Didi Gregorius had the most underwhelming season of the 2021 Phillies and the most underwhelming of his individual career. At only age 31, Didi maneuvers like an older player at shortstop and provides a veteran presence on the club. The Phillies signed Didi on a 1-year deal prior to the shortened 2020 season to see if he was a good fit. He’d played the past five seasons in New York pinstripes, coached by Phillies’ current manager, Joe Girardi. When the Phillies chose to fire Gabe Kapler and hire Giradri in the ‘20 offseason, it made sense to fill the hole at shortstop with a familiar face to Girardi. In 2020, Didi maximized his own value on that deal, particularly at the plate for the Phillies. He hit 10HRs and 10 doubles, stacking 40 RBI over the course of 60 games, all while slashing .284. He became a respected face in Philly, carrying his ability to hit the grand-slam with him from NY as well. His defensive play wasn’t stellar, but the production at the dish was considerable. It warranted a re-signing. 

So, the Phillies did just that and elected to sign Gregorius on a 2-year/$28M deal, latching him on for the ‘21 and ‘22 seasons at an expensive rate. Did’s play in 2021 made the organization regret that decision. Didi took a hard fall both offensively and defensively, ultimately losing his position as the Phillies’ starting shortstop by the end of the year. He began the year cold and was injured with rare elbow arthritis by mid-May. Gregorius missed significant time and didn’t return until early August, when the Phillies were already in first place contention. It was difficult to find an alternate piece to play shortstop during that time because of the size of Gregorius’s contract. When he returned, he did hit a notable, go-ahead home run that weekend in early August, when the Phillies snatched first place from the Mets. By the end of the year, Gregorius batting average leveled at .209, while he committed a total of 18 errors at shortstop in limited time. Those numbers are particularly bad and statistically the worst of his career. He is locked into nearly $15M this current season for the Phillies, so fans and the organization can only hope Didi returns to MLB-caliber play for the money he’s making. He has not performed all that well in the few games played thus far in 2022.