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Phillies: Three players who need to “over-perform” in 2020

By David Esser

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 17: Didi Gregorius #18 of the New York Yankees smiles during batting practice prior to game four of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on October 17, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 17: Didi Gregorius #18 of the New York Yankees smiles during batting practice prior to game four of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on October 17, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Didi Gregorius, SS

The second inclusion on our list may actually come as a surprise to most of you, and rightfully so for the most part. Didi Gregorious has been lauded as one of the organization’s better signings in the last couple of years; a proven winner who provides a positive, veteran presence to a very young clubhouse.

On paper, Didi is a massive addition to the Phillies roster as a career .264 hitter who’s been known to effectively combine both power and contact to an elite level. Throw in the fact that he’s a far above average fielder, Phillies fans should be expecting big things from the shortstop in 2020.

Didi is also one of Joe Girardi’s “guys.” A player who spent some time under the former Yankees manager, their bond is a special one. Adding someone like him this off-season will only help to ease Girardi into the historically tough Phillies job.

However, many fans and experts alike seem to “gloss over” the fact that Didi was signed to just a one-year contract. While adding someone of his caliber should always be a no brainer, the brutal truth is that he was brought in to help the Phillies win right now. If he doesn’t directly translate to wins for the Phillies in 2020, then his $14 million one-year deal may not look too favorable.

At the end of the day, I expect Didi to leave a positive legacy behind in Philadelphia, regardless of his production. He hustles hard and is an extremely likable guy. With that said, for Didi to ultimately go down as a really good signing for the Phils, he’s going to have to really dominate in 2020.

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