Philadelphia Phillies Sign 5 Players

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Justin Williams, Karl Ellison, Drew Maggi, James Marvel, and Joe Genord to minor league contracts. 

Out of the quintet, Williams is the most noteworthy and the only one who has received an invitation to Spring Training. The 26-year-old outfielder played in 51 games this past season with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he had four home runs, 11 RBIs, and a .160 batting average. Overall, he had some decent moments with the Cardinals but also struggled mightily often. 

Ellison is a catcher who will be looking to get into his first Single-A action. The 26-year-old spent last season with the Lake Erie Crushers, an independent professional team, where he had eight home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .256 batting average in 62 games. 

Maggi just had a very solid season with Triple-A St. Paul. The 32-year-old had 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, and a .252 batting average in 95 appearances. Although he won't be attending Spring Training, it seems possible that he could land himself a call-up during the season if he continues this pace up in Triple-A.

Marvel started four games at the major league level during the 2019 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In them, he had a 0-3 record and 8.31 ERA. He struggled in the majors and has not been back there since. During the 2021 season with the Triple-A Indianapolis, he had a 7-7 record and 5.26 ERA. 

Genord is a first baseman who is just getting his professional career going. In 59 games with Single-A+ Brooklyn, he had seven home runs, 20 RBIs, and a .203 batting average. 

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