Fansided

Phillies sign infielder Reid Brignac to minor league contract

By Brad Rowland

May 25, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Reid Brignac (40) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Reid Brignac (40) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
May 25, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Reid Brignac (40) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Reid Brignac (40) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

On Monday, the Philadelphia Phillies made waves by signing catcher Carlos Ruiz to a massive, 3-year contract, but general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. is apparently staying busy even in the wake of that move.

The Phillies have signed middle infielder Reid Brignac to a minor league deal, and he should provide organizational depth (at worst) and/or compete for a big league job as a utility man. Fans would recognize Brignac’s name as a former prospect/player of the Tampa Bay Rays, where he was drafted in 2004 and played through the 2012 season. However, the 27-year-old isn’t exactly known for his bat.

For his career, Brignac has a .221/.262/.311 slash line (.573 OPS) in 814 plate appearancs, and his lack of power (11 MLB home runs) is a major knock on him as a player. However, he is potentially a valuable glove at either middle infield position, and it would be helpful for the Phillies to have a guy behind Jimmy Rollins and the injury-prone Chase Utley who has some legitimate experience.

I’m almost positive that Phillies fans won’t love this move, but I think it’s a solid, no-risk play by Amaro, and if he hits at all (i.e. his 1.4 fWAR season in 2010), this move becomes a steal.

Home/MLB