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PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies’ outfield picture should get some clarity this weekend in Arlington.
The club has used strict platoons in both left and center field since acquiring Harrison Bader last week. That has meant starting Max Kepler in left field and Brandon Marsh in center against right-handed pitchers, while rolling with Weston Wilson in left and Bader in center against lefties.
Manager Rob Thomson said last week he would stick with that plan for at least the six-game homestand that concluded on Wednesday.
So, now what?
There appear to be four possible options for the outfield moving forward, some of which are more plausible than others. Let’s take a closer look at each, while evaluating some of the pros and cons …
Option 1: Keep both platoons
How it would look: The Phillies could simply continue doing what they’ve done over the past week: Kepler/Marsh starting against right-handed pitchers and Wilson/Bader starting against lefties.
Why it could work: Wilson crushed left-handed pitching last season, hitting .341 with a 1.025 OPS over 51 plate appearances -- but he hasn't had nearly as much success in a similar sample this year. Marsh has also benefited from platoons in the past, performing significantly better against righties than lefties throughout his career.
Potential downside: This would leave Bader in a platoon, which is not an ideal role for him considering he has relatively even splits throughout his career -- and he’s actually hit right-handers better than lefties this season. This would also continue to give the majority of starts in left to Kepler, who is slashing .204/.295/.366 overall this season -- including hitting just .205 with a .680 OPS vs. righties.
Option 2: Get rid of both platoons
How it would look: The Phillies could opt to roll with Bader in center and Marsh in left, both on a somewhat regular basis.
Why it could work: As mentioned above, Bader has similar numbers against right- and left-handed pitchers. When the Phillies acquired Bader at last week’s Trade Deadline, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said: “He’s going to play a lot.”
That would suggest the plan was not to use the right-handed-hitting Bader strictly against left-handed pitchers, which is about once every four games.
As for Marsh, he’s slashing .302/.361/.454 in 74 games since returning from the IL on May 3. Keep in mind, however, those numbers are aided by the fact that Marsh is being used almost exclusively in favorable platoon matchups.
Potential downside: Marsh has been given the opportunity to prove he can be an everyday hitter before, including coming into this season. And even as well as he’s played over the past few months, almost all of that damage has come against right-handers.
During this torrid stretch dating to May 3, Marsh is just 8-for-37 (.216) with one extra-base hit in 41 plate appearances against southpaws. That said, Wilson is just 7-for-36 (.194) with one extra-base hit in 42 plate appearances against lefties, so perhaps the Phillies opt to give Marsh a longer look if the platoon isn’t working as expected anyway.
Option 3: Keep a platoon only in LF
How it would look: Bader could get regular reps in center, while Marsh slides over to form the left-handed-hitting part of a platoon in left field. The Phillies could pair him with Wilson or maybe even Otto Kemp, a right-handed hitter who will be looking for a spot once Alec Bohm returns in the next week or two.
Why it could work: This option puts Bader in an everyday role, while also allowing Marsh to continue thriving in a platoon situation. It would also provide a potential spot for Kemp to get some at-bats. His last 12 appearances have all come at third base, but the Phils would need to shift him back to left field once Bohm returns if they want to keep Kemp in the lineup.
Potential downside: Marsh has started in left field just six times, compared to 64 starts in center. Kemp, meanwhile, hasn’t started in left since July 13 -- the final game before the All-Star break.
Option 4: Promote No. 3 prospect Justin Crawford
How it would look: The left-handed-hitting Crawford would likely only come up if he was going to play on a near-everyday basis in either center or left. That would leave Marsh and Bader to platoon at the other spot, with one of them occasionally mixing in to spell Crawford.
Why it could work: Crawford has hit the ball well at every stop in the Minors and also provides elite speed.
Potential downside: Again, Bader isn’t an ideal candidate for a platoon situation. It’s also not a given that the 21-year-old Crawford would have immediate success at the big league level.