Phillies release veteran utilityman

The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve released veteran infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield and recalled fellow infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Merrifield signed a one-year, $8M contract with the Phillies in free agency this past offseason. That guarantee came in the form of a $7M salary for the current season and at least a $1M buyout on an $8M club option for the 2025 campaign.

Merrifield, who has struggled to a .199/.277/.295 batting line in 174 plate appearances this season, is still owed about $3.01M of his salary plus that $1M buyout. He’ll now be able to sign with any team, and a new club would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster or injured list. That amount would be subtracted from what the Phillies owe, but Philadelphia will remain on the hook for most of his remaining contract.

While things with the Phillies didn’t pan out, the 35-year-old Merrifield was a decent hitter as recently as last season in Toronto, when he turned in a .272/.318/.382 slash with 11 homers, 28 doubles, a triple, 26 steals, a 6.1% walk rate and a 17.1% strikeout rate. His offense has tailed off since his peak seasons (age 29 and 30) when he led the American League in hits in consecutive seasons as a member of the Royals. Still, this level of decline was as unexpected as it was precipitous.

To his credit, Merrifield’s contact skills remain excellent. He’s fanned in only 10.9% of his plate appearances, and this year’s 8.6% walk rate ties a career-high mark for the three-time All-Star. However, he hasn’t hit the ball with any authority, turning in a bottom-of-the-barrel 83 mph average exit velocity and 17.4% hard-hit rate. Merrifield entered the 2024 season with a gaudy 24.8% line-drive rate in his career but has hit just 16.8% of his batted balls on a line this season.

The late-blooming Merrifield didn’t even reach the majors until his age-27 season in Kansas City, but he almost instantly became not just a fixture on the Royals’ roster but one of the most prolific hitters and base thieves in the league. From 2016-20, Merrifield batted .295/.342/.445 with 58 homers and 119 stolen bases. In addition to leading the majors in hits in 2018 and 2019, he also paced the American League in stolen bases in 2017, 2018 and 2021.

Between that track record, the now minimal price tag, and his defensive versatility — he can play second base, third base, and all around the outfield — Merrifield should find a new opportunity before long. Grim as his 2024 production (or lack thereof) has been, several teams around the league are looking for a veteran righty bat and/or help at second base/left field.

The Yankees, Red Sox and Mariners are among the current postseason contenders who’ve received negligible production from second base this year. They could speculate on Merrifield turning things around with a change of scenery. (WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported that Boston was not interested in Merrifield this offseason, but circumstances change.) Merrifield’s former Kansas City club has been hunting for a bat that can play both the infield and outfield, as general manager J.J. Picollo noted last month.