This is not what the Phillies envisioned when they signed Whit Merrifield to a one-year, $8 million contract during the offseason.
But the three-time All-Star has struggled so much that the MLB-powerhouse Phillies had no choice but to release him on Friday, recalling utility pitcher Weston Wilson from Triple-A instead.
The 35-year-old Merrifield was an All-Star with the Blue Jays last season but had to settle for a part-time utility role in free agency.
He never quite found his groove in Philadelphia, batting just .199 with a .572 OPS, three home runs and 11 RBIs in 174 at-bats in 53 games.
It has been pointed out that: AthleticMerrifield’s average exit velocity is 83 mph, last among 325 batters who have struck out at least 100 pitches this season.
“I’ve been a farm director, a field coordinator, been through a lot of layoffs, had to do a lot of layoffs, but this was one of the toughest I’ve been through,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. He told reporters Merrifield was released Friday.
“He’s a person, a teammate, a guy in the clubhouse. I personally really liked him.”
Merrifield played second base and left field for Toronto last season, batting .272 with a .700 OPS, 11 home runs and 67 RBIs.
He was a two-time All-Star during his six-plus seasons with the Royals and led the majors with 206 hits and 10 triples in 2019.
Merrifield, who made his MLB debut at age 27 in 2016, has hit 40 or more doubles three times and stolen 40 or more bases twice in his career.
The Phillies enter Friday with a 61-32 record and will close out the first half of the season with a three-game home series against the Athletics.
