Would the Philadelphia Phillies benefit from having Whit Merrifield as their “tenth player”? Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes that. Before the winter meetings in Nashville next week, the former MLB general manager wrote about a free agent match for every MLB team. According to Bowden, Merrifield appeals because he bats right-handed and is versatile—two qualities the Phillies might use in the upcoming season:
His ability to play both second base and the outfield increases his value and he fits perfectly with this Phillies team. In his career, he has led the majors in hits (twice), doubles, triples, stolen bases and even sacrifice flies. Merrifield, 34, is a leader in the clubhouse and at this point in his career, his value is most appreciated by contending teams that could use him as a 10th player. In 145 games with Toronto in 2023 he slashed .272/.318/.382/.700 with 11 home runs, 67 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He also earned his third All-Star Game berth.
But he’s also about to enter his age 35 season, so his days of being an everyday player are winding down. Plus, with Philadelphia’s lineup, it’s not necessary for Merrifield to play each day.
Bowden projected that Merrifield could get a two-year, $18 million deal. That would take some of the sting out of the Blue Jays turning down his $18 million 2024 option. The Blue Jays used him pretty evenly last year between left field and second base, making him a quality rotational player for the Phillies’ cadre of outfielders and second baseman Bryson Stott. Merrifield is an eight-year vet who began his career with Kansas City in 2016 and has a lifetime .284 batting average. From 2019-21 he played every single game each season and led the Majors in at-bats. He led the Majors in hits in back-to-back seasons and stolen bases three different times, including a career-high 45 in 2018.
