Philadelphia Phillies: Enrique Hernandez a sleeper option in the infield?

The Philadelphia Phillies could use a guy like Kike Hernandez.

Amongst all the talk of improving the bullpen or replacing J.T. Realmuto, an underrated need that has somewhat slipped under the radar for the Philadelphia Phillies is that of the middle infield. Didi Gregorius is obviously no longer on the roster, Jean Segura has had back-to-back below average seasons, and Scott Kingery is coming off a miserable 2020 campaign. Plenty of people have pointed to the idea that Segura could slide back to shortstop while Kingery takes over second base – but that could genuinely result in disaster.

The Phillies had one of the worst defenses in all of baseball last year (which didn’t help their bullpen woes ), finding a way to build a serviceable middle infield is definitely a need for the team moving into the 2021 season.

While the big names like Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons, and DJ LeMahieu are all still out there to be signed, the Phillies have expressed little desire in terms of splashing huge money this winter. Instead, the front office will likely target some more “cost efficient” options. If they do opt to head that route, Enrique “Kike” Hernandez feels like a solid player to target.

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Coming off a world championship with the LA Dodgers, Hernandez has made a name for himself in recent years as being one of the best “utility men” in all of baseball. He was routinely relied upon to fill in all sorts of positions for the Dodgers, and ended up being their go-to pinch hitter during the postseason. For the most part, Hernandez thrived in this role, leaving many teams getting the impression that he could be set up to return to a full-time starting gig somewhere.

According to mlbtraderumors.com, both the Twins and Red Sox have at least expressed interest in the free agent infielder/outfielder. Having to enter a bidding war this winter is the last thing the Phillies want to do, but with Dave Dombrowski now captaining the ship, there’s a chance a deal could get done swiftly.

If Hernandez were to land with the Phillies, it would present Joe Girardi with a variety of different options. Hernandez has played 200 career games at second base and 82 career games at shortstop. He could play either position for the Phils on an everyday basis, making either Segura or Kingery expendable. Hernandez has also played 179 games in center field, 127 in left field, and 75 in right field. If the Phillies wanted to run him as a regular outfielder, this could make either Andrew McCutchen or Adam Haseley expendable – both players whose names have frequented trade discussions in the past.

According to spotrac.com, Hernandez’s market value is being set at roughly $4 million. Considering the Phillies desire to shed salary, this is a pretty favorable evaluation. With both the Twins and the Red Sox reportedly in the mix, this number could creep up a bit, but ultimately speaking Hernandez should be able to be obtained for under $6 million. If the Philadelphia Phillies are serious about improving the infield this offseason – while remaining cost efficient – bringing in Kike on a 1-2 year deal would be a pretty strong plan of attack.