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

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

utility infielder In baseball, a utility player or utility man is a player who has the ability to play more than one position in the field and is primarily used as a substitute. The term super utility player may be used to refer to a player who can play all or mos ...

. 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

selected Gosselin in the fifth round of the

2010 MLB draft The 2010 Major League Baseball 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 picking first. ;Key ...

; 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) East Division. The club was founded in Boston, ...

. He also played in MLB for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

, Texas Rangers,

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

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

, and

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

Early life

Gosselin was born in

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr (, from Welsh language, Welsh for 'big hill') is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue, also known as U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania, U.S. ...

, and raised in

West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,671 at the 2020 census. West ...

. He graduated from

Malvern Preparatory School Malvern Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Malvern Prep, is an independent, all-boys Catholic middle school and college preparatory high school in Malvern, Pennsylvania, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school is operated by O ...

('07), where he played

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

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, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

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 Coast 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 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 1,000 forme ...

. 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 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 picking first. ;Key ...

. 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. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. 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, Uggla ...

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 (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

. 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 Lawrencevi ...

, 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 (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

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, th ...

and

Touki Toussaint Dany Gilbert Kiti "Touki" Toussaint (; born June 20, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Los Angeles Angels organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians, a ...

. 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

in exchange for minor league pitcher Frank Duncan, but only had 40 at–bats for the team. With the Triple–A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

, he hit .266/.304/.336 in 241 at–bats.

Texas Rangers

Gosselin was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers on August 12, 2017. He made 12 appearances for Texas, going 1–for–8 (.125). On October 10, Gosselin was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

Cincinnati Reds

On January 2, 2018, Gosselin signed a minor league contract with the yankees and

. 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 year ...

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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

. 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 they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

, 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 (PH) 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, Am ...

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 sports broadcaster and former professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, C ...

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 the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

, 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 21st-century American sportsmen Madison Mallards players