Is an outfield upgrade on the way? The release of the veteran Merrifield provides the first peek at what could happen on the trade front.
The release of Whit Merrifield is no small thing. Was it surprising? No. Not at all. You can argue it was inevitable, in fact. But it was also significant.
The Phillies easily could have waited to see what happened at the trade deadline. In the interim, they could have held out hope that something might finally click and they might begin to see some return on their $8 million investment in Merrifield. They could have searched for a landing spot that allowed him to go out with his head held high, à la Jake Cave. That was the path of least resistance.
Let’s say the Phillies make a run at White Sox center fielder Luis Robert, a right-handed power bat who grades out well as a defender. He would presumably take the roster spot of Pache. No need to carry three center fielders in addition to Marsh. Rojas would be the backup and late-game pinch-running specialist, and the Phillies would still have a roster spot to devote to a right-handed corner outfielder who can platoon with Marsh.
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