The Philadelphia Phillies signed J.P. Arencibia Monday, inviting the former Toronto Blue Jays catcher to Spring Training on a minor league contract.
Arencibia, a former top prospect, homered twice in his MLB debut, creating lofty expectations in Toronto from day one. He built on the strong start by homering 23 times in his first full season with a respectable .720 OPS.
The home runs kept coming for the right-handed hitting Arencibia, but his on-base percentage dropped from .282 to .275 to .227 in his three seasons as the Blue Jays’ primary catcher. The Blue Jays non-tendered Arencibia following the 2013 season, and he signed with the Texas Rangers soon afterwards.
Following a disappointing season in Texas, Arencibia landed with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. He hit 22 home runs as a catcher/first baseman/DH at triple-A before earning a promotion to Tampa Bay, where he appeared in 24 games, hit six home runs and posted a .921 OPS.
The Phillies also signed Gregory Infante, a hard-throwing right-hander who spent the 2015 season at triple-A Buffalo. The 28-year-old obtained a minor league deal after posting a 2.77 ERA with 32 walks and 41 strikeouts in 48.2 innings for the Bisons.
