Scott Hairston under scan of Philadelphia Phillies after Cody Ross eliminated from market-MLB Update
Philadelphia Phillies have shifted their focus on Scott Hairston, as per the sources, after they saw Cody Ross sign contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Earlier, they were reported to be in the pursuit of the latter but inability to come to terms with him caused failure of the talks.
The Phillies have been looking for an outfielder, since the start of the offseason. Even during the Winter Baseball Meetings, it remained a topic of discussion among their officials.
Though they managed to acquire Ben Revere through a trade with the Minnesota Twins, the kind of outfielder that they are looking for is yet to be found by them.
Cody Ross could fulfil their requirements in many ways, as he had the power which the Phillies need, plus he was extremely effective defensively.
The fact he has joined the Diamondbacks means that the Phillies will be searching new options in the upcoming days.
Scott Hairston is one of the few outfielders remaining in the market.
However, the problem with him is that he is not an everyday player, lessening the possibility that the Phillies award Hairston contract as per his wishes.
Hairston can produce massive hits, but he is just a platoon player.
Besides, the club with which he played for during the 2012 season is also trying to re-sign him, which means the Phillies will offer Hairston far more than the New York Mets if they ink an agreement.
The Phillies have been reluctant to visit the free agent market during this offseason.
The possible reason for it can be the fact that they agreed to an expensive deal with their starting pitcher, Cole Hamels during the last season.
Their unwillingness to ink agreements with a number of outfielders, despite going through lengthy negotiations with them, can be explained by the massive allocation of money to the contract of Hamels.
Concerning the possible acquisition of an outfielder, the General Manager of the Phillies, Ruben Amaro Jr. has mentioned the following criteria.
“It’s more about production than power,” Amaro said. “We would like to add more production. If we can get power, great. But it’s more necessary to add a piece that will help us produce runs.”
The next couple of days can see the signing of an agreement by the Phillies with one of the available outfielders in the market.
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