The Charleston Dirty Birds (W.Va.) of the Atlantic League of Baseball (ALPB) today announced the additions two ex-MLBers, infielder Dawel Lugo and outfielder Denis Phipps, to the 2023 roster.
The 28-year-old Lugo enters his twelfth season of professional baseball after playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers organizations.
Lugo made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2018, where he spent three years and slashed .200/.273/.200 in his last season with the organization in 2020.
“Adding Lugo to our ball club not only solidifies us at third base, but he is versatile enough to play anywhere in the infield,” Dirty Birds’ manager Billy Horn said on dirtybirdsbaseball.com. “He also has a very successful track record of flat-out hitting at every level he has been, and his three years in the major league will bring great added experience to our team.”
In addition to Lugo, Phipps, a native of the Dominican Republic, will be joining Charleston in 2023. He made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Cincinnati Reds and played four seasons of Triple-A baseball and has spent a total of 16 years in the pros.
Phipps, 37, slugged 33 home runs and slashed .296/.298/.648 with the Tri-City Valley Cats of the Frontier League in 2022.
“We are extremely excited to bring in Phipps,” Horn said. “Year in and year out. he has proven to be an absolute beast in the middle of the lineup, providing a ton of power and driving in runs.”
— Jerry Del Priore
Brooklyn Sports World/NY NJ Sports World 