As expected, the chips are beginning to fall on the second tier of free-agent outfielders now that Josh Hamilton has signed with the Angels.
Cody Ross is receiving increased interest from the Phillies, among other teams, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal tweeted that the Mariners are also being more aggressive in their pursuit of the 31-year-old outfielder.
Ross batted .267 with the Red Sox last year. He had 22 home runs and 81 RBIs in 130 games. Some Philadelphia fans still resent Ross after the beating he gave the Phillies in the 2010 NLCS, when he had three home runs while batting .350 with a 1.385 OPS. He was the NLCS MVP.
Ross is reportedly seeking a three-year, $25 million contract, according to Buster Olney of ESPN. The Phillies agreed to terms with starting pitcher John Lannan and reliever Mike Adams on Friday.
