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Whit Merrifield's time with the Toronto Blue Jays has come to a close. Both sides mutually declined his player option for the 2024 season, and he will now be a free agent.
The move was expected as Merrifield struggled to get the ball rolling during the second half of the season. The 34-year-old will now look for another place to call home during the season.
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Merrifield was acquired by the Blue Jays from the Kansas City Royals right before the 2022 trade deadline. He is coming off a season where he slashed .272/.318/.382 with 11 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
While Toronto made the postseason, Merrifield was absent during their series with the Minnesota Twins. However, he was the only player from Toronto who was a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award:
"No brainer there. He was terrible the last two months anyhow. Best of luck to him, he was overall a good pickup for the team" one fan posted.
"For real. You can put a fork in Whit Merrifield. Dude is done" another fan posted.
Blue Jays fans are ecstatic that the team has parted ways with Whit Merrifield. He arguably became a liability for the team offensively during the second half of the season:
It will be interesting to see which teams reach out to Merrifield. He is starting to age and is losing his speed, which could deter some teams.
With Whit Merrifield gone, what do the Blue Jays have in mind for the offseason?
The Toronto Blue Jays did not finish the season how they would have liked to. While they snuck into the postseason, they would not get past the Wild Card round.
These disappointing exits from the postseason have been a recurring theme for this organization. While they are a competitive team, they just do not have enough to take them over the hump.
Toronto will look to end this trend next season. With Whit Merrifield gone, they will have to fill some holes in the infield. Jeimer Candelario and Justin Turner have been players that insiders believe could make an impact in Toronto.
Left field is also an issue the team will have to address in the offseason. Players like Joc Pederson or former outfielder Michael Brantley have been tied to Toronto.
As free agency talks get hot, watch for Toronto to make some upgrades.
