Philadelphia Phillies Upstart Outfielder Elects Free Agency After His Demotion

The Philadelphia Phillies will be without an outfield option after he elected to become a free agent following his recent DFA.

Jun 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder David Dahl (35) against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Outfield has been a topic of conversation for the Philadelphia Phillies throughout this season.

It started with how their youngster Johan Rojas might look after working on his offensive game during the winter to become a more viable threat at the plate. When he struggled early, there were concerns about if he should stay on this roster. Nick Castellanos looked like shell of his 2023 All-Star self which was another thing that was a discussion point.

Because of this, rumors started circulating about the Phillies eyeing some outfield upgrades around the trade deadline, sparking all sorts of speculation about who they might pursue when that time comes.

They reportedly have an idea about who they might want to add, but until that happens, this will continue to be discussed at nauseum.

In the meantime, though, Philadelphia will be without one of their past options who became an upstart figure when he was called upon following Brandon Marsh's injury.

Former castoff David Dahl signed a minor league contract with the Phillies in February and made his way back to the MLB on June 3. He provided a nice boost for this team early on when he hit two homers in his first three games, but his production started to fall off.

When Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were activated off the injured list, the veteran outfielder was designated for assignment to make room on the roster.

According to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dahl has now elected to become a free agent after he cleared waivers following his demotion.

He will now be able to choose a team where he can get more playing time, or at the very least, find a situation where he can begin in the minors and play his way into a promotion to close out the year.