Who’s in Center Field for the Phillies in 2020?
The Philadelphia Phillies have a lot of holes to fill this offseason. A starting pitcher or two. A few bullpen pieces. Third base. Second base. Center field.
But do they really need that last one? Perhaps the answer to their center field problems could already be in the house.
No, not Odubel Herrera. He’s on his way out, one way or another, after years of inconsistent play and 2019 that was marred by domestic violence charges that were ultimately dropped.
Instead, the Phillies center field problem should be answered by Adam Haseley.
The 23-year-old had an up and down season between AA, AAA, and the Big League club, and had to deal with a trip to the injured list with a groin strain. But as he became more comfortable in the majors, his level of play improved.
He finished the 2019 campaign slashing .266/.324/.396 with five home runs, 26 RBI, and 30 runs scored. Anyone can see those are mediocre numbers, especially when you factor in his 60 strikeouts in 222 at-bats. But they don’t tell the whole story.
He hit a solid .282 in the month of September, with 40% of his home runs hit that month and one-third of his runs scored. Say what you will about the Phillies’ collapse, but Haseley was doing his part to prevent that from happening.
And then there is the number of web gems he had out in the outfield this year, mainly in center. He made one error in 131 chances, good for a .992 fielding percentage. Not too shabby for a guy who had his defense questioned coming out of college. And the best part about it? He’s confident he can make these types of plays day in and day out. If that’s not the type of guy you want manning CF, I don’t know who is.
A full season of Haseley should show the team – and the fans- why he was selected with 8th overall pick in the 2017 draft. He seems like the type of player who will only get better the more he plays.
Plus, the team needs to see what they have with him. Scott Kingery gets opportunity after opportunity to show he’s deserving of an everyday role. Why do some fans think Haseley is not deserving of the same thing?
Then there’s the money aspect of things. Haseley is cheap, and he will be for a few years. The Phillies don’t need to put money into the centerfield. Or trade assets for a centerfielder. Instead, they need to use whatever money is available, and assets they can trade, to fill the bigger, more glaring holes.
The Phillies can’t be too quick to cast Haseley aside and stick him in AAA for 2020. Or worse, make him a bench player who doesn’t get everyday at-bats. That’s a sure-fire way to stunt Haseley’s development.
Instead, his role is at the bottom of the lineup, in centerfield, as an everyday player for the Phillies in 2020.
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Categorized:Phillies