With the offseason officially in high gear for the Phillies, the team made some moves on Thursday afternoon, removing several players from the 40-man roster. According to Phillies.com beat writer Todd Zolecki, Justin De Fratus, Erik Kratz, Chase d'Arnaud, Jordan Danks, Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts were all removed. Meanwhile, Jonathan Pettibone was activated from the 60-day disabled list and also outrighted off of the Phils 40-man.
Zolecki mentions that De Fratus, Kratz, Loewen and d'Arnaud can become free agents immediately while Roberts will remain with the team. Jordan Danks and Jonthan Pettibone can become minor league free agents following the conclusion of the World Series.
The most notable player of the group headed off of the 40-man is right-hander Justin De Fratus. Heading into the season, the four-year veteran was bound for a seventh inning role out of the bullpen after posting a 2.39 ERA in 52 2/3 innings during 2014. Unfortunately, he followed that up with a bad 2015 season, going 0-2 with a 5.51 ERA, the highest of his career. The Phillies drafted De Fratus in the 11th round of the 2007 draft. In 191 games, spanning 194 innings, the 24-year-old went 7-6 with a 4.08 ERA.
Catcher Erik Kratz joins De Fratus on the outright list after signing a minor league deal with the Phillies in July. In 26 games for the Ironpigs, Kratz hit .312 with eight doubles, three homers and 15 RBI's. The Phillies called him up on September 1st and he played in 12 games, going 5-for-22 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs.
31-year-old southpaw Adam Loewen exits the 40-man after reaching the big leagues with the Phillies for the first time since 2008. In 20 games this season, he went 1-0 with a 6.98 ERA. The Phils changed his arm slot, which helped him as the season concluded. He allowed just three runs over his final 10 appearances, spanning eight innings.
Ken Roberts, claimed off waivers by the Phillies on August 30th, pitched three games in Lehigh Valley before making his Phillies debut on September 9th. The 27-year-old left-hander allowed five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Versatile outfielder Jordan Danks hit .257 with 27 doubles, six home runs and 46 RBIs with the Ironpigs this season before joining the Phillies during September roster expansion. He went 0-for-4 in four games played with the Phils.
Chase d'Arnaud, brother of former Phillies prospect and current Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud hit .268 with 18 doubles, five triples, five homers and 35 RBIs in Triple-A. Like Danks, he was brought up in September and saw limited action. In 11 games, he went 3-for-17 with two runs scored, a triple and a walk.
Finally, Jonathan Pettibone joins the list of players outrighted. Right shoulder issues, resulting in multiple surgeries, kept Pettibone from returning to the big leagues after posting a solid rookie campaign in 2013. He went 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA and also made two starts in 2014 for the Phillies, but surrendered nine earned runs in nine innings. After struggling at the Triple-A level as well, Pettibone had shoulder surgery and hasn't pitched since.
Brandon Apter, Managing Editor for Philliedeplhia.com
