Phillies claim Jordan Danks off waivers from White Sox

The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired outfielder Jordan Danks after claiming him off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, per a team announcement. The 28-year-old Danks was previously designated for assignment earlier this month as a result of the White Sox signing Emilio Bonifacio. He is the younger brother of White Sox' pitcher John Danks.

Originally drafted by the White Sox in the seventh round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Texas at Austin, Danks has spent his entire professional career with Chicago's organization. He has played a total of 180 games in the big leagues since making his debut in 2012, though he has spent a majority of the past five seasons at the Triple-A level. In 386 major league plate appearances, he owns a .227/.303/.326 line with eight home runs, 15 stolen bases, and a 0.1 WAR. In 132 plate appearances last season, he hit .222/.303/.291. He is a career .268/.354/.429 hitter in the minors. Danks is also capable of playing all three outfield positions, though he has spent a majority of his career patrolling center, where he rates as a net neutral defender (according to defensive runs saved) in a limited 508 innings sample.

Danks will likely head to Spring Training with a chance at nabbing a spot on Philadelphia's bench. The club's outfield situation is currently dire, as the organization is finally embracing a rebuild, having dealt away key pieces such as Marlon Byrd and Jimmy Rollins this offseason. At the moment, the Phillies are slated to head into the 2015 season with a starting outfield of Domonic Brown in left, Ben Revere in center, and Grady Sizemore in right, to go along with other options such as Darin Ruf, Jeff Francoeur, Cesar Hernandez, and Rule 5 draft pick Odubel Herrera. Danks figures to slot into the mix along with the players listed in the latter group.