Just two years after an All-Star campaign in 2013, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that former slugger Domonic Brown has been outrighted off of their 40-man roster, and will have the option to elect free agency due to his MLB service time, as opposed to accepting a Triple-A assignment.
Brown has played in parts of six MLB seasons with the Phillies, and was once regarded as one of the organization’s top prospects. Brown’s best season in the majors came in 2013, where he slugged a career-high 27 home runs, driving in 83 and maintaining a .272/.324/.494 triple slash. Brown also posted a 2.5 WAR, good enough for 4th on that year’s Phillies’ team.
Since his 2013 All-Star season, Brown has struggled with injuries, and was limited to just 63 games in 2015, batting just .228/.284/.349. While Brown’s days in Philadelphia may be over, he is expected draw interest from teams looking for a low-risk, high-reward investment. Brown most likely won’t cost much, and could fit very well as a DH on an AL team potentially.
The outfielder was formerly ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect midway through the 2010 season by Baseball America, possessing an outstanding power bat, a good degree of plate patience and plus defensive tools. Brown has not worked out the way Philadelphia anticipated, but at 28 years old, Brown’s career is far from over.
Teams that could have potential interest in the 28 year old include the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros, both of which are very power-focused teams that are either looking for improvements at DH, or perhaps looking for another power tool off the bench.
Brown could certainly fit well in those environments, and while he may not make it back to being an everyday starter, he could certainly make a difference in a smaller role for a competing team.