Updated: 4:50 p.m.
Monday marked the end of an era that was never the era it was supposed to be. The Phillies said goodbye to outfielder Domonic Brown.
“Things just didn’t work out,” interim general manager Scott Proefrock said. “We saw his potential when he made the All-Star team in 2013, but various injuries kept him from getting back to that point and it just became time for us to go our separate ways. We felt he wasn’t going to be a fit long term and rather than waiting to not tender him (a contract in December), we ran him through waivers now to give him a chance to explore his options. I spoke with Domonic and I think he appreciated the chance to get out on the market sooner rather than later. We wish him the best.”
Brown, 28, is eligible to become a free agent immediately. He was one of four Phillies to clear waivers on Monday and be removed from the team’s 40-man roster. Outfielders Brian Bogusevic and Kelly Dugan and first baseman Tommy Joseph were the others. Like Brown, the veteran Bogusevic is immediately eligible for free agency. He signed a minor-league contract with the club last offseason and spent most of the 2015 season playing at Triple A Lehigh Valley before coming to the majors in September. It’s possible he could re-sign with the club in a similar role for 2016.
Dugan, 25, was the Phillies’ second-round draft pick in 2009. He showed occasional promise with the bat, but never really got untracked because of a series of injuries. He will become a minor-league free agent five days after the World Series.
Joseph, 24, is not eligible for free agency and remains in the Phillies’ minor-league system. Once a highly regarded catching prospect, he was the team’s primary return in the 2012 trade that sent Hunter Pence to the Giants. Injuries have also hampered Joseph. He has missed significant time each of his three seasons in the organization with concussion issues and a wrist injury that required surgery. Because of his concussion issues, Joseph converted from catcher to first base during the 2015 season.
Brown, a 20th-round draft pick by the Phillies in 2006, was once the club’s top prospect. He was considered an untouchable when the Phillies were looking to trade for a top pitcher in the summer of 2009 (they ended up with Cliff Lee) and showed his promise by hitting .303 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in May 2013. That run earned him a spot on the National League All-Star team that year, but his production plummeted after that and he was hampered by a series of nagging injuries on his way to landing back in the minor leagues during the first half of the 2015 season.
In short, Brown was never the star or foundation piece many in baseball thought he'd be as he climbed the Phillies' minor-league ladder.
Brown made $2.6 million in 2015 and would have been eligible for salary arbitration this winter. The Phillies tried unsuccessfully to trade him before he went through waivers unclaimed. Brown will probably end up in some team’s camp on a minor-league contract in spring training.