Maybe Whit Merrifield was more important to the Phillies than we thought
The Phillies have looked like a different team since Whit Merrifield left. Is it just a coincidence?
Back on July 12, the Philadelphia Phillies made the tough yet wise decision to let one of their key offseason signings go, veteran utilityman Whit Merrifield.
Looking back now, it still made total sense for the Phillies, as Merrifield had struggled all season to get anything going offensively. In 53 games with the club, he batted a dismal .199 with a .572 OPS, 21 runs scored, three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases over 174 plate appearances.
Their decision appeared to be further justified after Merrifield caught on with the injury-riddled Atlanta Braves team following his release. In his short tenure with his new club, he has continued his struggles, posting a .167 batting average and a .452 OPS. As a result, the Braves have also limited his playing time.
Maybe Whit Merrifield was more important to the Phillies than we thought
However, the more time that passes, the more the Phillies might be regretting their decision to drop the three-time All-Star.
When Merrifield was still part of the team, the Phillies were flying high with a dominant 61-32 record, all while distancing themselves from the rest of the league. But ever since his unexpected departure, the Phillies have been caught in a total rut, playing uncharacteristically below .300 baseball for the past couple of weeks. In fact, they have now lost five straight, and 12 of their past 16 games since Merrifield left.
So despite Merrifield failing to provide significant contributions to the team during his time with the club, his presence did bring one important aspect: keeping the Phillies in their winning ways. Now with perhaps the Phillies’ “lucky charm” gone, they have been inexplicably struggling big time to find their game.
On the bright side, with Merrifield currently in another slump with the Braves, perhaps he will soon find himself available once again. And who knows, at that point, the Phillies might just do the unthinkable and bring him back — if they really want to win again.
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