Coghlan joins Phillies on Minor League deal

Veteran outfielder to compete for roster spot in spring

February 3rd, 2017

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies added another outfielder to their Spring Training mix on Friday, and he has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster as a bench player. Philadelphia announced it has signed outfielder Chris Coghlan on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
Coghlan, 31, played well with the Cubs in 2014-15 (.793 OPS in 935 plate appearances) before being traded to the A's last February to make room for . He was traded back to Chicago in June and hit .252 with one home run, 16 RBIs and a .779 OPS in 128 plate appearances the rest of the way. Coghlan also had eight plate appearances in the postseason, in which the Cubs won the World Series.
, and are expected to be the Phillies' Opening Day outfielders. is a good bet to be the fourth outfielder. Coghlan and fellow non-roster invitee figure to be the top competitors to be the fifth. also could be in the mix.
Coghlan, who bats left-handed, has hit .260 with a .736 OPS in an eight-year career with the Marlins, A's and Cubs. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2009. Nava, who is a switch-hitter, has hit .262 with a .727 OPS in a six-year career with the Red Sox, Rays, Angels and Royals.
Other outfielders in camp include top prospects, and , but each is expected to begin the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Prospects and also will be in camp as non-roster invitees. They also are likely to begin the season in the Minor Leagues.