10 infielders the Philadelphia Phillies could target in the offseason
By David Esser
Cesar Hernandez, 2B
2020 Team: Cleveland Indians
2020 Salary: $6.25 million
Ah yes, that Cesar Hernandez. The same Cesar Hernandez that the Philadelphia Phillies ultimately decided to part ways with last offseason. For what it’s worth, that was definitely the right decision, even with Hernandez snagging a Gold Glove this year. The Phillies were able to land Gregorius instead (who had an awesome year), while Hernandez was his same old average self with the Indians.
With that said, a chance for a reunion this winter could be there, albeit extremely unlikely.
Despite a good chunk of fans claiming the Phillies messed up big time by letting Cesar walk following his Gold Glove announcement, he had a fairly standard year for the Indians. His OPS ranked in the mid-.700s, which is in line with what his career OPS has essentially always been.
Hernandez shouldn’t be the Phillies longterm plan at second base (which is why letting him go was the correct assessment), however he could provide another year or two of decent play should he want to come back to Philly for some reason.
Again, a reunion feels highly unlikely, but you never know when it comes to the MLB offseason. Gabe Kapler and Matt Klentak no longer being in charge could peak Hernandez’ interest regarding a possible return home to the team that drafted him.
Ultimately speaking, it would be pretty lame of the Phillies to bring back a guy that they literally just got rid of. However, he is in fact a free agent infielder coming off an award-winning season, so I included him on this list.