Per Jim Bowden on Twitter:

The Cincinnati Reds are prepared to guarantee a 6-year 72.5m to Brandon Phillips and I am predicting the deal will get done in next 24 hours

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) April 10, 2012

I’m still not sure if I should trust a thing Bowden says, but if this is true, the previously-announced Ian Kinsler extension would look very nice next to it.

Brandon Phillips is a nice player, bouncing between a floor of very good and a ceiling of elite over the past five seasons. He is not, however, quite on Kinsler’s level, and is also a year older.

Should the reports be correct, and the Rangers pick up Kinsler’s option, Texas would be paying only $7.5 million more over the next six years for their better, younger second baseman. Without the option, they spend a bit more per year, but are not locked in quite as long as the Reds. Cincinnati would be paying Phillips in to his age 37 year under this deal.

This is not a bad deal for the Reds at all, it’s just that in no time flat the Kinsler extension looks even better when compared to what peers are getting.