DONE DEAL: Phillies bolster OF depth by signing former All-Star

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Phillies have come to terms on a minor league deal with outfielder David Dahl. Dahl’s contract will become official after he passes a physical.

Dahl did not play in the majors during the 2022 season, but he returned for four games with the Padres at the start of the 2023 season. Dahl was then sidelined for about two months due to a quad strain, and after being released by San Diego in June, Dahl did not receive another MLB call-up despite signing another minor league contract with the Dodgers.

The outfielder will now look for another fresh start in Philadelphia, where he has been something of a journeyman in his former top prospect career. Dahl was taken by the Rockies with the tenth overall pick in the 2012 draft, but his career has been marred by injuries, most notably a lacerated spleen sustained during an on-field incident while playing in the minors in 2015. Dahl made his major league debut in 2016 and hit.297/.346/.521 in 921 plate appearances for Colorado from 2016 to 2019, earning a spot on the 2019 NL All-Star roster.

Dahl’s performance dipped significantly in 2020, to the point where the Rockies (surprise) did not tender him that summer. Dahl signed with the Rangers but struggled to rediscover his form, batting.210/.247/.322 in 220 PA before being released in August 2021. Dahl has now joined the Phillies on a minor league contract, his seventh since being released by Texas.

Brandon Marsh had arthroscopic knee surgery last week and will not participate in any spring training games until early March, but the Phillies feel he will be ready for Opening Day. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did not expect his team to hunt for outfield help following Marsh’s injury, but between Dahl and yesterday’s agreement with Whit Merrifield, the Phillies have added two outfield-capable players in as many days.

Of course, this does not necessarily signal a concern about Marsh’s timeframe, as Merrifield can also play second base, and Dahl’s contract is not even guaranteed. Dahl, like Marsh, is a left-handed hitter, therefore the Phillies have Jake Cave, Simon Muzziotti, and Cal Stevenson on their depth chart as left-handed outfield candidates.