Right before the Philadelphia Phillies began spring training in 2024, they added veteran Whit Merrifield.
It was viewed as a shrewd move for the franchise as he was coming off an All-Star campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023 and looked like he could offer the team some legitimate value.
He remained productive at the plate with a .272/.318/.382 slash line with 11 home runs, 27 doubles and 26 stolen bases. 66 runs were scored and he had 67 RBI.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, that was not the Merrifield that showed up for them early during the 2024 season.
He failed to make much of an impact, producing a .199/.277/.295 slash line in 174 plate appearances. As a result, Philadelphia released him on July 12, but it didn’t take him very long to find a new team.
On July 22, their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, signed him to a contract.
He was more productive there with a .248/.348/.336 slash line. In total, across 335 plate appearances, Merrfield had four home runs, nine doubles, three triples and 17 stolen bases with 15 RBI.
At this stage of spring training, he is one of the best infielders remaining in free agency for a team looking to add depth to their roster.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes that out of all the available middle infielders, Merrifield is the likeliest to land more than a minor league deal.
“The 36-year-old Merrifield is on the downswing of his career, yet he’s a three-time All-Star who had a decent finish (i.e., .348 OBP) to 2024 with Atlanta. He’s worth a flier as a super-utility type,” Rymer wrote.
His versatility is the best asset that he brings to the table currently. With the Phillies, he played both left field and third base at an above league-average level.
Second base his numbers weren’t nearly as positive, but he that is where he has the most experience playing defensively. Center field, right field and first base he has also logged innings at.
The speed he provides is a valuable asset as well. He can be used late in games as a pinch runner and make some plays on the basepaths.
Contending teams should be taking a look at him as a depth option with the things he brings to the table.
The New York Yankees are a team that comes to mind given their issues at third base currently.
