Phillies cut INF Logan Forsythe ahead of exhibition opener
The Phillies have released infielder Logan Forsythe
The Phillies have released Logan Forsythe from their 60-man player pool, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The transaction comes on the day of the Phillies’ first of three exhibition games, and one day prior to the deadline of whether to put him, Neil Walker, and Francisco Liriano on 40-man roster and give them $100,000 retention bonuses. The Phillies could also release these players and choose to re-sign them on new deals, Rob Maaddi notes.
The Phillies inked Forsythe, a nine-year veteran infielder, in February to a minor-league pact with an invitation to big-league camp. The 33-year-old slashed a respectable .281/.351/.375 with four runs scored, six singles, three doubles, five RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts earlier this year in spring training.
Spanning 101 games and 367 plate appearances last season with the Texas Rangers, Forsythe, slashed .227/.325/.353 with 17 doubles, seven home runs and 39 RBI.
The Memphis, Tennessee, native’s best season came in 2015 with the Tampa Bay Rays, in which he slashed .281/.359/.444 with 152 hits (including 33 doubles and 17 home runs), 68 RBI, 55 walks and 111 strikeouts over 153 games.
Forsythe has experience playing first, second and third base, along with shortstop and the corner outfield positions. It appears, however, the Phillies may want to add fellow utility players Walker and/or Josh Harrison to their Opening Day roster, rather than Forsythe.
When the Phillies signed Forsythe in February, he had been their fifth non-roster invitee, minor-league infielder acquisition of the offseason at the time, joining Walker, Harrison, Phil Gosselin, and Ronald Torreyes.
In his career, Forsythe native has played for the San Diego Padres (2011-13), Rays (2014-16), Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-18), Minnesota Twins (2018), and Rangers (2019). He now enters free agency, but could soon get another look elsewhere with an excess of roster moves in recent weeks, particularly as it relates to the COVID-19 Injured List.
We should also hear soon on the status of Walker and Liriano ahead of Sunday’s deadline.