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Top Stories of 2024 – No. 7: Free agent Merrifield expected to sign a new deal by the weekend for the 2024 season

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With 2024 winding down, Blue Jays Nation is reflecting on some of the biggest stories from the site this past year. Coming in at #7, we have a news article from Cam Lewis looking into Whit Merrifield and his free agency timeline as the utility player was looking for a new home heading into the 2024 season.

Heading into mid-February, Merrifield was gaining some traction on a new deal and five teams were reportedly interested in his services.

The Blue Jays acquired Merrifield at the 2022 MLB Trade deadline and he spent the next one and a half seasons with Toronto. Through 189 games, Merrifield posted a .274/.319/.394 slash line with a .712 OPS and 83 RBIs. He also added 16 home runs while stealing 27 bases and spending most of his time split between second base and the corner outfield spots. The Jays declined his option and he became a free agent during the 2023/2024 offseason.

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From Lewis’s article, Merrifield remained a free agent in the days leading up to Spring Training and was gaining some traction midway through February.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the 35-year-old veteran has had five teams express interest in signing him over the past few days and he’s expected to agree to terms with one of them by the end of the weekend.
The three-time All-Star hit the free-agent market for the first time in his career this winter, as the Blue Jays unsurprisingly opted not to pick up his $18 million mutual option for the 2024 season in favour of a $500k buyout.
On February 19th, Merrifield locked down a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Philadelphia Phillies, heading to the NL East for the first time in his career. His tenure with Philadelphia was short-lived, as he struggled to a .199 average and a .572 OPS across 156 at-bats before being released in mid-July.
Merrifield would sign a deal with the Altanta Braves 10 days later, finishing the season within the division. The right-handed batter would appear in 42 games, posting a .248/.348/.336 slash line with a .684 OPS and four RBIs.  He missed some time after fouling off a pitch off his left foot against the Blue Jays but didn’t land on the IL, finishing the year with a fracture on the top of his foot. Merrifield was named to the NL Wild Card roster but did not appear in any games.
The 35-year-old is once again a free agent this winter but there has not been a lot of buzz surrounding the former hit king. There is a good chance a Major League team will give him a shot this winter on a short-term deal but until some of the other names come off the board, Merrifield will likely have to wait to find a new team – similar to his free agent experience last winter.