Height
6'2"
Weight
209 lbs
Age
24
College
N/A
Draft
2020, Rd 1, #64
Experience
2 yrs
Bats/Throws
R/R
Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsB+
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 28 | 4.841379 | 7-1 | 62 | 1.1793103 | 0.0 | 0 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
AAV
$780K/yr
Contract Value Index (CVI)
Connor Phillips' one-year, $0.8M deal with the Reds earns a B+ CVI, representing smart value acquisition for a rebuilding franchise looking to bolster its bullpen depth. The 27-year-old reliever brings above-average stuff at near-minimum salary, giving Cincinnati exceptional cost control while they develop their farm system talent. Phillips profiles as a solid middle-relief option who can handle multiple innings and provide stable production in the 1-2 WAR range, which makes this contract a clear win given the inflated reliever market where comparable arms are commanding $3-5M annually. The short-term commitment aligns perfectly with the Reds' competitive timeline, allowing them to either retain Phillips if he outperforms or flip him at the deadline to a contender seeking bullpen help. This is the type of low-risk, high-upside signing that rebuilding teams should target — proven MLB production at a bargain rate with plenty of room for positive regression.
Fan & Media Sentiment
The media and fan sentiment around Connor Phillips sits in cautious middle ground — there's genuine intrigue about his upside, but everyone's hedging their bets given his track record. The major surgery looms large in coverage, creating this underlying narrative of "what if he stays healthy" that colors every discussion about the reliever's future with Cincinnati. His recent performance improvements have generated some optimism among beat writers and analysts, but the inconsistency that has defined his career keeps most observers from fully buying in. The disconnect between his C- sentiment grade and stronger B performance grade reveals how much his injury history and reliability concerns overshadow what he's actually producing on the mound. For the narrative to truly shift, Phillips needs to string together not just good outings, but sustained health over a full season — something that would transform him from a "lottery ticket" into a legitimate bullpen asset. Right now, public opinion treats him exactly like what Cincinnati hoped to find: a low-cost reclamation project with real potential that no one wants to get too excited about until he proves the durability questions wrong.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 4/10 | vs LAA | L 2-10 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| Wed, 4/8 | @ MIA | L 4-7 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
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