The Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Mikie Mahtook, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The CAA client will be in Major League Spring Training and would earn an $850K base salary upon making the big league roster.
Mahtook, 30, showed well through 115 plate appearances as a Rays rookie in 2015 and posted a solid season with the Tigers in 2017 (.276/.330/.457 in 379 plate appearances). Outside of those two efforts, however, he hasn’t performed well in parts of five seasons in the Majors. The former first-rounder is a career .235/.292/.405 hitter with a 6.1 percent walk rate and a 26.4 percent strikeout rate through 965 trips to the plate at the game’s top level.
Mahtook will give the Phils an experienced right-handed-hitting option at all three outfield positions — one who does have a more solid .269/.342/.441 career line in parts of five Triple-A seasons (1818 plate appearances). The outfield in Philadelphia will assuredly feature Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen in the corners, but center field lacks clarity after Odubel Herrera was suspended for half the season under MLB’s domestic violence policy. Alternative in-house options include Adam Haseley, Scott Kingery (if he’s not deployed at third base) and Roman Quinn.
Good signing Phillies.
Uh, ….
Holy smokes that 2019. Geaux Tigers…but dang
interesting depth option
he was good for the D…hustle
*surprised emoji*
When you can’t hit or field, hustle is kinda useless.
Adam Haseley has already been named by Klentak as the starting CF.
he declared this? despite no one asking him to? in december? when there are multiple options on the roster and the free agent market? before spring training? sir i do not believe you, or i sit here and call matt klentak incompetent.
Haseley deserves the chance, and Klentak did say that a combination of Haseley/Quinn will get the majority of time in CF, so you know that means AH will get the most. What options are there on the FA market for a team that seems to want to stay below the 208 line?
Admittedly I don’t think there are any. So I guess its not that weird if they’re going into spring with that. Still weird to say. Jon daniel might have said it’ll be deshields,and then the next day that would have been a lit. So even if the possibility is remote…why? But yes I get what you’re saying, and the likelihood he speaks truth.
Looks like its going to be Haisley against RH and Quinn against LH in CF this year for the Phils. I think Haisley is more of a high end fourth OF’er but he deserves a chance. I suggested to Todd Zolecki in a Phillies mailbag that the club should explore an Odubel trade to the Rockies for one of those awful reliever contracts. Odubel for Bryan Shaw straight up? I mean Colorado was deploying Ian Desmond in CF last year. That’s pretty bad. At least Odubel can be a serviceable left handed compliment to the RH Desmond, and may regain his stroke hitting in that park. Shaw, McGee or Davis would surely benefit not pitching at altitude anymore. Plus the Phillies need a reliever and this trade would prevent them from going over the luxury tax threshold, whereas signing Betances would put them right at it or just over.
I like this idea.
yes, he did declare it. please look it up if you are not sure.
Whitlock nails it again!!!
.780 OPS for 30 year old minor leaguer is “solid”… Well it does say “more solid”…
Why do people latch to this guy like he’s gonna turn things around… he’s not… he’s terrible…. move on at some point
Well said! Terrible is putting it lightly.
I read this headline as Mickey Moniak and was like WTH??
The Phillies Mahtook a chance.
Grinder. Minors still pay as much as upscale restaurants.
Moves like this are why Phillies will be behind the Braves and Nats again this year. How about a quality 3rd baseman,backup catcher, and some relief pitching Klentak.We’really tired of seeing the same stinking mediocre pitchers while you wait for them to develop!!Oh and some real bench HITTERS.
Moves like this are why Phillies will be behind the Braves and Nats again this year. How but a quality 3rd baseman,backup catcher, and some relief pitching Klentak.We’really tired of seeing the same stinking mediocre pitchers while you wait for them to develop!!
So nice you had to post it twice?
It’s just a depth/injury insurance signing.