PHILADELPHIA – Three months have passed since former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown was outrighted off of the team's 40-man roster and assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Brown, 28, elected free agency exactly one week following that day on Oct. 26, 2015. The 2013 National League All-Star remains a free agent with approximately one month until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
In 63 games last season, Brown hit .228/.284/.349 with six doubles, one triple, five home runs and 25 runs-batted-in.
Brown missed significant time on the tail ends of the 2015 season. He was diagnosed with tendinitis of the left Achilles on March 20, and was not activated from the disabled list until April 28. Once healed, however, Brown was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in favor of giving playing time to outfielders Jeff Francoeur and Grady Sizemore.
On June 13, Brown was finally promoted back to the big-league club. Over his first 36 games of the season, however, Brown struggled, batting just .237/.286/.297 with no home runs to his credit. His next subsequent eight games made up for lost time, as Brown homered four times to produce 11 runs-batted-in and a .300 batting average during that stretch.
Brown's season came to an unexpected and early end during a Wednesday evening game on Sept. 2. While chasing a fly ball in the bottom of the second inning, Brown flipped over a short outfield wall in Citi Field. He stayed in the game temporarily, but was removed due to an "an undisclosed injury" prior to the start of the fourth inning.
Two days later it determined that Brown sustained a concussion, according to Comcast SportsNet. As a result, he was shut down for the remainder of the season.
The delay in Brown finding a new home likely is the direct result of teams waiting for the market value and subsequent signing of 2015 Gold Glove Award winner Yoenis Cespedes to come to fruition.
Cespedes, who turned 30 on Oct. 18, 2015, had 35 home runs and 105 runs-batted-in spanning 159 games between the Detroit Tigers and National League-champion New York Mets.
There are 24 outfielders, including Cespedes, who are awaiting to sign with new teams for the 2016 season, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Included in the list are former Phillies Marlon Byrd (2002-2005; 2014), Shane Victorino (2005-2012), Delmon Young (2013), Sizemore (2014-2015) and Francoeur (2015).
- Marlon Byrd (38)
- David DeJesus (36)
- Skip Schumaker (36)
- Chris Denorfia (35)
- Jonny Gomes (35)
- Ryan Raburn (35)
- Alex Rios (35)
- Shane Victorino (35)
- David Murphy (34)
- Steve Pearce (33)
- Grady Sizemore (33)
- Will Venable (33)
- Rickie Weeks (33)
- Jeff Francoeur (32)
- Matt Joyce (31)
- Drew Stubbs (31)
- Yoenis Cespedes (30)
- Dexter Fowler (30)
- David Lough (30)
- Delmon Young (30)
- Austin Jackson (29)
- Domonic Brown (28)
- Travis Snider (28)
- Guillermo Heredia (25)
Byrd, at 38 years of age, is the oldest of the 24 outfielders who have yet to be signed for the upcoming season. The 14-year veteran played in 96 and 39 games respectively with the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants last season, combining to hit .247/.290/.453 with a respectable 23 home runs and 73 runs-batted-in.
Victorino, 35, played with both the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season upon the July 27, 2015, trade that sent 26-year-old infielder Josh Rutledge to Boston. Rutledge provided depth, filling in at times for the injured Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt.
In 71 games and 204 plate appearances, Victorino had just seven extra-base hits and seven runs-batted-in.
Following his release from the Phillies on June 1, 2015, Sizemore took two weeks before latching onto a new club, the fourth of his 10-year career, in the Tampa Bay Rays. In 58 games, the three-time All-Star had 12 doubles, homered six times and produced 20 runs.
Francoeur, 32, was perhaps the most valuable player in an overall disappointing season for the former Ryne Sandberg-led Phillies last season. Playing in his most games in a campaign since 2012, the 2007 National League Gold Glove Award winner hit .258/.286/.433 with 16 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 45 runs-batted-in.
The 11-year veteran's impact was felt more in the locker room, however, as young players looked up to him as a mentor.
Whether Brown signs ahead of these aforementioned names, or the 19 other names of free agent outfielders on the list, is yet to be seen. Each different player brings their own unique set of assets and skills that fit in differently with the schemes of different organizations.
Any team who signs Brown will hope the once-donned "five-tool player" can regain some of that lost talent with a change of scenery. Once Cespedes gets off the market, time will tell who that very team will be.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
