Jake Cave
The recently departed Jake Cave is now plying his trade with the Colorado Rockies. When he was traded for a bag of cash at the tail end of spring training, he wasn't happy about it — or at least that's how it seemed in his first interview from the clubhouse of the NL West's punching bag.
Cave's time in Philadelphia was brief, lasting just the 2023 season, and he never really got his footing in the Phillies lineup despite mashing when in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 31-year-old was prepared to take on the same bench role he had last season but became expendable when the team signed Whit Merrifield for a bench role. He's now part of the outfield/bench rotation at Coors Field.
The former Yankees draft pick has appeared in 21 games for the Rockies but has registered just 34 plate appearances. He has found himself with a lot of pinch-running, pinch-hitting and defensive replacement duty. So far, in his limited chances, he has put up his best batting average since 2019, with a .233 mark. Keep in mind he hit .212 with the Phillies last year.
His .627 OPS isn't anything special, and he has yet to run into one in the thin mountain air, with no home runs. He has recorded a double and triple, at least, and has endeared himself to Rockies fans.
It's unfortunate he never got going in Philadelphia, outside of a 19-game stretch in August when he hit .275 with an .870 OPS. But as a minor role player, he didn't exactly leave a gaping hole on the Phillies roster this season.