USATSI_16802491 — Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Season in Review: Freddy Galvis

Inside the Phillies continues their season in review series with Philadelphia Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis.

Author:
Ben Silver
Oct 10, 2021 11:00 AM EDT

When Freddy Galvis was traded to the San Diego Padres for Enyel de los Santos following the 2017 season, fans would have been fair to assume they had seen the last of Galvis in red pinstripes. The Phillies were trending up, and he was a league average player on a team that hoped to contend.

Yet, three and a half years later, Galvis became a deadline acquisition for a team supposedly in the middle of their window. Meant to bring veteran leadership and spell the woeful Didi Gregorius at shortstop, the Venezuelan infielder had a tall task ahead of him.

Now 31, Galvis lacked the defensive chops which made him a Gold Glove finalist as a younger player, but still provided value on a sparse Phillies bench throughout late-August and September.

Before Galvis was moved to Philadelphia for minor league reliever Tyler Burch on July 30, he slashed .249/.306/.414 for the fifth place and historically terrible Baltimore Orioles. While his hitting stats were unimpressive, Galvis’ true value lied in his defensive versatility.

He spent time at every infield position in just 32 games for the Phillies after recovering from a quad injury in late August, one that notably hampered his agility both on the field and the base paths.

Though Galvis arrived at the trade deadline, that quad injury kept him on the injured list until August 25.

By September 18, the Phillies were just half a game back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Having trailed by four games just five days prior, Galvis proved to be a sizable part of the effort to shorten that distance. In his first 21 games with the club he slashed .250/.333/.484, his BABIP a measly .222.

USATSI_16693923 — Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

But as the Phillies began to struggle, so too did Galvis. In the remaining 11 games, he slashed .186/.222/.256, and managing just one walk. Galvis finished 2021 with an OPS of .684, .004 above his career total.

Galvis' brief return with the Phillies in 2021 sparked nostalgia for many longtime fans, just as Charlie Manuel did when he returned as hitting coach in 2019, but nostalgia alone doesn’t win ballgames.