After a disastrous 2024 in Philadelphia at the plate that saw him being outright released, Whit Merrifield is signing with the rival Atlanta Braves, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Merrifield, a three-time All-Star, was a blackhole in the Phillies' otherwise potent lineup in the 53 games he played. Across 174 plate appearances in his age-35 season, Merrifield hit .199 with a .572 OPS. That's a far cry from his career batting average of .281 and career OPS of .743.
It might seem very fitting that Merrifield would join the Phillies' biggest threat to the National League East crown and right his ship, but the eye test very much backed up the numbers during Merrifield's brief time in Philadelphia. He has lost multiple steps.
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