One of three prospects acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee trade was arrested in Florida Friday and charged with felony cocaine possession, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff Office.
Tyson Gillies was released on $2,000 bond hours after deputies took him into custody shortly after 1:00 a.m., reported The St. Petersburg Times.
A deputy spotted Gillies walking to his hotel from a Clearwater bar on June 11, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Arrest reports show that Gillies accepted a ride from the deputy. When Gillies exited the cruiser at his hotel, the deputy says he noticed a small bag full of a white powdery substance on the backseat.
Test results confirmed on Thursday that the substance was cocaine.
The team released this statement to NBC Philadelphia:
“The Phillies have confirmed that Tyson Gillies was charged today on a drug possession charge arising out of an incident that was alleged to have occurred in June. Because this is an open case, we will not comment further at this time.”
The 21-year-old outfielder spent most of the season with the Phillies’ Double-A team in Reading, Pa. He missed the last two months due to a left hamstring injury and was rehabbing with the Phils' Gulf Coast League team.
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Gillies, Phillippe Aumont and J.C. Ramirez were acquired from Seattle during an off-season trade that sent Cliff Lee to the Mariners.
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