Phillies news and rumors 6/4: Jon Singleton, of the Hunter Pence trade, returns to MLB

If the Hunter Pence trade feels like forever ago — both in terms of years and in terms of the ups and downs the Phillies franchise has experienced in the time since — you’re not alone.

Pence, who came to Philadelphia in 2011, left in 2012 and retired in 2020, is long gone from the Majors.

Jon Singleton, one of the centerpieces of the trade that sent Pence to Philadelphia was, too.

Until this weekend.

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Twelve years after heading to Houston in that deal, and eight years removed from his last MLB appearance, Singleton is back in the Majors. It’s a feel-good story for a once top prospect who didn’t quite pan out — partly because of a series of suspensions over marijuana, for which players aren’t tested anymore. Singleton found himself in the Milwaukee Brewers starting lineup and recorded his first hit since 2015 on Saturday.

Jon Singleton has recorded his first hit in the major leagues since 2015. He dealt with numerous marijuana suspensions and is making his return to MLB today pic.twitter.com/pyukbVA2Ae

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 3, 2023

Aram Leighton of Just Baseball mapped out Singleton’s long professional baseball journey — which included a stop in the Mexican League — and it’s well worth taking a look.

Singleton was traded as a 19-year-old prospect after four productive seasons in the lower levels of the Phillies’ farm system. Though it didn’t quite work out for him in Houston, seeing Singleton back in the Majors after nearly a decade away is one of those “only in baseball” stories that every fan should appreciate.

Must Read (Or Watch) Phillies Content

• Bad news: Andrew Painter had a setback. Good news: It’s nothing serious.
• The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Alex Coffey and MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki both wrote about Rob Thomson, who took over as Phillies skipper one year ago Saturday and finds himself in a familiar position now.
• Phils need rotation help, eh? (I know, I know — still a lot of walks.)

The #Phillies Mick Abel went 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K w/ 15 whiffs. FB held mid-to-high-90s into the sixth and saw the most success with his curveball of his three secondaries. #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/47PTQiv5Cy

— Geoff Pontes (@GeoffPontesBA) June 3, 2023

Former Phillie Watch

• Jorge Alfaro was granted his release by the Red Sox on Saturday. He’d spent the entire season with Triple-A Worcester, hitting a productive .320 with an .887 OPS. However, Alfaro has struggled defensively, and the Red Sox like what they’ve seen in catcher Connor Wong this season, so his path to the big leagues was uncertain.

Per WooSox game notes, the Red Sox granted catcher Jorge Alfaro his release after Alfaro exercised an opt-out of his contract on Thursday. Alfaro had an upward mobility clause that required him to be released if not on the big league roster by June 1.

— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) June 3, 2023

• In more former-Phillies-to-the-Brewers news, Roman Quinn agreed to a Minor League contract with Milwaukee on Friday. Quinn had been released by the Cleveland Guardians after hitting .177 in 15 games with Triple-A Columbus.

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