7 Phillies players who won't be back next season

Jake Cave

Jake Cave went from an offseason waiver addition to the starting left fielder on Opening Day. He earned a roster spot thanks to a torrid Spring Training and did enough in the eyes of Rob Thomson to earn a start for the season opener.

Cave would struggle as the team's primary left fielder against right-handed pitching for the first month of the season before they sent him down to the minors. He tore the cover off the ball in Triple-A and earned a call-up to return to Philadelphia in July. He played a decent amount in the second half but never really hit much. He slashed .212/.272/.348 with five home runs and 21 RBI in 203 plate appearances.

The unfortunate reality for Cave is that kind of lackluster production really has been the norm for him throughout his six-year MLB career, as he boasts a career OPS of .694. He was able to crack the Phillies postseason roster and did have three at-bats as a pinch hitter. He was their last chance in Game 7 as they attempted to save the season, but he flew out to win the pennant for Arizona.

The Phillies should look to fortify their bench to ensure Jake Cave is not batting with the season on the line and will attempt to do so without the journeyman outfielder who is set to hit arbitration while also being out of options. It makes no sense to keep him around on anything but a minor league deal.