Phillies: Are there really any viable Plans B at this point?

The Outfield (and a Surprising Rating)

Here’s an interesting number. Andrew McCutchen, a former NL MVP, has a career Baseball-Reference WAR of 43.6, but last season that figure was added to by only 1.4. Well, sure, you might say, he only played in a handful of games last year. In fact, McCutchen played in 59 games for the Phillies before his injury, while Adam Haseley ended up playing in 67 games after Odubel Herrera’s suspension.

And Haseley’s WAR was 1.7. Additionally, McCutchen’s and Haseley’s at-bat, hits, and RBI totals were remarkably similar — 219/222, 56/59, and 29/26, respectively. McCutchen did have double the number of Haseley’s home runs (10 to five), but arguably, right now Haseley is as important and as questionable a factor for the Phillies as the 2013 NL MVP.

Still, you would likely say, McCutchen versus a rookie? Indeed, the likelihood that McCutchen is useless next season seems minimal. After all, he didn’t injure his shoulder or wrist, and his bat remains very quick, but still, time runs out for all of us.

The more important question is, what if both of them don’t work out for some reason? What do the Phillies do?  The answers right now are Jay Bruce, Roman Quinn, and Nick Williams. That means a guy with limited skills who may be a useful bench bat, a guy who’s literally always injured, and a guy who’s a disappointment. Consider the outfields in the rest of the NL East. Either McCutchen or Haseley not working out would also be a problem.

Do Phillies fans have to count on Herrera not being released before Opening Day for a “baseball reason,” as required by agreement with the Players Association, or being traded for a bag of balls? You don’t want to look up this guy’s progression for the last three years. Really.