Philadelphia Phillies: Where Does Freddy Galvis Fit in with Team's Future?
Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis no longer seems like a core member of the franchise's future. What should the Phillies do with him?
Now that Ryan Howard is gone, the longest-tenured player on the Philadelphia Phillies is shortstop Freddy Galvis. It's a tough fact to swallow. The roster is devoid of nostalgia as all 2008 World Series champions have departed from the club. Although Galvis is the current senior member on the Phillies' roster, this does nothing to save his future with the franchise.
The middle infield is about to get crowded in Philadelphia. Once J.P. Crawford is ready to make the leap to MLB, the Phillies will find themselves deciding on whether it's Galvis or Cesar Hernandez they move on from. Based on what we have seen them both contribute, Hernandez has an advantage if only for the consistency he has provided.
Galvis displayed nice power last year and Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop. Meanwhile, Hernandez proved reliable in getting on base regularly by finishing the year with a .371 OBP. This was about 100 points higher than Galvis due to his greater plate discipline and compiling more hits. Galvis has never been particularly gifted at the plate. Many accepted this flaw years ago.
Since joining the Phillies in 2012, Galvis has hit .241/.279/.369. He is far from the star shortstop Jimmy Rollins was during the prime of his career. In many ways, he's a disappointment who still managed to excel in other areas of his game such as the home run display of 2016. The 20 bombs Galvis knocked last year is half of the 40 he has in his entire career. If he can continue to do this, our view of him could change.
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Galvis is currently two years away from free agency. We can look back now and see how it took far too long for him to get going in the major leagues. This could cost Galvis a starting gig with the Phillies as Hernandez appears to have passed him. Money is of little concern to the Phillies in the future, but winning will be.
Many general managers should already have an eye on Galvis. So even if the Phillies do move on from him, a starting job could be waiting. A team looking for a defensive upgrade at shortstop could certainly find one in Galvis. He made just eight errors in 2016 during the 1,350 innings logged at shortstop. His .987 fielding percentage was well above average and the biggest reason why there is any debate at all about keeping him in the starting lineup.
Dismissing Galvis this quickly could also turn into a mistake. The 2016 season was just his second full year in the Phillies' starting lineup. Injuries and even a suspension had limited his playing time in years prior. He is also just now entering his age-27 season, when many offensive players reach their prime.
The 2017 season will say a lot about where Galvis plays in 2018 and beyond. There are a lot of moving parts to affect him. A hot start from Crawford in the minor leagues could push Galvis onto the Phillies' trade block sooner than later.
