Philip David Gosselin (nicknamed "Barrels", and "The Goose"; born October 3, 1988), is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

utility infielder In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various st ...

. The

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

selected Gosselin in the fifth round of the

2010 MLB draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...

; he made his MLB debut in 2013 with the

Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. He also played in MLB for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

, Texas Rangers,

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

, and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Early life

Gosselin was born in

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr, pronounced , from Welsh for big hill, is a census-designated place (CDP) located across three townships: Radnor Township and Haverford Township in Delaware County, and Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It i ...

, and raised in

West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighb ...

. He graduated from

Malvern Preparatory School , motto_translation = Truth, Unity, Love , address = 418 South Warren Avenue , location = , region = , city = Malvern , county = , state = ...

('07), where he played

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

on the baseball team. Gosselin then attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as ''Wahoos'' or ''Hoos'', are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic C ...

. As a junior in 2009 Gosselin set a university record for hits in a season (100) while batting .382 (mostly as the leadoff hitter) as he earned First-Team All-

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

and Third-Team All-America honors. After the 2009 season, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

. Gosselin ranks 6th in Virginia history in career doubles (50), and 10th in RBIs (145) and total bases (345).

Playing career

Atlanta Braves

Philip Gosselin Braves vs Rangers in Texas Sept 2014

The

selected Gosselin in the fifth round of the

2010 Major League Baseball draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...

. Gosselin was called up to the majors for the first time on August 16, 2013. He debuted the same day, in the tenth inning of a game against the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

. Gosselin was outrighted off the Braves roster on November 5, 2013. Gosselin was called back up by the Braves on July 13, 2014, when

Dan Uggla Daniel Cooley Uggla (born March 11, 1980) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals. In 2010, Uggl ...

was suspended by the team for one day. Gosselin was again recalled by the Braves on July 26 after Uggla was released. On August 15, Gosselin hit his first MLB home run, against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. He batted .266/.304/.320 in 378 at bats for the Atlanta Braves in 128 games. In the minors, as he batted .344 (second in the International League)/.379/.487 with 5 triples (tied for 7th in the league) for the

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

, he was named a 2014

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

mid-season and post-season All Star, and Player of the Week on July 14. Gosselin made the Braves' Opening Day roster in 2015, and batted .325/.357/.425 in 40 at bats over 20 games before fracturing his left thumb against the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

on May 17 while diving for a

ground ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

. The injury required surgery, and Gosselin missed eight weeks of the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On June 20, 2015, Gosselin was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for

Bronson Arroyo Bronson Anthony Arroyo (born February 24, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and musician. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2000 and 2002, the Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2005, the ...

and

Touki Toussaint Dany Gilbert Kiti "Touki" Toussaint (; born June 20, 1996) is a Haitian-American professional baseball pitcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2014 Major League Basebal ...

. On September 29, Gosselin recorded his first career walk-off hit with a bases-loaded RBI single against the Colorado Rockies. This gave the Diamondbacks a 4–3 win in 11 innings. In 2015 with Arizona he batted .303/.382/.545, with 3 home runs, and 13 RBIs, in 66 at bats. In 2016 Gosselin batted .277/.324/.368 with Arizona, with two home runs, and 13 RBIs, in 220 at bats. He led all big league pinch hitters in hits, with 20. Gosselin was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Diamondbacks on February 7, 2017.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On February 10, 2017, Gosselin was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league pitcher Frank Duncan, but only had 40 at bats for the team. With the AAA Indianapolis Indians, he batted .266/.304/.336 in 241 at bats.

Texas Rangers

Gosselin was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers on August 12, 2017, but only had eight at bats for the team.

Cincinnati Reds

On January 2, 2018, Gosselin signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds. He earned a spot on the Reds'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

roster, but only had 24 at bats for the team.

Atlanta Braves (second stint)

The Atlanta Braves claimed Gosselin off waivers on May 3, 2018. The Braves designated him for assignment on June 24, subsequently outrighting him to the Triple-A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

. Gosselin declared free agency on October 9. In the major leagues, through 2018 Gosselin had played 97 games at second base, 37 games at third base, 11 games at shortstop, eight games at first base, and eight games in the outfield.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 21, 2018, Gosselin signed a minor league deal as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies. While with the 2019 Triple–A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

, he batted .314/.405 (8th in the league)/.497, with five triples (tied for 7th), eight home runs, and 47 RBIs, in 296 at bats, playing primarily second base. Gosselin's 2019 MLB Phillies stat line included batting .262/.294/.308, with three doubles, no home runs, and seven RBIs, in 65 at bats; he

pinch hit In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...

35 times and played six games in left field, five games at shortstop, and one game at third base. On December 12, 2019, Gosselin was re-signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies, with an invitation to 2020 spring training. On July 24, 2020, Gosselin had his contract selected to the 40-man roster, and the 30-man active roster. He made his 2020 Phillies debut on July 25, in the starting lineup, against the

by going 3–3 with 2 home runs. Gosselin sustained his hitting as the season went on, prompting manager

Joe Girardi Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and St. ...

to start Gosselin whenever the opposing starting pitcher was a lefty. He also took online college courses from UVA during the season to complete his bachelor's degree in economics. On October 30, Gosselin was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Los Angeles Angels

On February 9, 2021, Gosselin signed a minor league contract with the

organization that included an invitation to spring training. On May 4, 2021, Gosselin was selected to the active roster. On November 30, Gosselin was non-tendered by the Angels, making him a free agent.

Atlanta Braves (third stint)

On March 19, 2022, Gosselin signed a minor league contract to return to the

. The Braves promoted him to the majors on June 14. The Braves designated Gosselin for assignment on July 11.

Los Angeles Angels (second stint)

On July 18, 2022, Gosselin was claimed off waivers by the

. On August 23, 2022, against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

, Gosselin made his first professional pitching appearance, pitching a 1-2-3 inning. On August 25, Gosselin was designated for assignment. In 22 games with the Angels, he batted .098/.132/.137 with 2 RBIs. He became a free agent on September 1.

Post-playing career

On February 5, 2024, the

hired Gosselin to serve as a special assignment analyst in their baseball operations department.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gosselin, Phil 1988 births Living people Sportspeople from West Chester, Pennsylvania Baseball players from Chester County, Pennsylvania Malvern Preparatory School alumni Major League Baseball second basemen Atlanta Braves players Arizona Diamondbacks players Pittsburgh Pirates players Texas Rangers players Cincinnati Reds players Philadelphia Phillies players Los Angeles Angels players Virginia Cavaliers baseball players Harwich Mariners players Rome Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Lynchburg Hillcats players Mississippi Braves players Gwinnett Braves players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Visalia Rawhide players Reno Aces players Indianapolis Indians players Round Rock Express players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Madison Mallards players