Justin De Fratus, who accumulated a dismal 5.51 ERA as a long reliever this season, was one of seven players the Phillies outrighted off their 40-man roster on Wednesday.
They also cleared from the roster righthander Jonathan Pettibone, lefthanders Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts, catcher Erik Kratz, outfielder Jordan Danks and infielder Chase d'Arnaud. Pettibone, a former prospect who in July underwent shoulder surgery for the second straight year, was activated from the 60-day disabled list in order to be outrighted.
De Fratus, 27, was viewed as a piece of the bullpen's future after the 2014 season, when he recorded a 2.