UPDATE: Phillies Will Sign Marlon Byrd
The Phillies will sign outfielder Marlon Byrd, the Mike and Ike Show on 94WIP are reporting.
A league source tells Barkann the Phillies will sign the 35 year-old outfielder. Byrd played with the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013.
This is being reported nowhere else, but we’ll take Barkann at his word* for now.
Byrd is 35 36, but had his best season ever this year, batting .291 with 24 home runs, 88 RBIs and an .847 OPS. Late-career surges like that always make me raise an eyebrow, though– especially after a guy tested positive for PEDs in 2012. Wonder if the new SABR intern calculated the risks for Ruben Amaro.
UPDATE: No one else has confirmed this report yet.** If true, though, Amaro would be the guy who says: “HEY, THAT GUY HAD CAREER HIGHS IN HOME RUNS, SLUGGING PERCENTAGE AND OPS AT 36 IN A CONTRACT YEAR A YEAR AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR PEDS! SIGN HIM UP!
UPDATE 2: The bow-tie man himself, little baby Ken Rosenthal confirms:
Sources: #Phillies finalizing two-year agreement with Marlon Byrd. First reported by WIP in Philly.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 12, 2013
Ruben Amaro is an idiot.
*Oddly enough, Byrd is the word:
http://youtu.be/NeXR_DYx4RM