Brett Phillips of the Los Angeles Angels signs autographs before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 17, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Left-handed hitting outfielder Brett Phillips signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox for 2024, Daryl Van Schouwen, the White Sox beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times reported on January 4.
Phillips, 29, was born in Seminole, Fla., and has played seven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017 and 2018, the Kansas City Royals from 2018-20, the Tampa Bay Rays from 2020-22, the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 and the Los Angeles Angels in 2023.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Phillips will make $1.2 million if he makes the White Sox roster at any point during the 2024 season.
Phillips elected free agency on Oct. 16, 2023 prior to him signing with the White Sox.
Last season, Phillips split his time between the Angels and Triple-A Salt Lake. Phillips played in 40 games with the Angels and batted .175 over 71 plate appearances with 11 hits, one double, three home runs, six RBI, eight walks, and striking out 36 times before being sent to Triple-A Salt Lake on May 24, 2023.
At Triple-A Salt Lake, Phillips played in 66 games, batting .230 with 49 hits, five doubles, three triples, six home runs, 25 RBI, seven stolen bases, 42 walks, 87 strikeouts, and a .719 OPS.
In 2022, Phillips was with the Orioles and the Rays during the regular season. Phillips played in 75 games with the Rays and batted .147 with 27 hits, four doubles, five home runs, 14 RBI, seven stolen bases, 16 walks, 85 strikeouts, and a .476 OPS before he was traded to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations on Aug. 2, 2022.
With the Orioles, Phillips played in eight games, batting .118 with two hits, two doubles, one RBI, and striking out nine times before he was designated for assignment on Aug. 19, 2022.
Phillips was sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk on August 22, 2022 and spent the rest of the 2022 season with the Norfolk Tides. He played in 24 games there, batting .277 with 18 hits, one double, two triples, six home runs, 17 RBI, 17 walks, and 25 strikeouts before he elected free agency on Oct. 6, 2022.
During his seven seasons in MLB, Phillips has played in 395 games with a lifetime average of .187 in 971 plate appearances, 160 hits, 25 doubles, nine triples, 31 home runs, 99 RBI, 39 stolen bases, 95 walks, 376 strikeouts, and a .619 OPS.
Phillips will have to compete with Gavin Sheets to make the White Sox roster out of spring training. Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert Jr., and Andrew Benintendi are also on the organization’s outfield depth chart for the 2024 regular season.
The White Sox will play their first game of spring training of Feb. 23 against the Chicago Cubs on the road at 3:05 p.m. EST at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.