This week, the Los Angeles Angels announced the signing of outfielder Brett Phillips.
They signed him to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.
It’s a fairly affordable deal for a guy who was once considered one of the more promising prospects in baseball.
The problem with Phillips is his offense: it failed to develop as satisfactory as his excellent defense, and he is a career .188/.273/.348 hitter with 28 homers and 36 stolen bases over 900 plate appearances in MLB.
In addition to his defense, he brings in plenty of other things: speed, a nice clubhouse presence, and charisma.
Angels insider Sam Blum, who covers the team for The Athletic, acknowledges Phillips is a nice piece to have but wonders how the playing time situation will develop.
“Brett Phillips makes a lot of sense as a 4th outfielder for the Angels. They have Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak, but not sure it makes a lot of sense for either to not be getting at-bats,” he tweeted.
Brett Phillips makes a lot of sense as a 4th outfielder for the Angels.
They have Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak, but not sure it makes a lot of sense for either to not be getting at-bats. https://t.co/4WDS9WeaY9
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) January 9, 2023
Perhaps because of what Blum explains, both Adell and Moniak are listed as minor leaguers on FanGraphs’ Roster Resource (an organizational review of the depth chart, starters, lineup, and others), while Phillips appears as a reserve in MLB.
While Phillips may be a useful fourth outfielder, the Angels have high hopes for both Adell and Moniak.
They would love for them to win a spot in the MLB outfield, but they have Mike Trout, Hunter Renfroe and Taylor Ward there with Shohei Ohtani as the designated hitter.
Let’s see how everything turns out.
NEXT: A Former Rays Fan Favorite Is Headed Out West