Philadelphia Phillies: Could Marcus Semien be the Didi Gregorius replacement?

Could Marcus Semien be the Philadelphia Phillies next shortstop?

The closer and closer we get to the offseason, the more it’s starting to feel like Didi Gregorious won’t be back with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021. There’s a chance the team could be pivoting away from JT Realmuto to go in hard at retaining their shortstop, but it sounds unlikely.

If both Realmuto and Gregorius walk this winter, the Phillies may actually pivot towards a different big name infielder altogether.

A top-3 MVP finalist in 2019, Marcus Semien is a super interesting name to watch when it comes to this upcoming free agency period. He was one of the best players in all of baseball a season ago, but following a down year here in 2020, it’s unknown what exactly his interest will be on the open market. That could somewhat play into the Phillies hands a bit, as they’ve hinted at cutting payroll heading into the 2021 season.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

If interest in Semien is in fact on the weaker side, the Philadelphia Phillies could be a suprise candidate to swoop in and land him on a multi-year, more team friendly contract. Similar to how they snagged Zack Wheeler last offseason.

Semien has always been a plus starter for Oakland, but he can be best described as “inconsistent” to say the least. His batting average has ranged from .285 all the way down to the .220s, and his power numbers fluctuate pretty heavily. He hit just 25 home runs in 2017 and 2018 combined, but then exploded for 33 homers during his breakout 2019 season.

His defense over at SS tends to be streaky as well. At times, he looks like one of the better defensive shortstops in all of baseball, at other times he can be a liability. He was charged with a mind-boggling 35 errors during his first year with Oakland back in 2015, but then bounced back in 2018 and 2019, recording 14 and 12 defensive runs saved above average.

With all the inconsistency concerns noted, Semien has still established himself as a borderline star in the MLB. Like previously mentioned, he finished third in the American League’s MVP voting last year, and despite the regular season struggles, had a monster postseason here in 2020 (1.344 OPS in the ALDS).

Semien’s streakiness will likely knock a couple Ms off his contract this offseason, but he will likely still receive a fairly lucrative contract. WhiteCleatBeat.com (Fansided’s Oakland A’s blog) projects Semien to receive a yearly salary similar to what he was set to make in 2020, right around the $12-13 million range. Personally, I think he’ll get a little more due to his recent postseason heroics, but around-the-league COVID revenue losses could definitely see him earn a smaller payday than expected.

The Philadelphia Phillies have an obvious hole to fill at the shortstop position, and Semien could provide a fantastic stop-gap option for the team while they wait for Bryson Stott to climb up the minor league ranks. At just 30 years of age, he definitely has plenty of juice left in the tank, and could even transition to second base later on his career (similar to what Jean Segura is kinda doing currently).

The funniest part about Semien? His most “similarly scored” batter on baseballreference.com is none other than Didi Gregoirus himself. If the team is hell-bent on replacing Didi at a cheaper price, Semien is essentially the perfect option available…