Phillies: Early Look At Fourth Outfielder Candidates For 2017

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May 13, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Tyler Goeddel (2) hits a two RBI triple in front of Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart (16) during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

A strong month wasn’t enough for the rule-5 pick to keep a starting job, but should he be given a better look in 2017?

Tyler Goeddel had high semi-high expectations for those watching the team simply because he was a talented young player guaranteed a roster spot.

With the injuries to Asche and Altherr, followed with a slow start from Peter Bourjos, Goeddel got his chance to shine in the month of May. Breaking free from the bench, slashing an impressive .288/.342/.452 (.794 OPS) in 79 plate appearances, and making one of the best defensive plays of the MLB season (you remember), Goeddel had seemingly arrived.

However, as the season progressed and players started coming back and heating up, Goeddel became the odd man out, and would only receive 129 plate appearances the rest of the season.

This was a very odd situation all year. The Phillies never gave the kid a chance to consistently stay in a groove after his terrific May, and seemed more focused on just not loosing him due to rule-5 draft implications.

Goeddel will have to earn a spot this time around, and he’ll need to impress a whole lot to be the teams fourth outfielder. Still, he remains a candidate at this point in time.

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