Whit Merrifield joined the Phils in Clearwater and had this to say about his decision to sign a one-year deal with a club option for 2025:

Merrifield joined the Royals in 2016, the year after they won the World Series, so he didn’t experience a +.500 record during the entirety of his stay in Kansas City. He didn’t get a taste of a winning record and postseason baseball until moving to Toronto in 2022 and 2023, when the Blue Jays had solid years but lost a couple of AL Wild Card Series, 2-0. Merrifield logged right plate appearances in those series, getting on base a couple of of times against the Mariners, but otherwise he’s barely gotten a sniff of October despite eight MLB seasons and three All Star appearances. Hopefully the 2024 Phillies allow him do what he wants to do, and win now.