The Phillies announced some waiver claims today as they prepare to trim the edges around their roster.
Stubbs announcing free agency was not a surprise. I’d expect him back on a minor league deal. The other four coming off of the injured
list is a rule following procedure. Players cannot be on the injured list during the offseason.
Whitcomb is an option from the Giants that basically gives them some roster depth. He played three infield positions this past season with the Astros and Giants, slashing .203/.233/.336 in 122 plate appearances. He offers some versatility around the diamond, a modicum of power and almost no ability to take a pitch. He swings at almost everything. It’s the type of move the Phillies needed to start doing more of to have actual options on the roster in case of injury.
Harris offers the same type of thing as Whitcomb, only in the corners. He was with three teams last year and played well in the minors, hitting .288/.399/.449 at the Triple A level, but failing out once he saw big league pitching. Again, not really much more here than depth that they actually badly need.
