, sources told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Cincinnati would have paid down a significant portion of Phillips' $14-million salary in 2017 as part of the deal, per Rosenthal; it's not clear what other players may have been involved in the proposed transaction, or why Phillips chose to block it. According to Rosenthal's sources, Phillips' motive was not money - rather, it was a personal decision stemming from "unspecified issues" he wanted changed before signing off on the deal.

The reported trade between Cincinnati and Atlanta was apparently being discussed at the same time the Braves were busy signing utility man Sean Rodriguez - whose primary position is second base - to a multi-year contract. Once Rodriguez was officially signed, the likelihood of Phillips joining the Braves decreased considerably; there's still a faint, but very unlikely, chance that talks could be rekindled, according to Rosenthal.

Last season, the rebuilding Reds had deals in place to send Phillips to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals, both of which were blocked by the 35-year-old. In the case of the Washington deal, Phillips reportedly demanded an extension from the club but was rebuffed; he made no such requests to Atlanta this time around, reports Rosenthal, and the Braves - also in the midst of a rebuild - apparently weren't interested in him as a long-term option anyway.

In a December interview, Phillips refused to answer whether he'd ever waive his no-trade clause to leave Cincinnati, saying only that he's still very happy to be playing baseball in the Queen City.

"Honestly I haven't really thought about anything," he said at the time, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "All I know is I'm the starting second baseman of the Cincinnati Reds, as of right now. I'm happy just to have a job. I'll just go from there. I don't really know what's going to happen. The only thing I know is I'm still in the Major Leagues. I'm playing baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. I love my city. I'm happy where I'm at. I can't really predict the future."

Phillips has spent the last 11 seasons in Cincinnati, where he's made three All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. Last season he hit .291/.320/.416 with 11 homers over 141 games for the lowly Reds, but he posted a career-worst minus-7 defensive runs saved in the field. The Reds would like to move Phillips in order to give young second baseman Dilson Herrera the everyday job.

Phillips, a free agent after this coming season, is a native of Georgia and lives in the Atlanta area.