Voila_Capture514From CBS Philly:

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:

Ruben Amaro is an idiot.

*Oddly enough, Byrd is the word:

http://youtu.be/NeXR_DYx4RM