Marlon Byrd returns
The Phillies' search for a righthanded outfield bat has ended with a familiar face.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Phillies have added a righthanded hitting outfielder, according to numerous reports.
Former Phillie Marlon Byrd has agreed to a two-year deal with the team. The free agent agreement was first reported by SportsRadio WIP.
The Phillies have not confirmed the deal.
Byrd, who turned 36 in August, hit .291 with a career high 24 home runs and .847 OPS in 147 games with the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. A 10th-round pick by the Phillies in 1999, Byrd finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2003.
In 2005, the Phillies traded Byrd to the Washington Nationals for Endy Chavez.
The financial terms of Byrd's contract have not been announced, but ESPN-New York is reporting that it is for $16 million. Byrd made $700,000 in 2013.
In June of 2012, Byrd received a 50-game suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs. If he fails another test, Byrd would face a 100-game penalty.
Barring a trade, the Phillies would seem to have their outfield set with Byrd and All-Star Domonic Brown on the corners and Ben Revere in center field. By signing Byrd, the Phillies would appear to be unlikely to pursue the pricier bats on the free agent outfield market, including Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson and Nelson Cruz.