3 Phillies players who left this winter that the fans will miss

3. Phillies fans will miss Nick Maton in a lot of the same ways

Nick Maton was basically Matt Vierling with a few differences. Vierling was an outfielder first, infielder second. Maton was more of an infielder who happened to find his way into the outfield as needed. Detroit has two really good utility men on their roster right now.

Maton never did hit all that well in the minors. His .266 batting average in 2019 at High-A and Double-A is the highest he ever achieved. Short on power and promise to ever become an everyday player, it’s understandable why the Phillies wouldn’t hesitate to package him in a trade for a controllable lefty reliever like Soto.

Even understanding this logic, something about Maton seemed promising. Maybe it was the idea that if the Phillies really needed to, they could put him out on the field and bat him ninth for a month. He was the cheap alternative for Segura fans had in mind. The front office wasn’t willing to settle. They brought in Trea Turner to prove they weren’t going to punt any position.

There was room for Maton to remain with the Phillies on the bench. A .254/.330/.434 hitter through his first 216 MLB plate appearances, he’s the scrappy kind of player fans will always appreciate and enjoy. He was clutch at times. Who doesn’t need a guy like this stashed on the roster somewhere?

Kody Clemens has some medium-sized shoes to fill. Acquired from Detroit along with Soto, he’s a candidate to try replacing what Maton could offer.