PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies have signed veteran Jake Fox to a minor league deal, according to Baseball America.
Fox, 33, will provide depth for the Phillies' minor league system in multiple ways, considering he is capable of playing the catcher, first base and left field positions.
Fox last appeared in the major leagues on Sept. 25, 2011, as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Since then, the Indianapolis, Indiana, native has appeared among the minor, independent, Mexican and Korean Baseball Organization leagues.
Last season, Fox appeared in 29 games with the Toronto Blue Jays' Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats before leaving to join the KBO's Hanwha Eagles in May. Between the two leagues, Fox combined to hit 12 home runs with 44 runs-batted-in and 20 walks over 243 plate appearances.
Fox will be joining the Phillies' organization for the third time. He first signed a minor-league deal with them on August 5, 2012, when in nine games with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs that season, he hit .290/.343/.419 with four extra-base hits. On June 12, 2014, Fox returned on a minor league deal and played in 78 games with the Reading Fightin Phils.
The signing has not yet been made official, and it is not clear if Fox will receive an invitation to major league spring training.
(H/t @PhoulBallz)
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
