Philadelphia Phillies release Whit Merrifield, recall Weston Wilson from Triple A

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Phillies on Friday afternoon released veteran Whit Merrifield and recalled infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson from Triple A Lehigh Valley, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced.

The Phillies signed the 35-year-old Merrifield to a one-year, $8 million contract in February to serve as a utility player because of his positional versatility and his reputation as a contact hitter. Instead, the Merrifield experiment did not work in Philadelphia.

Merrifield’s Phillies career ends after 53 games and 174 plate appearances. He hit .199/.277/.295 with a .572 OPS and 11 stolen bases. He started 20 games in left field, 12 at second base and eight at third base.

But Merrifield’s underlying numbers told the story — all of the predictive stats suggested he wasn’t going to suddenly flip a switch.

Merrifield’s hard-hit percentage was 17.4%, the lowest of his career. His average exit velocity was 83 mph, the lowest of his career. Last season, he was in the bottom 1% in baseball in exit velocity.

By releasing Merrifield, the Phillies showed again they’re not afraid to cut bait with vets. It marks the third straight year Dombrowski has cut a veteran player who didn’t live up to the standard — Didi Gregorius in 2022, Josh Harrison in 2023 and now Merrifield.

Wilson finds himself back with the Phillies after spending two games with the club in London. He went 0 for 4 in two games during the London Series. But since the 29-year-old returned to the IronPigs, the righty bat has on a heater.

Since June 15, Wilson slashed .315/.446/.740 with a 1.186 OPS, 10 home runs and 20 RBIs. He was named the International League Player of the Week on July 1 posting a 1.417 OPS with four dingers in six games.

The Phillies likely plan to see what Wilson can do at the MLB level over the next few weeks before the July 30 trade deadline. Sources tell CBS News Philadelphia’s Jeff Kerr the club is looking for outfield help.

With Merrifield out of the picture, another bench spot potentially could be up for grabs. Wilson can play multiple positions and left field, and the Phils are likely looking for a platoon partner with Brandon Marsh.

The Phillies, weather permitting, will open up a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, their final series before the All-Star break. Wilson will start in left field and bat seventh against Oakland lefty Hogan Harris.