Phillies Add a Phree Agent

Remember Will Middlebrooks? Just a few years ago, he was considered the Red Sox 3rd baseman of the future. But his train came off the tracks, and in the past three years has bounced through three other organizations -- the Padres, Brewers and Rangers. Earlier this week, the Phillies made a low risk move and signed him to a minor league contract. Though the incumbent Maikel Franco has regressed the last couple of years, it's likely the now-29-year old Texan was signed as injury insurance rather than to provide a real spring training challenge. Odds are he'll spend next spring and summer at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Of course, there's always the chance that he'll be among the rare players salvaged off the scrap heap that turn back into quality major leaguers. That happened with the Phils when they gave the late Bill Robinson a chance in the early '70s after he failed with the Yankees -- and watched him rebuild his career there and even more so a few years later with the Pirates.

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