Johan Rojas is still not hitting much this spring. What are the Phillies’ options in center field?

They could stick with Rojas and his elite defense. Perhaps it's time to work Whit Merrifield or Cristian Pache into the outfield mix.

Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas working on his batting stroke last month during spring training at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

by Scott Lauber

Published Mar. 19, 2024, 1:22 p.m. ET

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A few days a week in the offseason, Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long got FaceTime calls from the Dominican Republic.

It was Johan Rojas, bat in hand, looking for input.

“Whenever he’d hit and he thought about something, he’d put me on there and I’d watch his swing and talk him through certain situations,” Long said recently. “It was helpful.”

You’ll have to take his word for it. Because after a winter of working out at the Phillies’ Dominican academy and video sessions with Long, any progress that Rojas has made at the plate — and Long maintains that the 23-year-old center fielder is, in fact, making progress — is not reflected in spring-training numbers.

Through Tuesday, and another hitless game, Rojas was 7-for-45 (.156) with one double, two triples, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He had swiped two bases but got caught stealing once and picked off another time. On the plus side, his strikeout rate is down. His defense in center field: exceptional, as usual.

Rojas remains the front-runner to be the Phillies’ opening-day center fielder. But if he makes the roster, he will not have hit his way on, as the Phillies hoped he would. All along, they said he would have to win back the center-field job that he held in the postseason, when he went 4-for-43 with 15 strikeouts.

Less than a week left before camp breaks, it’s debatable whether he has.

Internally, the debate has begun, with team officials meeting Tuesday to go over various roster business.

“We’re going to talk here in the next couple days as a group and try to figure out what’s best for him,” manager Rob Thomson said. “And then we’ll go from there.”

It wouldn’t be the last week of spring training if the Phillies didn’t have a lingering center-field question. The choices might be more appealing now (who among us will forget Adam Haseley vs. Roman Quinn, Scott Kingery vs. Odúbel Herrera, Mickey Moniak vs. Matt Vierling?), but the drama remains.

How much drama? It depends on the volume of the anti-Rojas sentiment among team officials. Let’s break down the various scenarios.

Option 1: Go with Rojas

Rojas’ defense was such a difference-maker after he got called up from double A last July that the Phillies pivoted away from pursuing a righty-hitting outfielder at the trade deadline and gave him more playing time.

Why stray from that commitment? Because he didn’t hit in the playoffs, when scouting and game planning are hyper-intense.

Rojas’ spring-training focus has been getting his legs and hands to work together. It’s a common challenge for young hitters with speed, said Long, who saw it 15 years ago with former Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner. They want to make contact and run, so they tend to throw their hands at the ball rather than establishing a base with their lower body.

So, why not let Rojas continue to learn at the major league level? He’s the Phillies’ best defensive center fielder since Garry Maddox. And while he can’t be a total zero at the plate, the Phillies do get above-average offense from nearly every other position, including catcher.

If Rojas is able to bat, say, .230 with a .296 on-base percentage and a .661 OPS — the major league average for No. 9 hitters last season — his defense would make him an asset for the Phillies.

“He’s a major league hitter,” Long said. “He’s going to get better and better and better as he goes. I’m not so concerned about, does he belong here? I think he does. I know he does. He does enough things.”

Option 2: Whit Merrifield, left fielder

On one hand, the Phillies didn’t want to block Rojas’ path to the center-field job by signing a free agent. On the other, they needed to cover themselves in case he wasn’t ready to seize the opportunity.

Given how it has played out, the Phillies are relieved to have Merrifield.

Initially, Merrifield preferred to sign with a team that would use him at second base. With Merrifield at age 35, though, his value was in his versatility. He has experience at six positions, including all three outfield spots, which led the Phillies to offer him a one-year, $8 million contract last month.

And if they decide Rojas will benefit from going to triple A, they would slide Brandon Marsh back to center field and install Merrifield in left, where he made a career-high 66 starts last season for the Blue Jays.

“Not a problem,” Merrifield said, noting that he was an all-SEC center fielder as a sophomore at the University of South Carolina. “It’s like anything. The more you do it, the sharper you are. In the past, when I’ve had stretches where I’ve got to play one position for an extended period of time, I’ve always had extremely good defensive numbers.”

But the Phillies prefer Marsh in left field rather than center, especially after arthroscopic left knee surgery on Feb. 9. They also see great value in putting Merrifield in a utility role.

But if it buys time for Rojas to refine his swing away from the glare of the majors, it’s hardly the worst solution.

Option 3: Patching with Pache

A few days ago, a scout from a National League team weighed in on the Phillies’ center-field question by offering a third alternative.

“They might’ve gotten a steal with [Cristian] Pache,” the scout said.

Maybe. The Phillies acquired Pache on the eve of opening day last year after he didn’t make Oakland’s roster. Once a can’t-miss prospect with the Braves, Pache displays defense that is nearly on par with Rojas, but his bat may be just as light (.173/.230/.273 in 427 major-league plate appearances). He did demonstrate improvement last season before injuries left questions about his upside beyond a reserve outfielder.

But Pache, 25, batted .314/.375/.549 in 57 plate appearances against lefties last year, making him a possible platoon option in center field. It also would enable the Phillies to retain him. He can’t be sent to the minors without exposure to waivers. It’s doubtful he would clear them.

Pache and Rojas have similar skill sets and are only two years apart in age. Pache also might represent a cautionary tale. Three years ago, he made the Braves’ roster out of camp but went 4-for-30 and got sent back to the minors before the end of April.

The Phillies don’t want Rojas to suffer the same fate.