Merrifield gives very honest answer on why he didn't re-sign with Blue Jays

Although he may not have been the same player he was in his prime with the Kansas City Royals, Whit Merrifield was still very solid for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Merrifield, a three-time All Star, was acquired by the Blue Jays late in the 2022 season in exchange for Max Castillo and Samad Taylor. Though he didn’t receive a ton of playing time to close out 2022, he quickly impressed in 2023, which allowed him to play in the All-Star Game.

Though the 35-year-old’s numbers declined over the second half of the 2023 season, he still finished with a respectable .272 batting average, 67 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases in 145 appearances. Many Blue Jays fans hoped he would be back for the 2024 season, but that did not come to fruition.

Merrifield instead chose to join the Philadelphia Phillies, who are in Toronto right now for a two-game series. He recently chatted with JD Bunkis on Sportsnet 590 The FAN about what ultimately led to his departure.

“Ross [Atkins] had expressed that they were going to be a big player in free agency,” Merrifield said. “I just didn’t quite have those conversations that I was expecting to have and it never really worked out.”

Former Blue Jay @WhitMerrifield comments on his free agency and departing from Toronto with @JDBunkis. #TOTHECORE

🎧 https://t.co/ET2culOpbD pic.twitter.com/wTLEjptXYY

— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) May 8, 2024

Based on his comments, it sounds as though Merrifield was more than willing to re-up with the Blue Jays, but management had other plans. By all accounts, they were hoping to be a big player, as they expressed plenty of interest in Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. They were unable to land either, however, and instead settled on significantly smaller pieces.

The move seems to have worked out for Merrifield, as the Phillies are 26-11 on the season. Though his playing time has been limited, he has a good opportunity to win the World Series for the first time in his career.

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