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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Whit Merrifield suddenly became a free agent on July 12 when he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies.

But his uncertain future at age 35 only lasted 10 days.

The 2007 Davie graduate is going right back to work, signing a one-year contract on July 22 with Philadelphia’s chief rival in the National League East and the “hometown” team for Merrifield – the Braves.

Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies fractured his wrist on Sunday and Merrifield was signing papers on Monday. With Albies expected to miss around eight weeks, the Braves are hoping Merrifield can help at second and in the outfield.

Merrifield getting cut from Philly was a reminder of the unpredictable nature of pro sports. Just last year, he was an All-Star for the third time as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. He became a free agent following the 2023 season and was willing to be a part-time starter for a championship-contending team, signing a one-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia.

But his transition from everyday starter to role player did not work out. In 174 plate appearances across 53 games, he hit .199 with a .572 OPS, three homers and 11 RBIs. He made 20 starts in left field, 12 at second base and eight at third.

He still has wheels, stealing 11 bases in 12 attempts.

The Phillies are the best team in baseball – they were 62-35 through July 19 – but they surprised many by letting Merrifield go and eating around $4 million. They called up Weston Wilson from Triple-A to take Merrifield’s place.

“I’ve been a farm director, field coordinator, I’ve had many, many releases and had to fire many, many people, and this was one of the tougher ones I’ve had,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters. “It’s the person, the teammate, the guy in the clubhouse. I personally really liked him a lot.”

The Braves and all the Davie County supporters hope Merrifield can rediscover his groove in Atlanta. What he’s accomplished since breaking into the majors in 2016 has been breathtaking.

• From 2016-20, Merrifield hit .295/.342/.445 with 58 homers and 119 stolen bases.

• He reached 40 doubles three times and 40 steals twice.

• He was twice an All-Star with the Royals.

• In 2019, he led the majors in hits (206) and triples (10).

• He led the American League in hits in 2018 and 2019.

• He paced the American League in steals in 2017, 2018 and 2021.

• In his 2023 All-Star season, he hit .272 with a .700 OPS, 11 homers, 67 RBIs, 28 doubles and 26 steals.

Will SF Trade Whiz?

With the trade deadline approaching, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports speculated that Davie County’s Carson Whisenhunt could get moved in a trade.

Whisenhunt is a Triple-A starting pitcher in the San Francisco organization.

Axisa wrote: “The Blue Jays are going to sell. The question is to what extent? To put it another way, would they actually trade a homegrown cornerstone player like Bo Bichette and/or Vladimir Guerrero Jr.? This bold prediction says yes, the Blue Jays will send shockwaves through Toronto and the trade market by trading one of their foundational pieces. We’ll say Guerrero stays and Bichette goes. Specifically, he’ll get traded to the Giants for erstwhile top prospect Marco Luciano and lefty Carson Whisenhunt, among others. San Francisco gets a needed shortstop and the big name it craves, and the Blue Jays shake things up and improve their young talent base. Bichette’s days in Toronto are numbered, we boldly predict.”

The trade deadline is July 30. We’ll see in a few days if Axisa’s prediction comes true.