CLEARWATER, Fla. — Whit Merrifield had two teams on the top of his list at the start of the offseason. He wouldn’t reveal the other, but the Phillies were one of them. His priorities were simple: The 35-year-old wanted to win and he wanted to be closer to home in North Carolina with his wife only a few weeks away from delivering the couple’s first baby.
Other teams had interest in him as an everyday second baseman.
“But those teams weren’t in the Phillies’ position,” Merrifield said.
The team officially announced the Merrifield signing on Monday. It’s a one-year, $7 million dollar deal with an $8 million club option for 2025 and a one million dollar buyout.
He was willing to take on a lesser role to be part of a team that has a realistic chance of winning the World Series.
Eight million for a utility player is a hefty price, but considering the bench’s lack of production in 2023, the Phillies desperately needed to add someone of Merrifield’s caliber.
The Phillies bench, meaning anyone who took a plate appearance for the team in 2023 that did not start Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, combined to slash .220/.281/.354. Edmundo Sosa, who had a 95 OPS+ across 300 plate appearances, was the best bench bat among Phillies who had at least 100 plate appearances.
The Phillies could have went the cheaper route by acquiring more depth via the waiver wire or signing more veterans to minor league deals to address their bench issues. Adding Merrifield doesn’t preclude the Phillies from looking for more low-cost upgrades, but it gives the team stability they didn’t have and they don’t have to rely on catching lightning in a bottle.
Injuries will happen. After Rhys Hoskins went down with a torn ACL in spring training last season, a combination of Darick Hall, Kody Clemens, Drew Ellis and Alec Bohm tried to fill the void and it didn’t work. Bryce Harper eventually stepped in and took over as the full-time first baseman, but those situations will come up again this year and the solution won’t be as simple as inserting Harper.
Merrifield’s strongest position is second base. He could get playing time there against tough left-handed starters over Bryson Stott, but manager Rob Thomson confirmed that he has no plans to run a true platoon at second base.
Merrifield could see more time in the outfield. Brandon Marsh is expected to be ready for Opening Day following a minor knee procedure, but there are still questions surrounding Johan Rojas’ readiness to start the year with the big league club. In the event that Rojas starts the season in Triple A, Merrifield could be the team’s Opening Day starter in left field with Marsh in center.
Merrifield played 81 games in left field in 2023 and says he feels comfortable just about anywhere.
“I’ve moved around so much in my career,” Merrifield said. “I’m used to different angles. I’m used to different positions. I’m used to just seeing new things on a day-to-day basis. So I don’t think it would be an issue.”
As our own Tim Kelly examined, Merrifield and backup catcher Garrett Stubbs are two locks for the bench. Sosa, Jake Cave and Cristian Pache, three players who are out of minor league options, could battle for the last two spots.
Merrifield was an All-Star in 2023. He entered last August with a .303 batting average and a .780 OPS, but struggled in the final two months of the regular season to drop his season stat line to .272/.318/.382 with a .700 OPS.
Merrifield said he struggled mechanically, physically and mentally at the end of last season and hopes to bounce back.
“Anytime you get to a certain age, really any age, if you don’t supersede what you’ve done, it’s always, you’re getting old, you’re regressing,” Merrifield said. “Frankly, it’s a lazy way to look at it because if you look at the physical aspect of it, my weight room stuff, I’m actually getting stronger. The last two months of the year, and really the first month of 2022, if you take away those three months, I’ve been pretty dang good the last few years.
“It’s been frustrating because I’ve been pretty consistent my whole career. I pride myself on when things are going bad, still being productive. A three-month stretch was not good, but you know, it’s a learning experience and hopefully I can learn from three of the worst months I’ve had in baseball.”
If the Phillies get at least one productive stretch out of Merrifield with him in the lineup everyday in the event a starter goes on the injured list, the one-year investment is likely worth it.
“When I talked to him on the phone, I was telling him about the situation. The answer that he gave me, which I really like, is that he’s gonna work himself in the lineup. I like that,” Thomson said.
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- Zack Wheeler Discusses Extension Talks: ‘I’d Love To Be Here’
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