Phillies predicted to sign $4 million veteran outfielder to create platoon with Brandon Marsh
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Phillies predicted to sign $4 million veteran outfielder to create platoon with Brandon Marsh originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Philadelphia Phillies outfield took a hit this offseason, as they waived Nicholas Castellanos, and lost Harrison Bader. They did grab Adolis Garcia, but they still need a fourth outfielder to fill in when the starters need a rest.
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Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts the Phillies will find a bat to platoon with Brandon Marsh, and sign veteran Randal Grichuk to be the righty to Marsh’s lefty.
“The Phillies could use a better fourth outfielder than Johan Rojas, and Gabriel Rincones' lefty profile is not what this team needs. You get substantially less defensive value with Grichuk, but he still produces solid exit velocities at the plate and is especially effective against left-handed pitching, making him a clean and simple platoon partner for Brandon Marsh. He'd essentially fulfill the function of Austin Hays or Weston Wilson in years past. Grichuk really struggled after a deadline move to Kansas City last season and he's getting up there in age, but as a cheap stopgap with some offensive utility, he makes sense for the Phillies as a last-minute addition,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Grichuk slashed .228/.273/.401/.674 with 18 doubles, nine home runs, and 27 RBI in 113 games. While these numbers aren’t the best, coming off the bench as a right-handed pitching specialist would suit him just fine.
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Plus, Grichuk is only projected to receive a one-year, $4 million deal, so he’d be cheap. And, if he performs worse this season, the Phillies can just cut him and eat the loss.
Hopefully, the Phillies grab him, as he could be the depth upgrade they need.
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