Whit Merrifield would give the Cubs bench versatility |
In case you missed all the action surrounding the Cubs the other day, several things went down. It all started with the arbitration process, in which both Nate Pearson and Justin Steele agreed to new contracts. You also had Kyle Tucker and the Cubs fail to reach a deal which doesn't bode well for the future should any extension talks come up.
Along with all the arbitration stuff comes the minor trade the Cubs made as they acquired Matt Festa from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash. To make room for Festa, the Cubs elected to designate Miles Mastrobuoni for assignment, as that was a move that was in the works for several months. As much as letting Mastrobuoni go makes sense, it does hurt this team in a sense, as you are getting rid of a valuable bench piece. When I say valuable, it's not the way you might think, as his production was non-existent, making that part of his game invaluable. However, he gave the Cubs speed off the bench and could play anywhere across the diamond making that part of his game very valuable. Trading for Vidal Brujan a week or so ago still gives the Cubs a versatile player to move around the diamond, but Brujan is no better than Mastrobuoni, so that move doesn't make much sense, either. One player who hasn't been talked about much with the Cubs, or anyone, would provide this team with some versatility and could give them some extended playing time should someone go down. That would be the 35-year-old Whit Merrifield, who is not only a free agent but a very nice veteran bench piece for the Cubs, similar to what Ben Zobrist gave this team. Given where he is in terms of his career, no one would expect Merrifield to come in and give the Cubs the same type of production Zobrist did when he arrived. Still, when you look at Brujan, Mastrobuoni, Nick Madrigal, or any other bench pieces on this team from a season ago, he instantly becomes an upgrade. There was a time not long ago when Merrifield was one of the game's most undervalued and underrated players. That happens when you play for a small market team like the Kansas City Royals, but any time you can hit 290-plus for an extended period and steal 30-plus bases, you know you are doing something right as a player. Since leaving the Royals, Merrifield has bounced around through several organizations, with the most recent stops being the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves. Although his best days are long behind him, Merrifield has still put together an outstanding career and has slashed 280/.328/.413 across 1147 games. Along with that comes the speed factor, as Merrifield has wiped 218 career bases and has added 94 homers. Looking back at his time with the Royals, you can see that he was one of the best hitters in the game from 2018-19, as he led MLB in hits in back-to-back seasons (2018-2019) and stolen bases (45) in 2018. Five years later, which was his last all-star appearance in 2023, Merrifield continued to show that he still had something left in the tank and went on to post a .272/.318/.382 slash line with 26 stolen bases in 145 games with the Blue Jays. As productive as his bat was at one time, that isn't what he is known for anymore, as he continues to be one of the more versatile defenders in the game and can play upwards of seven positions. Coming off a season where he hit just .222/.311/.314 with an 80 wRC+ and 17 stolen bases in 95 games, many wonder how much juice he has left in the tank and if it is even worth adding him to their roster. Part of his struggles were related to a fractured foot. He continued to play through most of the season as things started to turn around in Atlanta, where he hit .248 across 42 games. Even with his average seemingly declining, his OBP remained solid, which is something to consider when considering adding him to your team. The Cubs pride themselves on depth and versatility, as they like to move guys around. Merrifield may not be the player he once was and isn't flashy, but he is as versatile as they come and gives the Cubs the depth they look for. He is a better option for a bench role than any current free agent and, for the right price, is someone this team should strongly consider.
