Philadelphia on Friday released Whit Merrifield, who the club envisioned as a capable veteran backup, but turned out to be an $8 million miss. Merrifield had a .199 batting average with an OPS of .572 in 174 plate appearances and didn’t make it to the All-Star break.

Merrifield, a 2023 All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays, entered last season looking for a multi-year deal and an everyday job. He got neither with Philadelphia, which had been interested in him all winter but waited until his demands dropped. They signed him during spring training and hoped he would adjust to a part-time role after hitting regularly throughout his major league career.

But Merrifield, 35, didn’t score. His average exit velocity was 83 mph, which ranked him 325th among 325 batters who have struck out 100 balls. He also recorded just one extra strikeout in the last 33 days, a strikeout on a regular fly ball earlier this week that the center fielder missed in the lights.

By cutting ties now, Philadelphia has a chance to evaluate the rest of its bench before the July 30 trade deadline. They recalled Weston Wilson from Triple A, and he will fill Merrifield’s role as a right-handed hitter who can play inside and out. Wilson has been in solid form in the minor leagues; he’s hit .315/.446/.740 in 20 games since Philadelphia sent him to Lehigh Valley. Philadelphia immediately put Wilson in the lineup Friday as a left fielder opposite Oakland A’s lefty Hogan Harris.

Merrifield was well-liked within the Philadelphia clubhouse and would likely have joined another organization. The fit always made sense. But the poor results weren’t enough to justify keeping Merrifield on a team that aspired to win a World Series.

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