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Brandon Phillips would be a great replacement for the injured Harrison in Pittsburgh.

Josh Harrison suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch in Sunday’s game against the Miami Marlins, an injury that will likely keep Pittsburgh’s All-Star second baseman out for nearly two months. The Pirates, who are currently at the top of the NL central division, don’t need to search far to find a seasoned Gold Glove winner to rank second during Harrison’s lengthy stint on the disabled list.

Their answer, if they intend to stay at the top of the division, is not likely to be the guy they called from the farm system immediately after Harrison’s injury. That Triple A Indianapolis player is Max Moroff, who, after 59 major league games and three separate calls since 2016, has a career batting average of just .195.

For a better option, Captain Clint Hurdle and General Manager Neal Huntington should meet with a free-agent second baseman who was one of the best at that position just over a season ago, when he was playing for the team in Josh’s hometown. Hamilton. Cincinnati.

Brandon Phillips became a free agent over the winter but remains unsigned. Although 36 years old, Phillips still wears an above-average glove and wields a fast bat.

As recently as last year, Phillips hit .285 with 13 home runs, racking up more than six hundred at-bats between periods with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels. Even more impressive, given his age, Phillips also managed to clinch eleven stolen bases.

Phillips has more than ten years of experience playing against clubs in NLCentral, having spent his entire career with the Reds. He has posted some of his best stats against Pittsburgh rivals in St. Louis, Chicago and Milwaukee, all three of which rank as the division’s top contenders.

Last week, Phillips told MLB.COM’s John Morosi that he has no plans to retire and is waiting for a team to call. In that interview, Phillips spoke about his willingness to play several different positions in the infield, while also offering to learn how to take his place in left field.

That call should come soon, and it should come from an area code of 412 or 878, depending on where in Pittsburgh the general manager resides. By the time the Pirates begin their inter-league series with the Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh fans should be cheering on the All-Star second baseman with the usual number four on the back of his new jersey.

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