Former 3B Cody Asche returns to Phillies as hitting coach

Cody Asche, a former highly regarded third base Philadelphia Phillies prospect — who eventually played more than 370 games in red pinstripes from 2013-16 — is returning to the organization, five years later.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury, Asche has joined the Phillies player development staff as hitting coach for the Low-A Clearwater Threshers.

Cody Asche is back with the Phillies after a nearly 400-game MLB career.

Now 30, Asche was drafted in the fourth round by the Phillies in the 2011 amateur draft out of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Just more than two years later, the third baseman debuted in the majors and went on to play 50 games as a rookie — slashing .235/.302/.389 with 18 runs scored, eight doubles, one triple, five home runs, 22 RBI, 15 walks, and 43 strikeouts spanning 179 plate appearances.

Over the next two seasons (2014-15), Asche combined to slash an improved .248/.301/.393 with nearly 50 doubles, more than 20 home runs, and 85 RBI across 250 games and 890 plate appearances.

The 2016 season was when Maikel Franco essentially took over for Asche full time at the hot corner, with Franco playing in 152 games. The Phillies tried Asche out in left field; he was not awful, committing only one error in 440 2/3 innings and 108 chances.

Ultimately, the Phillies designated Asche for assignment and non-tendered him in December 2016 — unable to find a trade partner.

The Chicago White Sox then signed Asche to a minor-league deal and purchased his contract in early April 2017. After logging only six hits through 19 games and 62 plate appearances, the White Sox optioned Asche to Triple-A Charlotte in mid-May.

Asche never reached the majors again. The Kansas City Royals signed him in December 2017, before dealing him to the New York Yankees the following April. A month later, the New York Mets signed Asche, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2019 — all to minor-league deals.

Asche later landed minor-league contracts with the independent Atlantic League’s Sugar Land Skeeters (April 2019), Boston Red Sox (May 2019), and Minnesota Twins (December 2019).

Last year’s minor-league season being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic essentially ended Asche’s last hope to return to the big-leagues with the Twins. Now, he will use his passion for baseball to help minor-league hitters of the Phillies’ Low-A affiliate in Clearwater.