Folks who are hopeful the Phillies would add a credible
third baseman this offseason got half of their wish on Friday. According to
Matt Gelb, the team signed 2004 first-round pick Josh Fields to a minor-league
contract.
Formerly the 18th overall pick by the Chicago
White Sox, Fields hit 23 homers in 100 games as a rookie in ’07, but success
did not follow the next season. Or the year after. Fields was shipped to Kansas
City for 2010, and has been bouncing around the minors and Japan ever since.
Now approaching 30, Fields spent last season in Albuquerque,
Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .322 with 13 home runs
and 71 RBI in 133 games there.
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This is not what anybody had in mind when they asked for a
third baseman with some pop.
Not that the expectation is Fields will become the
solution. Gelb describes the signing as the Phillies trying to hit on another
Kevin Franden, who as of this moment appears to be the club’s third baseman
next year. In fact, this was probably the most telling line about the signing:
“And that was 236 words on Josh Fields. Happy Black Friday.”
Indeed.
>>Josh Fields is first minor-league signing [Phillies Zone]
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