Coghlan Declined Contract Stipulation With Phillies Before Release

Chris Coghlan could have made the Phillies Opening Day roster (Brandon Apter/Sports Talk Philly)

Former Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan joined the Phillies as a minor league free agent.  Had he made the Phillies, he could have earned a $3 million salary.  Coghlan recently signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and will report to Triple-A Buffalo to open the season, barring any last-minute roster decisions.  But, according to a report, Coghlan could have opened the 2017 on the Phillies Major League roster,had he not objected to a particular clause in his contract.

According to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports, the issue was a 45-day advance consent form that could have optioned Coghlan to the minor leagues:

Chris Coghlan was released after he declined to sign the 45-day advance consent form which allows teams to release players for any reason. He appeared to be in position to slide into a final roster spot, potentially.

It is perhaps no coincidence that Daniel Nava's contract had an opt-out date beyond Opening Day.  The Phillies could have sent Nava to Triple-A Lehigh Valley until they knew if Coghlan had what it took to make the big league club.  Then, as late as May 21, the Phillies could have released an under-performing Coghlan, or stuck with Coghlan, letting him earn the full $3 million salary he could have earned.

The Toronto Blue Jays recently released outfielder B.J. Melvin Upton Jr., which could mean a roster spot for Coghlan, though Ryan Goins is in the mix for the last spot on the Blue Jays.  The Jays have not formally announced that Goins has made the team, though an earlier report from MLB.com said that the final roster spot was down to Upton or Goins.  The Coghlan addition could change that.

Former Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf would have joined the Seattle Mariners in 2015, had he not agreed to the same clause, notes Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors.  Instead, Wolf joined the Tigers organization at Triple-A Toledo and only joined the Tigers mid-season.  Wolf ended up making eight appearances for the Tigers.

Roster flexibility is key, and the Phillies will get it with Brock Stassi.  Stassi can be optioned to the minor leagues back and forth the next three seasons.   However, there will be no veteran bench bat at Triple-A Lehigh Valley should the Phillies need it.   Time will tell if this will work out for Coghlan with the Blue Jays or if he had been better off staying put.