Veteran utility player Whit Merrifield will join a fellow playoff contender in the National League East following his unsuccessful stint in Philadelphia.
Merrifield is set to join the Atlanta Braves, according to a Monday morning report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The three-time All-Star was released by the Phillies on July 12 as he batted .199 in 53 games.
The Phillies signed Merrifield to a one-year, $8 million contract for the 2024 season to serve as a part-time contributor. Despite his poor second half of last season with the Toronto, Philadelphia bet on the 35-year-old’s track record to give them an advantage against left-handed pitching in certain platoon situations as he moved around the diamond defensively. Merrifield never got going and struggled to make hard contact throughout the season.
Early in the year, the Phillies maintained that Merrifield needed time to adjust to his new lesser role. He saw most of his time in left field against lefties in place of Brandon Marsh with appearances at second base and third base as well. But as mid-July rolled around and Merrifield had a .572 OPS, the team decided to eat the sunk cost of his contract and let him go, calling up Weston Wilson.
Now, Merrifield will head to Atlanta with second baseman Ozzie Albies out for eight weeks with a left wrist fracture. The Braves needed some help on the major-league roster after Albies went down, and decided to give Merrifield an opportunity. Perhaps the nine-year big leaguer can find the rhythm that the Phillies hoped he would for his new club.
