Brown, Joseph, Others Outrighted

The Phillies announced today that Domonic Brown, Tommy Joseph, Brian Bogusevic, and Kelly Dugan have been outrighted off of the 40-man roster. Almost none of the names are surprising although three of the four are certainly disappointing. Brown, 28, was an All-Star in 2013 in large part due to a 36 game stretch where Brown hit 16 homers in 36 games, hitting .331/.350/.748. Many were hopeful that the Brown of May and June 2013 would be the Brown of the future, the one that was deemed “untouchable” by Ruben Amaro in reports of Brown possibly being traded in 2009 and 2010. But, as Phillies fans know, that would not be the case, as Brown would hit just .233/.285/.349 across 2014 and 2015 with just 15 homers, making him among baseball’s worst outfielders.

Joseph, 24, was dealt to the Phillies in the 2012 trade that sent Hunter Pence to the Giants, and was the piece Phillies fans were looking forward to the most. A power-hitting catcher, Joseph had a great 2013 Spring Training with the Phillies before running into concussion issues with the IronPigs. Joseph would suffer a litany of injuries, a list long enough to make a boxer blush, and would hit just .193/.220/.301 with three homers spending most of his 2015 at first base with the IronPigs. With Joseph’s power hitting value tied mostly into the fact that he was a catcher, Joseph now stares down the reality of being a man without a position and off the 40-man roster.

Bogusevic, 31, is perhaps the least surprising player outrighted out of the group but the one the actually provided the most value to the team in 2015. “Bogey” hit two homers for the Phillies and the former 2005 first-round pick may be able to latch on to a team as part of a useful platoon or emergency help in Triple-A should he refuse his assignment.

Finally, after seemingly turning the page in 2013, hitting 20 homers across Clearwater and Reading, Kelly Dugan’s development slowed for the second season in a row and is no longer on the Phillies’ 40-man roster. Dugan, 25, hit .315 in his third stint in Reading but just .221 in 147 PA with only two homers in his first stint with the IronPigs.

Following the four outrights, the Phillies’ 40-man roster stands at 36. When Cliff Lee‘s buyout becomes official, the Phillies’ 40-man roster will stand at 35.