Assessing the Phillies' Center Field Decision

The Philadelphia Phillies have not had good luck in center field for several seasons, and are looking at platooning there in 2022. What gives?

Lauren Amour | Mar 14, 2022

Entering the 2021 season, the Philadelphia Phillies decided to allow their options at center field—Adam Haseley, Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn, Mickey Moniak and Odúbel Herrera—all compete for the job during Spring Training.

Haseley eventually won out, he was placed on the Phillies' Opening Day roster along with Quinn. Herrera, Moniak and Kingery would begin 2021 in the minor leagues.

Haseley, a former first round MLB Draft pick, was in the 2021 Opening Day lineup, batting eighth. But only 13 days later, the 25-year-old was placed on the restricted list after the Phillies announced he would be stepping away from the team for an indefinite amount of time due to personal reasons. He did not play in the majors for the rest of the season.

Quinn came next to try his hand at everyday center fielder, but severely underperformed, and eventually suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. As for Kingery, after a solid year in 2019, the 27-year-old just hasn't been the same. The center field job couldn't be his.

The Phillies even tried former first overall 2016 MLB Draft pick Moniak there for a few games, but following just seven starts and 28 plate appearances in April, Philadelphia called up Herrera to be their everyday center fielder for the remainder of the season after running out of options.

Fast forward to March 2022, and the Phillies are essentially in the same position they were last season. Except this time, 'last resort' Herrera will be platooning in center with Matt Vierling as a voluntary decision by the club.

Ultimately, it is possible the Phillies are back to where they were last spring: An open competition for CF with Vierling, Herrera, Haseley, Moniak and Kingery among the candidates. If there is a significant upgrade in LF, maybe it works. Maybe not.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 13, 2022

Why did the Phillies not sign a center fielder?

Frankly, there weren't any other solid free agent center field options beyond Starling Marte, and the New York Mets signed him pre-lockout for four-years/$78 million.

Is a four-year deal worth it for a 33-year-old? The Mets seemed to think so, but the Phillies did not.

Why did the Phillies fail to trade for a center fielder?

Good question. Conflicting reports have stated that Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier either wasn't available, or the Rays' asking price for the three-time Gold Glove Award winner was 'too high' for the Phillies.

President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and the front office are reportedly reluctant to surrender top prospects Bryson Stott, Mick Abel, or Andrew Painter in a trade.

Oakland Athletics' Ramón Laureano is another name that has come up as a potential trade piece, but the Phillies have been connected to A's third baseman Matt Chapman as well. It has also been reported that Oakland wanted more in a deal than Philadelphia were willing to part with.

Fine, understandable, but it is a bit difficult to believe the Phillies couldn't swing a trade using another variation of a trade package.

So, what now?

With Herrera back on a one-year deal, and the club believing in Vierling's upside after what they saw in 34 games last season, a platoon in centerfield looks likely.

Vierling batted .324 with an .843 OPS in 77 plate appearances in 2021. It's obviously a small sample size, but the 25-year-old could very well satisfy the position with ease.

But the question remains—why Herrera as his platoon partner? He's average at best, and did not perform well as a leadoff hitter last season, posting just a .287 OBP there. The Phillies are already fully aware of what Herrera has to offer, and it's not anything special.

Why not allow one of your former first round picks in either Haseley or Moniak to share that time? To have them show what they have on a more consistent basis? It couldn't hurt.

The decision is certainly questionable, and if the team fails to acquire a significant upgrade in left field, the optics are not good.

The good news? There's still time, and there are great, free agent options available (i.e. Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, etc.) for the Phillies to sign at any time.

For what it's worth, reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper doesn't believe his club is done spending just yet. “I think we will go all the way to $230 [million], as of now, I hope,” Harper told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “So I think that's really going to impact our team to go out there and get the guys that are best available and that are smart and work for our team. There’s proven winners out there that help us today.”

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Published Mar 14, 2022

LAUREN AMOUR

Lauren Amour is Deputy Editor for FanNation's 'Inside the Phillies,' part of Sports Illustrated. Lauren formerly covered the Phillies for SB Nation's The Good Phight. Lauren is a graduate of Rider University in New Jersey.