Phillips signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Angels on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Despite slashing just .144/.217/.249 across 225 plate appearances last season, Phillips will join the Angels on a major-league deal. He has four of the five tools, with the hit tool being his major weakness, but Phillips' defense and intangibles earned him a spot on the Angels' bench to open the season.
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Brett Phillips: Seeking new opportunity
Rotowire
Phillips elected free agency Wednesday, per Triple-A Norfolk's official site.
Phillips was traded to the Orioles on Aug. 2, but he saw only 17 plate appearances with the club prior to being cast off the 40-man roster. All told, he hit only .144/.217/.249 across 225 plate appearances between the Rays and Orioles this season. Phillips will likely be seeking a minor-league deal during the offseason.
Phillips cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
Phillips was cast off the Orioles' 40-man roster Sunday but will remain in the organization after he went unclaimed on waivers. He's slashed just .144/.217/.249 with five homers, 22 runs, 15 RBI and seven stolen bases over 83 major-league games this year but will attempt to sort things out in the minors.
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Orioles' Brett Phillips: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Phillips was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Friday.
Phillips was traded to the Orioles on Aug. 2, but he will now be placed on waivers. Other teams will be able to claim him, otherwise he will report to Triple-A Norfolk or be released outright. The 28-year-old owns a .144 average with five homers, 15 RBI, 22 runs scored and seven stolen bases over 83 games with the Rays and Orioles this season.
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Orioles' Brett Phillips: Returns to reserve role
Rotowire
Phillips is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
Considering that the lefty-hitting Phillips has gone 0-for-34 against left-handed pitching this season, he wouldn't have been a candidate to start Monday against southpaw Yusei Kikuchi even if Austin Hays (oblique) required another day off. However, Hays' return to the lineup Monday means that Phillips is likely to handle a reserve role against right-handers moving forward. Phillips had started each of the Orioles' three weekend games against the Pirates, going 2-for-9 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
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Orioles' Brett Phillips: Filling in for Austin Hays
Rotowire
Phillips will start in left field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Pirates, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Phillips will pick up his third consecutive start after going 2-for-6 with a pair of doubles and an RBI in the first two contests of the series, but his stay in Baltimore's regular lineup will likely come to an end as soon as Austin Hays (oblique) is ready to play. Hays is on the bench Sunday, but he ran, hit and threw Saturday and looks poised to avoid a stint on the injured list.
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Orioles' Brett Phillips: Shipped to Baltimore
Rotowire
Phillips was sent from the Rays to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Phillips was designated for assignment Monday after striking out 40.9 percent of the time while slashing .147/.225/.250 in 75 games. The 28-year-old has flashed power and speed alongside good outfield defense in the past, but his career 37.5 percent strikeout rate means he fits best in a bench role.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Phillips was designated for assignment Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Phillips played fairly regularly for the Rays in July, but his woeful .475 OPS wound up costing him a spot on both Tampa Bay's active and 40-man rosters. Despite his lack of success at the plate, Phillips could draw some interest on the waiver wire.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Could get strong-side platoon role
Rotowire
Phillips is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.
Though he's on the bench with the Guardians expected to deploy a southpaw (Kirk McCarty) as their primary pitcher out of the bullpen, the lefty-hitting Phillips could be in store for a strong-side platoon role in center field after the Rays optioned Josh Lowe to Triple-A Durham on Sunday. Phillips will give way to the switch-hitting Roman Quinn in center for the series finale with Cleveland, however.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Stuck in reserve role
Rotowire
Phillips is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The lefty-hitting Phillips is on the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher (Tyler Wells) for the second straight game, which seemingly signals that the Rays aren't viewing him as an everyday player. Rather than getting a longer look at Phillips while the likes of Kevin Kiermaier (hip), Manuel Margot (knee) and Harold Ramirez (thumb) are on the injured list, the Rays appear to be giving Luke Raley a chance to play in the outfield alongside Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Scores pair of runs
Rotowire
Phillips went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored Friday against the Royals.
Phillips should continue to get regular run in center field with Harold Ramirez (thumb), Manuel Margot (knee) and Kevin Kiermaier (hip) all on the injured list. Phillips is hitting only .151/.230/.262 across 195 plate appearances on the season, though he's reached base five times in his last eight plate appearances while scoring four runs.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Swats fifth homer
Rotowire
Phillips went 1-for-3 with a walk, a three-run home run and two runs scored Sunday against the Orioles.
Phillips took advantage of only his second start in the team's last five games by taking Jordan Lyles yard in the third inning. He now has five home runs on the season, with Sunday's long ball marking his first since May 17. Though Phillips had been losing out on playing time of late, he could see an uptick of plate appearances with Harold Ramirez (thumb) expected to be out for several weeks.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Still not starting
Rotowire
Phillips isn't starting Saturday's game against Baltimore, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Phillips is out of the lineup for the third time in the last four games after he went just 1-for-12 with a run and eight strikeouts over his last six matchups. Josh Lowe is starting in center field and batting sixth.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: On bench Friday
Rotowire
Phillips isn't in the lineup Friday against the Orioles.
Phillips went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts during Thursday's win over Boston, and he'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and Luke Raley are starting in the outfield from left to right.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Out of Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Phillips isn't starting Wednesday against the Red Sox, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Phillips started in the last three games but went just 1-for-10 with a run and six strikeouts during that time. Josh Lowe is taking over in center field and batting eighth.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Everyday role may await
Rotowire
Phillips will start in center field and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Reds.
The lefty-hitting Phillips is included in the lineup against a lefty starting pitcher (Nick Lodolo), which likely signals that the 28-year-old is moving back into an everyday role in the wake of Kevin Kiermaier (hip) landing back on the injured list. Tampa Bay recalled Luke Raley from Triple-A Durham to provide another option in the outfield, but he's likely to serve as the Rays' fourth outfielder in most games while Kiermaier plays alongside Harold Ramirez, Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe, with one member of that quartet expected to slot in as the designated hitter for any given contest.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Takes seat against southpaw
Rotowire
Phillips isn't starting Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi is on the mound for Toronto on Thursday, so Phillips will retreat to the bench for a second consecutive game. Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and Vidal Brujan are starting in the outfield from left to right.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: On bench against lefty
Rotowire
Phillips is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
With southpaw Eric Lauer on the hill for Milwaukee, the lefty-hitting Phillips will take a seat after starting in three of the past four games. Phillips has produced only four hits in 51 at-bats (.078 average) in June and could be a prime candidate to lose out on a playing time if Kevin Kiermaier (hip) returns from the injured list this weekend.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: On bench against righty
Rotowire
Phillips is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Even with a right-hander (Roansy Contreras) taking the hill for Pittsburgh in the series finale, the lefty-hitting Phillips will find himself on the bench. Though Phillips' playing-time outlook has improved of late with Manuel Margot (knee) and Kevin Kiermaier (hip) landing on the injured list, shortstop Wander Franco's (quadriceps) return to the lineup Sunday along with infielder Isaac Paredes making a case for a more prominent role could result in Phillips sitting out more than expected. Phillips hasn't helped his cause by going 2-for-23 with nine strikeouts over his last eight games.
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Rays' Brett Phillips: Sits against southpaw
Rotowire
Phillips isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Phillips drew a start against a left-handed pitcher Tuesday and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. However, he'll get a breather Wednesday with southpaw Jordan Montgomery on the mound for the Yankees. Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and Vidal Brujan are starting in the outfield from left to right.
