PHILADELPHIA — The end in Philadelphia came for Whit Merrifield on Friday. The only person near as sad to see him go was the one who had to break the news.
The Phillies released Merrifield, signed this offseason as a super utility guy, who never quite adapted to life on the bench. The Phillies promoted Weston Wilson in the ongoing search for production and pop from the right-handed side of the plate.
It was with sadness that manager Rob Thomson bid farewell to the three-time All-Star, who remained a valued clubhouse presence to the end.
“It’s difficult,” Thomson said. “And it’s not just that: It’s the person, the teammate, the guy in the clubhouse. It’s very, very difficult to balance that out. And I personally really liked him a lot. As a farm director and field coordinator, I’ve had many, many releases and had to fire many, many people. And this was one of the tougher ones I’ve had.”
The struggle for Merrifield was at the plate. He batted .199 in 53 games and 174 plate appearances with three home runs and 11 RBIs, four of them coming in two games in London. For someone who played every game over three seasons from 2019-21, he never got the hang of playing every other day.
Given the left-handed pillars in the Phillies’ lineup, they need more right-handed support. Merrifield never figured out how to supply it.
“He certainly worked at it,” Thomson said. “He was always prepared. It just didn’t happen.”
The Phillies will pay the rest of Merrifield’s $7 million contract for this year, and they have a buyout for next season’s $8 million option.
In his place comes Wilson with a chance to be that guy. He hit .313 (5-for-16) in eight games in 2022, most memorably a home run in his big league debut in Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter. He is 0-for-4 in two games for the Phillies this year.
Wilson was hitting .211 with eight homers at Lehigh Valley when the Phillies brought him to London as an extra body against the Mets. Since going back down, he has hit .315 (23-for-73) with 10 home runs.
“Wilson’s hot,” Thomson said. “We’re trying to get a little more thump from the right side. And we thought it was going to be Whit. But as hard as he worked at it — and it’s a tough job, as I’ve said many times — but it just wasn’t coming. So we thought, ‘well let’s take a look at Wes.’ ”
Thomson has pledged to get Wilson an extended look in the three weeks before the trade deadline to see if he’s a long-term solution, particularly against left-handed starting pitching.
Wilson started in left field Friday against Oakland starter Hogan Harris. Most of Wilson’s chances will come in left field, though he could step in at times at third base, without encroaching on one of the positions Thomson uses to get Edmundo Sosa at-bats.
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NOTES >> Zack Wheeler (back) was feeling better, Thomson reported. The ace will miss Sunday’s start and the team is likely to reposition his first post-break start in the Minnesota series instead of against Pittsburgh, in keeping with their cautious tack. … J.T. Realmuto ran in the outfield and played long toss. He was supposed to run the bases, but rain before Friday’s series opener with the Athletics put the damper on that. He’ll rehab his surgically repaired meniscus in Clearwater through the All-Star Break. If the Phillies can get him tested on the base paths and get him to catch a few bullpens, he could return not long after the break. … Spencer Turnbull (shoulder) has returned to weightlifting and could resume throwing as a soon as next week.
Source: Berkshire mont
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