It has already been a month since the Philadelphia Phillies released veteran utilityman Whit Merrifield. Despite coming off an All-Star season in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Merrifield somehow struggled to get anything going in a Phillies’ uniform this season.
But we have learned now that his struggles didn’t take anything away from the memorable time that he actually had with the team, which he recently revealed in an interview on Foul Territory. Not only that, he had some additional great words to say about the organization as a whole.
“I loved my time in Philly, I really did,” Merrifield said. “They’re such a great group of guys, from the staff, the front office ... they’re just a top-notch organization.”
However, if there was one thing he wished he could do over, it would probably be his mediocre performance with the club.
Former Phillies castoff Whit Merrifield still baffled that he wasn’t a fit in Philly lineup
“I hated it didn’t go better than it did, from my point of view. Whenever I did get a chance to play, I just didn’t make the most of it, for whatever reason,” Merrifield explained.
.@WhitMerrifield describes being released by the @Phillies and the great friendships he made and still has with members of the team. pic.twitter.com/0BKvYrFBSW
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 7, 2024
In 53 games, he batted a dismal .199 with a .572 OPS, along with just 21 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI worth of production. It was definitely a far cry from what Merrifield could bring in an average season. He was actually quite baffled by the fact that he didn’t turn out to be the good fit in the Phillies’ lineup he initially thought he would be.
“As much as it felt like a good fit going into the year, from a playing perspective it just didn’t end up being a good fit. Which is a bummer, because I really did enjoy my time there,” Merrifield said.
Despite all the shortcomings, it didn’t affect the strong friendships that he made with various members of the Phillies organization.
“It was hard leaving those guys," Merrifield said. "Even for the short amount of time I was there, developed some great friendship and great chemistry with those guys."
Nevertheless, Merrifield gave some heartfelt well wishes to the Phillies, while throwing in some humor to take a fun jab at his former teammates at the same time.
“Wish them nothing but the best. I told them I wish them a little bit less, I guess than the best now. I'm always cheering for those guys, just not quite as hard anymore,” Merrifield chuckled since he is now a member of the arch-rival Atlanta Braves.
Overall, the Phillies might be missing Merrifield somewhat, given their stellar winning record when he was a part of the club. But one thing is for sure, if they do end up facing each other again on a bigger stage in the playoffs, there will certainly be no mercy from either side, friendships aside.