Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (finger) took a ball off a finger on his right hand before Monday's contest against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, but he avoided a fracture and is considered day-to-day. It comes on the same day that Merrifield signed a major-league deal with the Braves to help provide depth at second base with Ozzie Albies sidelined with a fractured wrist. When he gets past his finger issue, the 35-year-old veteran should bounce around as a utility player for Atlanta between second base and a corner-outfield spot. Once a must-start player in fantasy mainly for his speed, Merrifield is probably only an NL-only asset nowadays. Before being released by the Philadelphia Phillies this year, he was slashing a weak .199/.277/.295 with a career-low .572 OPS, three homers, 11 RBI and 11 swipes in 53 games played.
The Atlanta Braves will reportedly sign utility player Whit Merrifield. The veteran, who was recently released by the Philadelphia Phillies, will sign a major league deal with the Braves according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Merrifield hit .199 for the Phillies this year in 53 games, with three homers and 11 RBI to go with 11 stolen bases. The 35-year-old is expected to provide depth for the Braves with starting second baseman Ozzie Albies projected to be out for eight weeks with a left wrist fracture.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Friday that they released infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield and called up outfielder Weston Wilson from the minors to replace him on the active roster. Wilson is actually starting in left field and batting seventh on Friday against the Oakland Athletics with left-hander Hogan Harris on the mound. Merrifield, a three-time All-Star, will look for work elsewhere around the league now after slashing just .199/.277/.295 with a .572 OPS, three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 53 games for the Phillies. The 35-year-old former ninth-round pick in 2010 out of South Carolina was once a fantasy start back in his days with the Kansas City Royals because of his speed, but he's no longer an everyday player and has never had a 20-homer season in eight big-league campaigns. Merrifield should latch on with another team as a super-utility man.
Philadelphia Phillies utility man Whit Merrifield is starting in left field and is batting eighth on Monday against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. Brandon Marsh is moving to center field, which pushes Johan Rojas to the bench. Merrifield wasn't in the team's Opening Day lineup last Thursday, but he's started each of the last three games with left-handers on the mound. The 35-year-old three-time All-Star is looking likely to play anytime the Phils face lefties and to help fill in when others need days off throughout the year. So far through his two games played, he's gone 1-for-7 with a walk in eight plate appearances. As long as Merrifield sticks near the bottom of the Phillies' batting order, he's not going to have a very high fantasy ceiling on a daily basis.
Philadelphia Phillies utility player Whit Merrifield will get the start in left field on Saturday opposite Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried. The veteran was said to get some playing time this weekend with the Braves facing lefties both Saturday and Sunday. With Johan Rojas winning the everyday center field job, Merrifield will be relegated to the short side of a platoon alongside Brandon Marsh in left field this season. The 35-year-old inked a one-year pact with the Phillies this winter after hitting .272 with 11 home runs and 26 steals across 145 appearances with the Blue Jays last season. He'll have his hands full against Fried who posted a 2.55 ERA across an injury-shortened 14 starts a season ago.
Philadelphia Phillies infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield was not in the starting lineup for the team's season opener on Friday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, but with the Phillies facing lefties on Saturday and Sunday, Merrifield will likely be in the lineup, according to manager Rob Thomson. Merrifield told Thomson before signing in the offseason that, "I'll work myself into the lineup." The three-time All-Star hit .272/.318/.382 in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays with 11 home runs, 67 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 145 games in a bounce-back year. The short side of a platoon role in Philly hurts his overall upside for fantasy managers in deeper leagues, but Merrifield could be more efficient in 2024 if he's mostly facing lefties. He's a .289 career hitter in 526 games against southpaws.
Whit Merrifield Agrees To One-Year Deal With Phillies
Free-agent infielder Whit Merrifield agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, according to a source. The deal includes a club option for the 2025 season that will also be worth $8 million. Merrifield is now 35 and has been in decline since leaving the Kansas City Royals midway through the 2022 season, but he still managed to hit .272/.318/.382 with 11 home runs, 67 RBI, 26 stolen bases and 66 runs scored in 145 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. He's probably not going to have an everyday role in Philadelphia, but Merrifield should bounce around between second base and the outfield and can still provide some modest speed for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Merrifield has always made consistent contact despite being aggressive at the dish.
Free-agent infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield is moving closer to making a decision on where he will play next, according to a source, and he's expected to agree to terms with a team by the end of the weekend. Merrifield's market has picked up in recent days, with five teams showing varying levels of interest in him. The 35-year-old veteran became a free agent when both he and the Toronto Blue Jays declined his mutual option for 2024 worth $18 million. He lost playing time down the stretch in 2023 while posting a .700 OPS, 11 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 592 plate appearances. Merrifield's production began to fall off in 2022, and he's no longer as much of a threat for fantasy managers in the batting average and steals departments.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Thursday that second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield's $18 million mutual option for the 2024 season has been declined by both sides. Merrifield will now hit the open market this offseason, as expected. The Blue Jays definitely weren't going to pay Merrifield $18 million next year after he lost playing time down the stretch in the regular season. The 34-year-old utility man is useful for his multi-positional eligibility in fantasy and for his speed, but the three-time All-Star has never reached 20 homers in a single season and also isn't running as much as he was in his prime with the Kansas City Royals. Merrifield finished his first full year in Toronto in 2023 with a .272/.318/.382 slash line, 11 home runs, 27 doubles, 67 RBI, 26 stolen bases and 66 runs scored in 145 games played.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (groin) is playing left field and batting fifth for the team on Wednesday against the visiting Texas Rangers and left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Merrifield is back in action for the Jays after missing the last two games with groin tightness. The 34-year-old veteran super utilityman has struggled at the plate of late, so fantasy managers may want to keep him benched until he snaps out of his slump. In nine games (eight starts) so far in September, he's gone 7-for-34 (.206) with a double, four RBI, five strikeouts, a stolen base and three runs scored. Against southpaws in 2023, Merrifield has gone 35-for-124 (.282) with three of his 11 home runs. Merrifield continues to be valuable in fantasy for his positional versatility and his speed (25 steals).
