Phillies' castoff Whit Merrifield signs with the worst division rival possible
After being released by the Phillies, Merrifield will have his chance for revenge after joining their biggest division rival.
One team's trash is another team's treasure, or something like that, as the saying goes. After the Philadelphia Phillies cut their losses and released super utility player Whit Merrifield 10 days ago, it seemed inevitable that another organization would give him a shot this season.
It seems the three-time All-Star has already landed on his feet with a new team.
Phillies' castoff Whit Merrifield signs with the worst division rival possible
Unfortunately for the Phillies, that team happens to be the NL East rival Atlanta Braves. ESPN's Jeff Passan broke the news on Monday morning that the veteran Merrifield and the Braves are in agreement on a major league deal.
The Braves are desperate for bodies after their latest devastating injury news. The reported signing comes after Atlanta lost second baseman Ozzie Albies on Sunday with a fractured wrist. The All-Star will be out for approximately eight weeks, according to MLB.com's Rick Farlow.
Superutilityman Whit Merrifield and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a major league deal, sources tell ESPN. Merrifield was released recently by Philadelphia. He’ll join the Braves today and help provide depth after the injury to All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 22, 2024
Merrifield latching on to a desperate Braves team feels like one of those moves that will come back to haunt the Phillies — they play the Braves seven more times at the end of August. If you've watched enough baseball, you know there's a strong possibility that Merrifield will get a chance to have a big revenge moment against his former team. Whether he'll come through in that moment remains to be seen.
The 35-year-old struggled mightily for the Phillies this season after signing a one-year, $8 million deal in the spring. Splitting time primarily between left field and second base for Philadelphia, Merrifield batted .199/.277/.295 with three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 steals in 53 games.
It was an immensely disappointing free agent signing, especially after the move looked like it was the perfect fit for a stacked Phillies roster. The front office decided they couldn't wait any longer for Merrifield to turn his season around. They wanted to get a look at Weston Wilson, who had been tearing up Triple-A and forced the team's hand just weeks before the July 30 trade deadline.
So far, in his short time since being recalled, Wilson has impressed. In 16 plate appearances, he's slashing .357/.375/.571 with a home run and three RBI.
So, while Merrifield might get his revenge moment against the Phillies later this season, Wilson has already more than proved his worth in his short time in the bigs this year, and the Phillies outfield will undoubtedly look different after the trade deadline anyway.
manual