PHILADELPHIA — From beginning to end, all 144 days of Whit Merrifield’s tenure with the Phillies were the cost of doing business the Phillies’ way. They liked the idea of Merrifield and waited last winter until the 35-year-old veteran accepted a part-time job to sign him. They guaranteed him $8 million — maybe more than others offered — because the player’s mindset was more important than saving a million dollars. They believed he’d fit.
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And, after 174 plate appearances of a .572 OPS, no one could argue whether the final result was fair. The Phillies released Merrifield, a popular presence inside the clubhouse, who did not perform as a bench player. It was less about the results and more about how Merrifield reached them. He did not make hard contact. He did not resemble a viable piece for a Phillies team that has championship aspirations.
The money devoted to Merrifield became a sunk cost — better tucked aside than force-fed. It did not prevent the Phillies from making other moves in spring training and it will not prohibit what salary they can add in July. It was the cost of doing business.
It was yet another sign the Phillies are prioritizing a trade this month for a right-handed-hitting outfielder.
They will, for now, have Weston Wilson and Cristian Pache platoon with Brandon Marsh in left field. Wilson, recalled Friday from Triple A, earned the first crack. He’s a 29-year-old utility player who’s had good minor-league numbers in the last 16 months, although the gap between the majors and minors has never been wider.
The 61-33 Phillies are not flawless. One area to improve: Their pinch hitters entered Friday with a .186 batting average and .626 OPS. Those are middle-of-the-pack numbers in the majors.
In October, the Phillies will not use their bench, outside of whomever platoons with Marsh. There is only one other regular, Johan Rojas, they’d pinch hit for, and that’s in a specific situation — later in a game, with a righty on the mound. The postseason bench is there as insurance, or worst-case scenario, an injury.
The Phillies know this much: The postseason bench consists of Edmundo Sosa, a backup catcher, and two unknown players. They have a decision to make next weekend on whether Garrett Stubbs or Rafael Marchán will serve as J.T. Realmuto’s understudy when the starting catcher returns. The other two spots, for now, are between Wilson, Pache and Kody Clemens, who is at Triple A.
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Expect the Phillies to make at least one trade before July ends to address the situation.
For now, Wilson has a chance to prove he should be a part of it. Manager Rob Thomson told reporters before Friday’s game that Wilson will see time in left field when the Phillies face a lefty starter. (Oakland is starting two righties the rest of the weekend.) Wilson had gone on a power binge in the minors over the last month. But, even if he produces, the Phillies are motivated to add another bench bat.
The club is rather thin in the outfield at Triple-A Lehigh Valley; Clemens, who has limited experience as an outfielder, would be the next call-up. The Phillies promoted hulking outfielder Carlos De La Cruz to Lehigh Valley earlier in the week. They have interest in bringing back David Dahl on a minor-league deal. Dahl, who cleared waivers and elected free agency earlier this week, is exploring whether he has a better option. He could return to the Phillies organization.
Jordan Luplow, another veteran signed to a minor-league deal in the spring, tore his ACL. A recent outfield acquisition, Ruben Cardenas, asked for his release so he could sign with a team in South Korea.
So the Phillies, in the meantime, have been searching for minor-league depth just to be sure they are not caught shorthanded. (They had to promote a farmhand from Low-A Clearwater to Triple A this week just to have enough outfielders there.)
This is one reason the Phillies have continued to hang onto Pache, despite his lack of playing time and production in the majors. (Pache started in center Friday night and hit a run-scoring, opposite-field double against A’s lefty Hogan Harris.) It’s possible, once the Phillies make a trade later this month, that they replace Pache and not Wilson. But Wilson will have to show he is more than an up-and-down extra.
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Or, if they decide they want a traditional lefty on the bench, they could swap Pache for Clemens whenever they acquire another righty outfielder. Oakland summoned a lefty reliever, Scott Alexander, who had permitted a .927 OPS against righties, to face both Wilson and Pache in the seventh inning Friday. Wilson flied out to deep center. Pache hit a dribbler back to Alexander.
These are smaller-scale issues, although still ones that carry importance. (Never forget John Bowker.) The Phillies are in a position to be picky about how they tweak their roster this month. There is not much “impact-type” talent available on the trade market, which is fine by the Phillies because they are not searching for that.
They are already all-in with the highest payroll in franchise history. Merrifield’s dead money will not preclude them from adding salary. But most teams making July trades are looking for prospects, not money. The Phillies have second- and third-tier prospects outside the Andrew Painter/Aidan Miller/Justin Crawford rung to trade for a platoon outfielder.
The Phillies have not, contrary to reports, limited their search to center field. They have inquired about right-handed-hitting corner outfielders, according to multiple major-league sources. They have asked about both rentals and outfielders with additional club control. They are doing what the team with the best record in baseball should do in mid-July — canvass the potential options while not committing to any particular avenue.
Now, they’re looking for the player they thought Merrifield would be for them.
(Top photo: Whit Merrifield is tagged out by Brett Wisely in May: Suzanna Mitchell / San Francisco Giants / Getty Images)
