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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 free agent bench bats worth giving a contract

By David Esser

Sep 12, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Marwin Gonzalez (9) hits a two run home run against the Cleveland Indians in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Marwin Gonzalez (9) hits a two run home run against the Cleveland Indians in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Phillies Brock Holt
Sep 21, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Brock Holt (27) hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Brock Holt, INF/OF

Not only does Brock Holt have a unique connection with current Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, but he too adds a level of defensive versatility to the roster that should not be understated. A former All-Star for the 2015 Dombrowski-led Boston Red Sox, Holt has the experience and poise to play virtually anywhere on the diamond.

For what it’s worth, Holt had a pretty miserable 2020 season away from Boston. He was bad for the Washington Nationals, and even worse for the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing the year with an OPS of just .557.

Yikes.

With that said, 2020 was a weird year for everyone. Plenty of quality ballplayers struggled to adapt to the shortened nature of it, and the abruptness at which it all commenced. Holt hit .297 over the course of a full season in 2019, and hit .277 the year prior. While Holt is starting to get up there in age (32), the likelihood is that he’s closer to his 2018/2019 self than his 2020 self.

Dombrowski has spent most of the offseason targeting players he’s familiar with, and Holt ticks off a major need for the Philadelphia Phillies. Considering just how bad he was in 2020, there’s a half decent chance that he could even be had on a minor-league contract with an invite to Spring Training.

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