Philadelphia Phillies: Cody Asche Needs to Move into a Utility Role

Philadelphia Phillies’ left fielder Cody Asche had a bad 2015. Like, really bad.

Cody Asche has been with the Philadelphia Phillies for three years playing third base and left-field. Last year Asche compiled a stat line of .245/.294/.395 (batting average/ on-base percentage/ slugging percentage) which leaves much room for improvement.

During the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies added outfield help in the form of David Lough, Peter Bourjos, and Odubel Herrera. Minor Leaguers Tyler Goeddel, Roman Quinn and Jordan Danks will also be in the mix for the outfield spots.

Asche, the 25-year-old outfielder, was worth -1.1 wins above replacement in 2015 meaning that having an average outfielder would have won one game for the Philadelphia Phillies. Asche doesn’t do himself any favors defensively as he committed 10 errors last season (eight at third base, two in the outfield) and he lacks the range to make the plays that most outfielders would make.

This brings us to a few questions for the 2016 season, who are the Philadelphia Phillies starting outfielders and where will Cody Asche be used?

Let’s start with the starting outfielders:

Odubel Herrera is expected to be the starter in center field but with Bourjos on the team, there is a chance that he could be moved to right field. Last season Herrera hit for a .297 average after being claimed in the Rule-5 draft from the Texas Rangers which was a pleasant surprise. While Herrera’s average is expected to fall, and he needs to become more efficient at stealing bases, there is no reason to suggest that Odubel Herrera won’t be a starter in 2016.

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Either next to Herrera in right field or supplanting him in center field will be Peter Bourjos. Bourjos was acquired from the Cardinals on waivers during this past offseason. Bourjos is more of a defensive special that uses his speed to cover more ground than the average outfielder. Last season he hit .200 but had an on-base percentage of .290 showing that while he isn’t a great hitter, he does have a decent batters eye. If Bourjos can up his batting average to the .250 range and his on-base percentage to the .310+ range he could become an immediate upgrade over any of the Philadelphia Phillies outfielders in 2016.

Bourjos was a wild card pickup for the Phillies with the potential for 20 stolen bases. He also has the added asset of being an elite defender at each outfield position. If Bourjos’ bat can keep him in the lineup in 2016 look for a productive season.

David Lough brings an interesting case to the Philadelphia Phillies as well because he’s coming off of a disappointing year that ended with the Baltimore Orioles letting him go. The potential is still there because Lough is only two years removed from his rookie year with the Kansas City Royals during which he hit .286 over 96 games.

Lough is another player who plays elite defense who can play any outfield position for the Phillies. He is better in the corner outfield spots, having spent most of the past few seasons in left and right field for the Orioles.

Lough brings a similar skill set to Peter Bourjos; speed, excellent defense, weak throwing arm and they both will need to improve on their contact rates to stay in the Phillies lineup.

The Battle for the 4th outfielder spot:

Now that we have covered the starting outfielders it’s time to cover the trio of Tyler Goeddel, Roman Quinn, and Jordan Danks.

Tyler Goeddel joined the team as a Rule 5 pick from Tampa Bay Ray’s farm system which gives him the upper hand to make the squad. Goeddel has never played above AA but still has a shot to contribute to the Phillies in 2016.

Goeddel posted a .279 batting average last season for the Rays AA affiliate with a .350 on-base percentage. This spring he’s showing that those numbers aren’t a fluke hitting .261 with a .333 on-base percentage. That’s enough for him to make the squad especially since he provides solid albeit not spectacular defense.

Roman Quinn is another player who hasn’t played above AA in his career. He impressed the Philadelphia Phillies last season by hitting .306 with a .356 on-base percentage. Those are numbers that will impress anyone and they earned him a spring training invite.

Quinn doesn’t have much of a shot to make the team out of spring training and will probably begin the season in AAA. If the Philadelphia Phillies have an injury during the season, Quinn will be the first person called up.

Jordan Danks only has a shot because he’s a warm body that can catch and throw. At this point in his career Danks is the classic AAAA player, someone who is too good for AAA but not good enough for the MLB.

What does this mean for Cody Asche?

Cody Asche has given the Philadelphia Phillies countless highlights over his time with the team such as this walk-off home run:

But, Asche is a classic stopgap player. Asche was a starter until the Phillies had better options to move him into his proper role. Luckily for the Phillies Asche has one trait that helps keep him on the team, versatility.

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Cody Asche has the ability to play first base, third base, and left field at an average level (in short stints) and that’s enough to make him valuable to this team. Asche also has above average power which in the National League is very important to have on the bench. Asche could develop into a valuable pinch hitter and utility player for the Phillies in 2016. He can also provide much-needed depth and injury cover.

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