Philadelphia Phillies release three-time All-Star after immense struggles

This past offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies didn’t accomplish much in terms of roster additions.

Instead, they focused on getting Aaron Nola back after he hit the open market and locked up Zack Wheeler to an extension so he wouldn’t become a free agent after this year.

With such a deep roster, Dave Dombrowski and his management didn’t really need to make massive upgrades. But, with depth being something every contending team seeks, they brought in three-time All-Star Whit Merrifield to be their do-it-all power forward.

On paper, it made sense.

The veteran was fresh off an All-Star selection with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and would bring a level of hitting and defensive versatility to the club that would greatly benefit the Phillies in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.

Merrifield hasn’t been able to get things going at the plate, batting .199/.277/.295 with just three home runs, eight extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 53 games. He’s also posted a horrendous OPS+ of 63, 37 percentage points below the league average.

Now, three games before the All-Star break, the Phillies have decided to move on.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Philadelphia released Merrifield and called up Weston Wilson to take his roster spot.

This is a major announcement as the veteran was expected to be a part of this team throughout the season, regardless of his poor performance, due to the $8 million contract he signed this offseason.

But they apparently felt the 35-year-old would not be able to turn things around and it would be better to move on now rather than wait any longer.

Merrifield’s release could also signal that another outfield move is imminent with rumors circulating that the Phillies already know who they’re looking to bring in before the trade deadline.

But this is just speculation.

What is known is that Merrifield is no longer part of that team following his release and that Wilson will take his place before the All-Star festivities begin.