OF Tyler Goeddel, .195/.251/.303, 16 R, 4 HR, 16 RBI in 212 PA
-1.2 fWAR (Fangraphs WAR)
-1.2 bWAR (Baseball-Reference WAR)
Top candidates for the worst player on the Phillies this year include outfielder Tyler Goeddel, pitcher Adam Morgan, and albatross Ryan Howard.
Seven weeks ago, Howard would have won this easily. Through the end of June, he was hitting .151/.215/.349 and he is not fleet of foot on the base paths or nimble on defense. Plus, he’s making $25 million this year.
Howard avoided this list by hitting .315/.351/.699 over his last 26 games. It’s a small sample size of 77 plate appearances that has only lifted his overall batting line for the season to .197/.252/.448, but at least it’s something positive. He’s hit this well only by being selectively used against right-handed pitchers. Against left-handed pitchers, Howard is 3-for-28. Still, his little hot streak has been enough to make him slightly more valuable than Tyler Goeddel. And Howard did recently hit a grand slam home run that former teammate Jim Thome approved of.
Goeddel shouldn’t really be in the major leagues right now. He hasn’t spent any time above AA in the minor leagues. The reason he’s with the Phillies is that he was a Rule 5 draft pick from the Tampa Bay Rays organization in December, so he must remain with the Phillies all year long or be offered back to the Rays. He’s struggled and the team probably expected him to struggle. Even in his four minor league seasons, he only hit .262/.337/.403. He’ll likely finish this year with the Phillies unless he comes up with a mysterious injury, then go back to the minors next year.
Adam Morgan’s 6.21 ERA in 75 1/3 innings has made him about as valuable as Ryan Howard and just a little more valuable than Tyler Goeddel. He’s had two stints with the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs in between his 16 outings with the Phillies. As an IronPig, Morgan is 6-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 50 1/3 innings.
Next: The Putrid Pirate