When the Phillies signed Marlon Byrd, it was a homecoming for Byrd. Watching Byrd play during Spring Training, reunited with Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, he seemed excited to be with them again. Byrd said the right things last week when asked about being traded, including that he was hoping to retire a Philadelphia Phillie. But, with the Phillies future bleak, moving Byrd and others may be the only thing that will get the Phillies better. According to a report, Byrd will not be moved without being compensated.
Byrd negotiated a four-team no-trade clause into his Phillies contract. Byrd can block trades to four teams: the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. The reason for Toronto and Tampa Bay was that Byrd wished to stay off of artificial turf on a regular basis. The other two? Byrd said that “those really are things that were just put on at the time being.” In other words, pay me.
Jim Bowden of ESPN reported on his insider blog that Byrd would need his third-year contract option guaranteed to be traded to the Royals or Mariners. The Seattle Mariners in particular appear to be interested in Byrd's services and certainly could use him.
The Mariners are currently starting in center field none other than Endy Chavez, the player the Phillies traded Byrd for straight up back in 2005. The wo corner outfield starters are a struggling Dustin Ackley (.660 OPS) and former Miami Marlin and Twitter favorite Logan Morrison, also struggling (.654 OPS). The entire outfield is left-handed and Byrd would provide some much-needed balance.
The Mariners are eight games over the .500 mark and if the season ended today would be the second wild card in the American League. Seattle has been too poor for too long to blow this playoff opportunity. Byrd would be a good fit. The question is, if they have to guarantee Byrd's third year: would the Phillies get anything back? Stay tuned.
