Future Former Phillie of the Day - Part 2

The Phillies knew what they had in the minors at the end of the 2017 season. Scott Kingery and JP Crawford were thought to be the future of the Phillies infield. Back in Philadelphia, second baseman Cesar Hernandez was coming off a career year, matching his best batting average (.294) and posting a .373 OBP.

So the Phillies, with Kingery and Crawford waiting in the wings, could have dealt Hernandez over the winter and gone all-in on the youth movement. But they decided to keep Hernandez. They should have traded him. Cesar's numbers have taken a hit this year. His batting average is down 40 points and his OBP is down as well.

The thing is, the market for Cesar is going to be a lot lower this winter because there are a ton of free agent second basemen available, led by Daniel Murphy and DJ LaMahieu. Anyway, Cesar is nothing special. If the Phillies think enough of Scott Kingery to sign him to a 6-year contract, they need to make room for him. And that means dealing Cesar and getting whatever they can for him.