Phillies sign switch-hitting infielder Johan Camargo
The utility infielder could help fill a bench role next season.
In the waning minutes of Wednesday night, before Major League Baseball owners imposed a lockout that froze transactions until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, the Phillies’ 40-man roster churned once more.
The Phillies signed infielder Johan Camargo to a one-year, $1.4 million contract and designated erstwhile pitching prospect Adonis Medina for assignment. Camargo, 27, wasn’t tendered a contract by the rival Atlanta Braves earlier this week.
Camargo, a switch-hitter, hit 19 homers and posted an .806 on-base plus slugging in 524 plate appearances for the Braves in 2018. But he was relegated to a bench role in 2019 and 2020 and spent most of this season in triple A.
In 364 career major-league games, Camargo is a .257/.315/.423 hitter with 34 homers. He plays third base, shortstop, and second base, and is expected to fill a bench role occupied this year by Freddy Galvis and Ronald Torreyes, both of whom are free agents.
» READ MORE: Phillies sign reliever Corey Knebel to one-year contract
The Phillies didn’t make a free-agent splash before Wednesday night’s expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, signing only reliever Corey Knebel (one year, $10 million) and Camargo. But they set out this offseason to build more depth and have turned over 30% of the 40-man roster.
Knebel and Camargo will join pitchers Nick Nelson, Ryan Sherriff, Kent Emanuel, Yoan López, and Scott Moss, and catchers Garrett Stubbs and Donny Sands as outside additions. The Phillies also added three minor leaguers (infielder Luis Garcia, outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz, and pitcher James McArthur) to the 40-man roster.
Medina, a 24-year-old right-hander, made his major-league debut in 2020 but appeared in only five games (two starts) over the last two years. He is out of minor-league options, and because the Phillies didn’t expect him to make the team out of spring training, he became a candidate to be removed from the 40-man roster, which is at capacity.