Cody Asche’s time with the Phillies has come to a close, as the team designated him for assignment and claimed Texas pitcher David Rollins
A move that has been coming for weeks has been made official as the baseball offseason goes into full swing.
Phillies utility player Cody Asche has been designated for assignment, and could become a free agent. To replace Asche on the 40-man roster, the Phillies claimed pitcher David Ross from the Texas Rangers.
Asche was once considered a top-prospect in a decimated Phillies farm system, and was largely over-hyped when he made his major league debut. In four seasons with the Phillies, Asche hit .240 with 31 home runs and 125 RBIs.
Should Asche go unclaimed on waivers, the Phillies can option him to Lehigh Valley and retain him as an emergency utility player. Most likely, Asche’s time with the organization is over. He could never find a home at third base with Maikel Franco looming, and his performance in the outfield was sub-par over the past two years.
Replacing Asche on the Phillies 40-man roster is newly-acquired pitcher David Rollins. A lefty out of the bullpen, Rollins appeared in 31 games for the Mariners over the past two seasons. He has a major league career ERA over seven, and has walked 15 batters.
In 37 games out of the Mariners AAA bullpen, Rollins had a 3.77 ERA.
Rollins has a distant connection to the Phillies through a trade made between the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros. The pitcher was sent to Houston along with Ben Francisco in a multi-player deal that included J.A. Happ.
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Seattle drafted Rollins in the Rule 5 Draft back in 2014, and was waived this offseason. Philadelphia will be one of many clubs Rollins has been a part of this offseason. He’s bounced between the Rangers, Mariners, and Cubs since the regular season ended.
Rollins could compete for a job in the major league bullpen, but could ultimately spend 2017 in Lehigh Valley.