Two seasons ago, Marlon Byrd played 154 games for the Philadelphia Phillies, while June pick-up Grady Sizemore played 60 games for the team. Byrd, who hit 25 home runs and drove in 85 RBIs in 2014, was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the season, as the Phillies looked to get younger. Sizemore, who missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons and was signed by the Phillies after being released by the Boston Red Sox, hit .253 in 162 at-bats with the team in 2014. That performance earned him a one-year deal with the team for the 2015 seasons.
However, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, two seasons after the two got a handful of starts together, they are struggling to find work:
Sizemore hasn’t received much interest. He seems to be low on the priority list for teams, along with Marlon Byrd, who hit 23 homers last season and yet doesn’t have a job. Sizemore’s comeback after a two-year absence never took hold enough to be someone’s starting center or right fielder. At this point, Sizemore can only wait to see if there’s an injury somewhere that would net him a minor league deal.
The part about Byrd piggy-backs off of what Cafardo said last week, when he reported that Byrd wasn't 'getting much love' as he attempted to play his 14th season in the league.
Due to inevitable injuries and under-performances, Byrd will get a chance somewhere. It may be on a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training, similar to what both Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are currently doing, but he's going to get a chance. His batting average, OPS and on-base percentage all dropped to their lowest totals since 2011, and most stats suggest he took a step back in the field as well. But his 2013 and 2014 seasons were too good for him not to at least get an opportunity.
Sizemore, on the other hand, may have to actually play some time in the minors to get another chance at the major league level. Between playing 97 games for the Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015, Sizemore batted .253 with six home runs and 24 RBIs. Fangraphs says that between three teams over the past two seasons, Sizemore has posted a -1.6 WAR. Between his lack of effectiveness and his history of health issues, there's little reason for teams to give him a guaranteed major league job at this point.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
