Reds tabled extension talks with Brandon Phillips - MLB

From the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s John Fay comes this update on the Reds’ negotiations toward a contract extension with Brandon Phillips:

The Reds haven’t talked to Phillips’ agents since the winter meetings.

“We decided to table it till January,” [GM Walt] Jocketty said.

Phillips told reporters late last season that he would not be offering the Reds a “homeboy hookup” on a long-term deal, but tweeted a little over a month ago that talks were “moving in the right direction.” He was reportedly made an offer in early December.

The 30-year-old batted .300/.353/.457 with 18 home runs, 38 doubles and 82 RBI in 674 plate appearances this past season for the third-place Reds while playing his usual brand of elite-level defense at second base. If the Cincinnati front office fails to lock him up, Phillips will hit the free agent market next winter.

ATLANTA (AP) Right-hander Darren O'Day, who posted a 4.15 ERA in 28 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2022, announced Monday he is retiring after 15 seasons for six teams in the major leagues.

O’Day said on his Twitter account “it’s finally time to hang ’em up.”

“The mental, physical and time demands have finally outweighed my love for the game,” O’Day said.

O’Day, 40, featured an unconventional sidearm delivery. He was 42-21 with a 2.59 ERA in 644 games, all in relief. He made his major league debut in 2008 with the Angels and pitched seven seasons, from 2012-18, for the Baltimore Orioles.

He posted a 4.43 ERA in 30 postseason games, including the 2010 World Series with the Texas Rangers.

O’Day also pitched for the New York Mets and New York Yankees. He pitched for the Braves in 2019-20 before returning for his second stint with the team last season. He became a free agent following the season.

He set a career high with six saves for Baltimore in 2015, when he was 6-2 with a 1.52 ERA and was an AL All-Star.