Former Phillies INF Picked for Baseball United

The Philadelphia Phillies had three former players selected in the first the first Baseball United Draft on Monday, the most notable of which was Didi Gregorius.

The Draft was meant to fill out the four teams that will compete in the new league in Dubai. Those teams are called the Cobras, the Monarchs, the Wolves and the Falcons.

Gregorius played for the Phillies at the end of his career, spending his final three seasons with the Phillies from 2022-22. In that span he played in 226 games and batted .230 with 24 home runs and 113 RBI.

He played during the Phillies’ run to the 2022 National League title, but he was released by the Phillies on Aug. 4.

He spent the 2023 season in the Seattle Mariners’ minor league system.

He played 11 years in the Majors, breaking in with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021 and playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. He batted .257 lifetime with 134 home runs and 530 RBI.

Two other former Phillies that were selected were pitcher JD Hammer, who pitched 40 games for the Phillies in 2019 and 2021, and pitcher Severino Gonzalez, who pitched in 34 games for the Phillies in 2015-16.

Baseball United is the first professional baseball league based in the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. The league will host a showcase event in Dubai on Nov. 24-25 with two Baseball United All-Star teams playing a two-game series.

Baseball United has some Major League heft behind it. Former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, former Cincinnati Reds infielder Barry Larkin and former Texas Rangers third baseman Adrián Beltré are each co-owner and board members. Former Seattle pitcher Félix Hernández is also a board member.