Phillies Sign Super-Utility Man Whit Merrifield To A 1-Year Deal
The Phillies have been mostly quiet this off-season. They re-signed Nola, and it has all quiet from Citizens Bank Park since. But they have made their first notable free agent signing. The Phillies are bringing in Super Utility Man Whit Merrifield on a 1-year, $8 million deal.
Whit Merrifield can do a little of everything. Need someone to fill in in the infield. He can do that. Need him to play the outfield? He can do that too. Second Base is certainly his best position, but he is at the very least good enough everywhere else to be a plus defender.
The Phillies badly needed a better bench. Merrifield gives them a bench bat, that is also good enough to start is needed. He can play Left Field if Johan Rojas is struggling and needs to go down to the minors to work on his swing. He can fill in for Brandon Marsh if his injury lingers longer than they think it will. And he can fill in if any of their infielders get injured too.
Is he a superstar? No. But he is a smart dependable hitter. Good for double-digit home runs, and 20+ steals. And unlike many guys currently on the team, he is not one to rack up the strikeouts. He tends to put the ball in play. His whiff rate of 19.5% is in the 82nd percentile. And as we saw in the playoffs, the Diamondbacks completely took advantage of the Phillies’ free-swinging nature.
What his full role will be remains to be seen. But even if he doesn’t get a starting gig, there should be plenty of chances for him to play. And they finally have a bench bat you can trust to pinch hit in a big situation.
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