Longtime infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield has announced his retirement, via his agency at Warner Sports Management.
“Hey guys,” Merrifield says, “You all should know that I decided a while back to retire. When it came down to it, it was an easy decision. Many factors played a role in my decision, but the main one was a 6 pound 6 ounce gift from God my wife and I were blessed with in March of 2024. I was never talented enough to just show up and play. Baseball required my full focus and energy for me to compete at the level I wanted to, and I realize I can no longer give that effort. At this point in life, I’d much rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders.” He goes on to thank the various clubs he played for and their fans while acknowledging those who believed in him along the way.
As Merrifield alluded to in his statement, he had a reputation for being a scrappy grinder, as opposed to the most naturally gifted athlete. But he nonetheless was able to carve out an impressive career in the big leagues as a late bloomer.
A ninth-round pick of the Royals in 2010, Merrifield was never really on the radars of prospect evaluators as a minor leaguer. Regardless, he climbed the ladder, impressing the Royals in various ways. He could bounce all over the diamond on defense. Offensively, he didn’t have a ton of power or draw many walks, but he didn’t strike out much and could steal plenty of bases once he got on.
He got called up to the majors in May of 2016 at the age of 27, significantly older than when most players make their debuts. At the time, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweeted that many people within the organization viewed Merrifield as the ideal guy to have the final spot on the roster. In other words, a utility guy.
His usage in that 2016 season reflected that. He was optioned to the minors and recalled a few times, eventually getting into 81 big league games and taking 332 plate appearances. He only hit two home runs and didn’t walk much but produced a .283/.323/.392 batting line and 91 wRC+. He stole eight bases and played the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners.
In 2017, he showed he was capable of being more than just a utility guy. He broke out at the plate that year by hitting 19 home runs, helping him produce a .288/.324/.460 line and 105 wRC+. He also swiped 34 bags and effectively took over as the club’s everyday second baseman, while still occasionally moving to other spots.
He had arguably the best season of his career in 2018. His home run total dropped to 12 but his walk rate almost doubled compared to the year prior, jumping from 4.6% to 8.6%. A .352 batting average on balls in play also helped him out, leading to a .304/.367/.438 line and 119 wRC+, with another 45 stolen bases to boot. FanGraphs credited him with 5.0 wins above replacement that year, the best tally of his career.
Going into 2019, the Royals and Merrifield agreed to an extension. The deal guaranteed him $16.25MM over four years with a club option for a fifth year. That total looks fairly modest to compared to some more recent deals but it was a product of his late-bloomer status. Since he didn’t debut until his age-27 season, he wasn’t going to qualify for arbitration until after he turned 30 and wasn’t slated for free agency until after his age-33 season. That deal may have sacrificed a bit of future upside but it allowed him to guarantee himself some life-changing money ahead of schedule.
His performance held pretty steady for the next couple of years. Over 2019 and the shortened 2020 season, he slashed .297/.342/.456 for a 109 wRC+ while stealing another 32 bases, while the emergence of Nicky Lopez bumped him to spending more time in the outfield and less at second base. He was selected to the All-Star team for the first time in that 2019 campaign, the first of three honors he would eventually earn.
His offense dipped a bit in 2021, as his .277/.317/.395 line translated to an 89 wRC+, though he still stole 40 bases. Going into 2022, it felt like maybe the end of his time as a Royal was drawing close. It was the final guaranteed year of that extension. He was also going into his age-33 season. The Royals were rebuilding during this whole era and had rebuffed plenty of trade calls, but given his age and contract status, the window appeared to be closing.
He stuck with the Royals into the start of the 2022 season. He and the club agreed to a reworked contract, with the club preemptively triggering his 2023 club option and shifting some of the salary commitments to the ongoing 2022 campaign. The Royals were still mired in their rebuild and would eventually finish the year with a record of 65-97, so trade talk picked up that summer.
Merrifield was eventually dealt to the Blue Jays for minor leaguers Max Castillo and Samad Taylor. It was a bit of a surprising landing spot at the time. With travel restrictions still in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, ten Royals players were unable to cross the border to play in Toronto earlier that summer due to not being vaccinated. Merrifield was one of them, which led to the question of how he would be able to play for the Jays down the stretch, but he eventually agreed to receive the jab.
Though his production was a bit lackluster at the time of the trade, he caught fire down the stretch, hitting .281/.323/.446 for a 120 wRC+. He helped the Blue Jays earn a Wild Card spot, which allowed him to appear in the postseason for the first time in his career. However, the Jays were swept out of the Wild Card round, falling 2-0 to the Mariners. He stuck with the Jays in 2023, stealing another 23 bases with offense just a bit below league average. The Jays grabbed another Wild Card spot but were swept out again, this time by the Twins.
He finally reached free agency for the first time in his career, ahead of his age-35 season, and landed an $8MM guarantee from the Phillies on a one-year deal. That didn’t really pan out, as he hit .199/.277/.295 and was released in July. “Philly, I liked you way more than you liked me,” he said in his statement today. “Sorry I stunk for you.”
He then signed with Atlanta, which was a personal thrill for him. In his statement today, he described them as his “childhood team,” having grown up in the Carolinas. He had a solid .248/.348/.336 showing in 42 games for Atlanta and made the club’s Wild Card roster but didn’t appear in a game as the club was swept by the Padres.
Merrifield was a free agent this winter and didn’t appear in any rumors. In hindsight, it seems that was because he had no intention of playing this year. He hangs up his spikes having played in 1,147 games with 4,866 plate appearances. He knocked 1,249 hits, scored 632 runs, drove in 485 and stole 218 bases. FanGraphs credits him with 19.8 wins above replacement for his career, with Baseball Reference giving him 17.9. BR also pegs his career earnings justs over $35MM. And he managed to do all of that despite not making it to the majors until well after his 27th birthday.
We at MLB Trade Rumors salute Merrifield on a fine career and wish him the best in whatever comes next.
Photos courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Wendell Cruz and Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
He could work at the ticket counter in the HOF.
Good player
That was a stunningly quick fall.
Maybe because he started later, he seemed younger to fans? Otherwise, his age is around the time most ball players skills significantly diminish.
Didn’t get to the 10 years service time mark. That sucks
It seems like he “ran” from Toronto, the first train outta town when his contract ended. Maybe it was the taxes or standing in the mile long customs lines that tipped the scales…. There were many mistakes made in the Jays last trip to the wild card, but, in hindsight…maybe could have played more games if he had stayed in Toronto, and chalked up the mistakes to rookie management mistakes.
^this is what happens to your brain when you consume Fox News all day
That there’s customs lines and taxes? Pretty simple and true statement. Last I checked libs don’t like taxes and lines either…
My facetious remarks about the mile long customs lines and extreme taxes were placed in my comment to provide a nod to those that haven’t left the county,(county…not just country) and married their cousins….
No idea what that means.
There’s no custom lines for players, they have their own planes and clear customs during their flight and when you play for Toronto it’s even more streamlined.
Taxes in Toronto are comparable to CA and NY.
So not a simple and true statement at all then, eh?
^^@DustyDumbChops This is TDS at it’s finest.^^
lol no don’t really care about trump, one way or another.
Clearly thats all you think about, let me guess you call him daddy too. You dork
@DustyDumbass you were the one that brought politics into a baseball thread and awkwardly at that
Their pension is still great, even short of 10 years. He & his family should be fine.
He seemed like more than a 17.8 WAR player.
great name. big Layne fan. 18 war in 9 years. 2 war per year and avgd less than 4 mm per. when considering 3 years pre arb and 1st 2 arb years being cheap he was an absolute bargain for those 5 and definitely earned 8 mm a year in the last 4, with it all just averaged out with hindsight. 35mm for 18 war is a career 99.9999999% of us can dream about and mlb teams hope for with most any picks
It ain’t like that anymore.
No Excuses.
Would? he be a hall of famer?
If I had a nickel for every time Alice in Chains puns popped up on this site….
Part of his issue is his “Peak” was very short.. His 1st Full Season was not until he was 27 and this last few years are forgettable so you just remember the good times.
Say what you like about him, but not many Hobbits have any kind of MLB career.
They draw a lot of walks, but they don’t cover a lot of ground in the field.
@blueskies – He spent years chasing after that ring…of power.
Do you think he got second breakfast when they had a double header?
fantastic thread, well done all!
Contact player who batted just over 200 last year. Definitely a “hall of famer”
Congrats, I didn’t think that your original comment could get any worse, but it just did. Parker may or may not be deserving to all, but he’s Babe Ruth compared to Merrifield.
You don’t have a clue about baseball
Bernard,
Why mention the HOF other than in an attempt to be dismissive of Merrifield’s career? It’s a career countless ballplayers would be thrilled to have.
if you’ve forgotten, what was the point of knowing it in the first place? I’ve never understood this cliché.
You forgot a lot and we all have backgrounds. On our phones. Merrifield isn’t close to HOF. No disrespect to Merrifield, but I think he would get a little chuckle over that. Dave Parker may or may not deserve HOF but there’s a reason he’s in the debate.
But you have forgotten who is talking to them?
You don’t know who “you is” talking to, either. That’s his message boards work.
Bernie, you’re an idiot.
Sincerely, All of us.
Bernard,
Your arrogance is to the point that I wonder if you share a hat size with Barry Bonds. And that may be topped by your ignorance. How would you know that you’ve forgotten more than I know?
The odds are quite long that you “have watched baseball for double the years (I) have been alive.” Have you watched five Red Sox World Series victories? Because that’s what it would take for your statement to be true, being a living baseball fan in 1918.
Dave Parker is a questionable choice for the HOF. Merrifield may not even get on a ballot, but that’s not a disparagement of his career. Most players don’t have their name on a HOF ballot. He was a three-time All-Star, part of a career to be proud of.
The fact that you led off the comments section with “HOF potential?” demonstrates either:
1) the limits of your baseball knowledge or
2) a desire to stir up an argument, which is the action of an internet troll.
Which one is correct?
Dave Parker doesn’t come close? That’s bold for someone who “has a background”
One of the two out of Dave Parker and Whit Merrifield had 2700 hits, the other had like 1200. I’ll let you figure out which is which.
And just like a true Bernie, he disapears when facts come into play!😂😂😂😂😂😂
To be fair, the Hall let in Rod Carew and he was a contact hitter who probably only would have hit .200 if he played last year at age 78…
That is the problem, you forgot too much baseball info.
As a late bloomer, had a decent career. He can be proud of it. Made some decent money.
Good luck on his next chapter!
Prime Hall of Pretty Good player.
Nah, even better, HOPG potential.
Happy retirement to 2 hit Whit!
Solid career. Not bad for a guy from Florence, SC. Congrats Whit.
Whit was SO good for Toronto in 2023. His ability to play many positions and knack for clutch hitting made him one of their most valuable players. It turned out to be his last really good full season. But, as with his time with the Royals, made you realize his value as a multi-position player.
Good for him. Your child takes precedence over your career.
He had a great career and is set for life financially, so no worries there. Go chase your toddler around until they become a pre-schooler, a teenager, and eventually repeat the cycle of life.
You know what? This doesn’t surprise me one bit. He was smoked out by 2023.
Yes, it’s open to the public.
Some context:
Fangraphs ranks Merrifield 977 all-time for position players with 19.8 WAR.
That’s out of 4,466 players, so he’s had a career in the top 22% of all MLB players. Not bad at all.
Congrats on a solid career, Whit. When I think Whit Merrifield, I think, ballplayer.
I only wish the Phillies signed him 5 years earlier.
Merrifield is definitely a major ‘what if’ career. Made decent money for such few playing years at the major league level, but even so.
I hope he invested wisely!
Not a bad MLB career for a late bloomer. Whit has 35m in the bag and with a solid career, congrats and enjoy retirement!
Remember when the Royals could have traded him for a significant return?
Yep, Cubs kicked the tires on him a few times but the Royals wouldn’t bite. Really wanted him at the time when the Cubs were competitive and they could have used a contact guy like Whit at the time.
I’m glad they never did.
2010 College World Series hero. Funny thing that both him and Jackie Bradley Jr. are from the champion South Carolina team and both had MLB careers lasting 7.x years.
I think you have 7-11 confusion – perhaps Big Gulp based.
Don’t forget that they have another guy still playing. Christian Walker.
NorthESk
JBJ certainly had some outstanding moments in both his college and MLB careers. A top flight defensive centerfielder whose bat was wildly inconsistent. I thought he would blossom offensively and become a left-handed batting version of Tori Hunter or Andrew McCutchen. To me he had the look of a ballplayer.He is/was doing TV work for ESPN for the college W.S.
He started that for the SEC Network in like March or April. Was even in the booth at the South Carolina vs LSU series.
Hall of Fathers
I thought he played for more years.
Good luck Whit!
He really seemed to tune out the last several seasons, heart didn’t seem to be in it, all those injuries can be demoralizing as they pile up. Understandable.
Kind of surprised he didn’t stick it out for the 10 years of service time but after the brutal season he had lost year there may not have been any real opportunities to do so. Too bad he missed the Royals championship by a year to get a ring but overall a decent career.
Congrats Whit
I have to wonder if he would have been chosen for the 40 man instead of mondesi and made his debut as a pinch-hitter in game three like mondesi did…. Would he have gotten his first major league hit in the World series? Mondesi struck out as a pinch hitter and made his official Major League debut the next year.
Aaawww. That’s beautiful. Good work, Dad.
Saw an interview with Whit once. Lamented the fact he played hurt a lot more than he should have. Affected his numbers and cost him.
Whit Merrifield always hussled and was a class act.
Good Luck in retirement Whit…!!
There is a reason to ignore guys like Timmy. He thinks that there have only been 4466 position players in MLB history and doesn’t realize that there have been 20645 position that have had at least one PA. That doesn’t pitchers who also batted or played a position in the field and also doesn’t include those that played defensively or as a pinch runner but never got a PA. There was an entire movie about one guy like that.
Merrifield was top 5% all time. That is incredibly good.
toptimrubies
1 hour ago
Some context:
Fangraphs ranks Merrifield 977 all-time for position players with 19.8 WAR.
That’s out of 4,466 players, so he’s had a career in the top 22% of all MLB players. Not bad at all.
“…Receive the jab.”
Really? Is that the tone writers on this site take regarding a vaccine that saved lives during a global pandemic? Do better.
If you’re thinking of leaving a comment on a mlbtraderumors.com thread that ends with ‘do better’, I’d hope you next time choose to just go outside and do anything else. And MLBTR, thanks for the mute button.
You are right cake. You are muted. No reason to read comments from people like you.
The world and this article won’t ever forget you were a vaccine denier; but congrats on a career.
Nah mate. The world let that go long ago. It’s just you folks that still fight about it.
Always a champion Whit. Thanks for the memories.
Lol finally the Twit retires
Great career, Whit! He was always an easy guy to root for. And better yet — congrats on becoming a dad.
The “Sorry I stunk for you” is incredibly endearing.
Phillies should out him in Ashburn Alley
Enjoy retirement, Whit. Family is important. Enjoy them.
I think he will make the Royals team HOF.
I’m not going to lie. I was rooting for the White Sox to sign him this past offseason.
Merrifield should have asked for a trade from canada and tell them to keep the vaxx shot. Poor decision…
I still have trouble understanding why KC didn’t trade him while he had real value. Then, as soon as his value collapses to -0-, they get rid of him.
Don’t talk down about the guy. He turned very minimal talent and a lot of heart into an over $30 million career and is retiring set for life in his 30’s. I’m sure no one speaking ill of him can say they did that.
I remember in 2017 out of spring training he was sent down to triple A when mondesi was chosen as the starting second baseman (in my opinion that was a big mistake on yost’s part). After only a few games in AAA he was hitting .400 and it was clear that he should not have been sent down.
Hit .280 career and stole lots of bases. Hell yeah. We need more of that these days. Enjoy retirement Whit!
Good career and a fun player. He lands somewhere between the Hall of above average and the Hall of pretty good. And he made $35 mil in like 9 years.
99% of players who have yet to play a game in MLB would take that career.
Sad to see he is retiring. But he gave my team many Fantasy Baseball wins. Thanks for the memories Whit! Congratulations on retirement.
Merrifield was a very good backup infielder for the Braves, wish him the best in his retirement.