The Phillies on Tuesday signed outfielder Delmon Young to a one-year, 750,000 contract.
Young hit .267 with 18 home runs and 74 RBIs for the American League-champion Detroit Tigers last season.
Delmon is an experienced major league bat who will add some depth to our relatively inexperienced outfield and another layer of competition for playing time there as well, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The 27-year-old Young has spent most of his seven-year major league career in left field but made the lineup as the Tigers' designated hitter in 118 of his 151 games last season. The Phillies hope Young will contend for a starting spot in right field (see story).
The first overall pick in the 2003 draft, Young is a career .284 hitter with a .317 on-base percentage and .425 slugging percentage.
He does come with some baggage, though, as he was suspended 50 games in 2006 as a minor leaguer for flinging his bat at an umpire. In April 2012, he was accused of shouting an anti-Semitic slur outside a New York hotel, an incident that led to him pleading guilty of aggravated harassment and a seven-game suspension from MLB.
His addition adds depth to the Phillies' outfield, which includes Ben Revere in center field and Domonic Brown, Darin Ruf, John Mayberry Jr. and Laynce Nix all competing for playing time on the corners.