By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies have struck a deal with veteran outfielder Michael Saunders. He spent last season with the Blue Jays and also played six seasons with the Mariners.
Saunders has deal with phils. They were talking about 1 year plus option.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 16, 2017
Saunders, phillies deal guarantees $9M, nl source says. 2nd yr $11M option can escalate to $13M. @Ken_Rosenthal had the 9
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 16, 2017
While Heyman broke the story, FOX's Jon Morosi first noted that a signing was imminent:
Source: Michael Saunders close to signing with #Phillies. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 16, 2017
The deal is
Saunders, 30, played 140 games with the Blue Jays in 2016, slashing .253/.338/.478 with 32 doubles, 24 home runs, 57 RBIs and 70 runs scored. He was selected to the American League All-Star Team after a first half that saw him hitting .298 with 16 of his 24 home runs and 42 of his 57 RBIs. Saunders struggled to keep that success going after the All-Star Game, hitting an abysmal .178 in 58 games.
The addition of Saunders likely means that Roman Quinn is Triple-A bound to start the season. While some may consider that a bad thing, having Quinn playing every day in the minors and staying healthy is the most important for his development. As it stands, Odubel Herrera and Howie Kendrick are locks for the Phillies outfield with Aaron Altherr likely a reserve outfielder that can step in any of the spots. Tyler Goeddel and Daniel Nava could also compete for a bench spot in the spring.
