PHILADELPHIA — The next couple weeks for the Phillies could shape their October successes or failures.
The July 30 Trade Deadline is approaching. They need to decide how they want to improve their 26-man roster. Do they spend resources on a right-handed-hitting outfielder? Do they get another late-inning reliever? Do they do both? To make the best decision possible, they released three-time All-Star Whit Merrifield on Friday, less than five months after he signed a one-year, $8 million contract.
Merrifield, 35, hit just .199 with three home runs, 11 RBIs and a .572 OPS over 174 plate appearances. He ranked last in average exit velocity (83.0 mph) out of 322 players with a minimum 100 balls in play.
“We’re trying to get a little more thump from the right side,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We thought it was going to be Whit. As hard as he worked at it, it’s a tough job. It wasn’t coming.”
The Phillies will spend the next couple weeks playing and evaluating Weston Wilson, who they promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. It is no secret the Phils need help in the outfield.
There have been reports that they’ve focused solely on center field, but that is not believed to be accurate. The Phillies are looking for corner outfielders, too. Names often linked to the Phillies — like Luis Robert Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr. — are unlikely, either because the Phillies would be unwilling to part with the prospects required to acquire the player, or because they probably don’t have true interest in the player.
Entering Friday, Phillies outfielders ranked 25th in baseball with a .661 OPS; their left fielders were 20th with a .681 OPS.
The Phils need an outfielder who can hit left-handed pitching, other than right fielder Nick Castellanos, who was batting .295 with a .938 OPS against lefties since May 19 entering Friday.
Here’s how the other Phillies’ outfielders have fared against southpaws entering Friday:
• Merrifield — .190 average; .567 OPS in 84 plate appearances
• Brandon Marsh — .149 average; .392 OPS in 54 plate appearances
• Cristian Pache — .210 average; .635 OPS in 73 plate appearances
• Johan Rojas — .186 average; .417 OPS in 62 plate appearances
It is one of the Phillies’ few issues, but it could become a major problem in the postseason if teams stack left-handed pitching against them.
“They’re going to put as many [lefties] as they can against us,” Thomson said. “That’s something that hopefully Wes can provide.”
Wilson started the season poorly, but has been on a tear lately in Triple-A, hitting .315 with 10 home runs, 20 RBIs and a 1.185 OPS in his last 20 games. Expect Wilson to play regularly in left field against lefties for the next couple weeks. He has played 10 out of his 15 games in left field since June 1, including his final five games with the IronPigs.
“I’m looking at this like it’s a great opportunity,” said Wilson, who went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday’s 6-2 loss to Oakland. “Hopefully come up, play and help this team win. That’s all I want to do here. Help this team win. They’ve got a good thing going right now. I just want to keep that going.”