Whit Merrifield was formally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday to a one-year deal with a 2025 option. Right-hander Kaleb Ort was designated for assignment by the Phillies in order to create space on the 40-man roster for Merrifield. Last Monday, the Miami Marlins placed Ort on waivers and Philadelphia grabbed him. Later on Monday, Ort was traded for cash to the Baltimore Orioles. With the Phillies, Merrifield will don No. 9, making history as the first player to do so since Travis Jankowski in 2021.
Other players to wear No. 9 with the Phillies since 2000 include:
The 35-year-old joins Philadelphia after slugging 11 home runs and driving in 67 runs last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He made his third All-Star team in 2023, though his production fell off a cliff in the season’s final two months. He hit .212 with a .538 on-base plus slugging percentage in his final 47 games with the Blue Jays – he hit .303 with a .781 OPS in his first 98 games.
Merrifield brings positional versatility, a right-handed bat, and speed to the Phillies. He has 201 career stolen bases, and led the American League three times with the Kansas City Royals. Last season, at 34, he still swiped 26 bats.
“Really excited about Whit,” Phillies superstar Bryce Harper told reporters on Sunday. “We talked about two weeks ago, me and him, had some conversation about Philly.”
Merrifield spent most of his career playing second base but has experience playing multiple positions.
Last season in Toronto, Merrifield played 74 games in left field and 73 games at second base. He also played five games in right field. In his career, he’s played 15 games at first base, five at third base and 84 in center field.
With the Phillies, Merrifield figures to be the 10th man and offer insurance in case Johan Rojas’ bat can’t play at the major-league level or if Brandon Marsh’s knee isn’t ready for Opening Day.
