MLB Trade Rumors confirmed Friday that the Phillies released outfielder Dylan Carlson, closing the book on a minor league flier that quietly went nowhere. Carlson signed with Philadelphia in mid-May and spent his entire time in the organization at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, never sniffing the big league roster.
Phillies Release Dylan Carlson t.co/OlyI9lLqPc
It's a rough continuation of a season that's been a nonstop grind for the 27-year-old. Carlson opened 2026 with the Cubs on a minor league deal, made their Opening Day roster, then got designated for assignment after a slow start in April. Chicago brought him back on another minor league deal, only to release him again in May, which is what set up the Phillies signing in the first place.
The numbers at Lehigh Valley explain why Philadelphia moved on. Carlson hit just .181 with 4 home runs and a .614 OPS over 153 plate appearances, the kind of line that doesn't get a guy a phone call to the majors, let alone a roster spot in a playoff-hunting organization.
It's a wild fall from where Carlson once stood. The Cardinals took him 33rd overall in the 2016 draft, and he broke into the majors in 2020 as one of the more well-regarded outfield prospects in the sport. Seven years later, he's bounced from St. Louis to Tampa Bay to the Cubs to the Phillies, unable to find the swing that made him a top-100 prospect in the first place.
For the Phillies, this is a minor roster move, freeing up a Triple-A spot as they push through the summer with an eye on October. For Carlson, it's the latest stop in a career that's now defined more by minor league deals and releases than the promise that once had teams fighting over him. Whether another club takes a flier on him before the season ends is the next thing to watch.