10 infielders the Philadelphia Phillies could target in the offseason
By David Esser
Marcus Semien, SS
2020 Team: Oakland Athletics
2020 Salary: $13 million
Another American League shortstop who has flirted with the MVP award in the past, Marcus Semien is hitting the open market at a fairly interesting point in his career. He’s been an incredibly inconsistent player for the majority of his time in Oakland, both offensively and defensively. However, he posted a near-MVP season in 2019, elevating his name to that of “star” status around the league.
Semien took a fairly significant step back in terms of production in 2020, seeing his OPS drop from .892 (2019) to just .679. His defense was shaky too, as he recorded seven errors in just over 50 games played.
However, Semien caught fire right as the postseason began, helping to regain some notoriety back as he recorded an outstanding 1.344 OPS during the ALDS.
In a normal offseason, Semien would likely command a payday somewhere around the $20 million per year range, however, due to decreased revenue resulting from COVID-19, the market may end up being a tad bare.
Snagging Semien on a 1-2 year deal in the $13-15 million range could end up being a sneaky good signing by the Philadelphia Phillies, giving standout prospect Bryson Stott just enough time to get ready for his eventual starting gig at SS.