The Phillies signed ex-Blue Jay Whit Merrifield in the offseason to a one-year deal mainly as outfield insurance for Johan Rojas’ inconsistencies and Brandon Marsh’s knee surgery.

Merrifield is a pedigree among today’s utilitymen in the game. He is a three-time All-Star for his play and bat at second base and in the outfield. With the loss of shortstop Trea Turner for an extended period, Merrifield and Edmundo Sosa will handle the position.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column - investigating past and present trends with the Phillies, Mets, and Yankees as well as the overall game - I’ll take a look of the some of the Philly and New York more recognized utility players, as well as the game’s notable ones through the years and their starts.

Philling the Needs ... For me, I go back to the late 60s and 70s for my recollections.

The players that come to mind are Rick Joseph, Gary Sutherland, and Terry Harmon. All three were light-hitting, but they had slick gloves and filled a void.

Joseph played all the infield positions and had some outfield duty during his four-year Phillies stint from 1967-70. Before the Phils, Joseph had a brief stop with the Kansas City A’s in 1964.

Sutherland also played the infield and outfield in his three-year stopover with the Phils. He was chosen in the Montreal expansion draft, and had five other stays on his path.

Harmon was a fan favorite, and made his way around the bases. He played 10 seasons in pinstripes from 1967-77 before it was hard to find a roster spot for him. But Harmon and catcher Mike Ryan were highly regarded as backups.

They Did It All ... Cesar Tovar played only one season in Philadelphia (1973), but he never reached his expected potential.

Yet, Tovar was one of five players who played all nine positions in a game when he was with the Twins in 1968. It was Tovar’s claim to fame, but many may have forgotten that Bert Campaneris did it with the A’s in 1965.

Since then, Andrew Romine (Tigers, 2017), Shane Halter (Tigers, 2000) Scott Sheldon (Rangers, 2000) all accomplished the task.

The Trend Continued ... In the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s, the Phillies had their share of fabled utilitymen make their trek.

Luis Aguayo was one of the more popular players from 1980-89, and he was a valuable infielder and pinch-hitter. There was also Kevin Jordan, who played everywhere except short in the infield, and was a DH from 1995-2001.

Would you put Greg Gross in this role? He played all the outfield positions and spent some time at first base. Gross is also recognized for his pinch-hitting prowess.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include Mariano Duncan, who was a pivotal part of the 1993 club. Duncan also helped the 1990 Reds sweep the A’s in the World Series.

Tomas Perez proved to be a valuable piece from 2000-05. He played all the infield positions and pitched a third of an inning.

Greg Dobbs played first, third, and the outfield in helping the 2008 Phillies to the title.

New York Style ... I’m reaching out to all of you for some help with this category because I am missing some players.

The Mets that I remember were Al Weis, who was a middle infielder on the 1969 team; Doug Flynn, who played the same role in the late 70s; Kevin Mitchell, who was a key on the 1986 team; Jeff McKnight, an all-around player from the 90s; former Phillie Marlin Anderson, who had some flexibility in the early 2000s; Ted Martinez and Tim Foli , who both were in the infield and outfield in the 70s; Tim Foli and Bob Bailor, who also played a number of positions in the early 80s.

The Yankees I remember were Fred Stanley, a middle infielder from the 70s and 80s; Gil McDougald, who played multiple positions for the Yankees in the 50s for 10 years; Randy Velarde, who had a 10-year stint from the 80s through the mid-90s; Rick Cerone, who made his way around the infield from his catcher’s position; and Jim Leyritz, who followed suit after Cerone.

Mickey Mantle, a minor-league shortstop, was ushered around the infielder before his outfield home.

Changing Their Spots ... When I think back to the game’s utilitymen, these guys arise: Darrel Chaney, Woody Woodward (future Phillies’ GM), Rick Auerbach, Hubie Brooks (who has Mets ties), Ben Zobrist, Mark Loretta, Bip Roberts, Tony Phillips, Jim Lefebvre and Rennie Stennett to name a few.

Early Outlooks ... The Phillies’ 28-12 start through 40 games in one of their best in club history. So far, they have managed to keep the pace without Turner, and their starting pitching has been among the game’s best.

The Phils also have taken advantage of the Braves’ slow start, but it appears Atlanta is heating up a bit after their Mets’ series. Philly has the opportunity to maintain its pace with their next six series against teams - Mets (.500), Marlins, Nationals (.500), Rockies, Giants, and Cardinals - without winning records.

They are on track for an approximate 110-win season, which will be difficult. The 1976 and 1977 clubs each won 101 games and were 29-11 and 21-19, respectively, after 40 games. The 1980 club, which won 91 games, was 22-18, and the 2008 team was also 22-18.

The Mets, despite some inconsistent hitting, have managed to hover around the .500 mark with surprising starting pitching. First-year manager Carlos Mendoza has pushed all the right buttons.

The Yankees have followed a similar script without Gerrit Cole and a struggling Aaron Judge. Juan Soto, Anthony Volpe, and Clay Holmes have been huge reasons for their start. However, it seems like the Orioles are for real, as the Yanks still can’t overtake them.

Readers Write ... I heard from one of my regular contributors to my Yesterday column that runs weekly in the Times News.

Hi Jeff!

Your new column “Behind The Plate” is great! You’re right, the concept of a complete game is in the museum. It wasn’t that long ago when starting pitchers were expected to pitch a complete game. That was during the days of a “four-man rotation.”

Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson, and Steve Carlton had over 200 complete games. Robin Roberts had over 300 complete games. Sandy Koufax averaged 19 complete games per season during his last five seasons.

Tom Cheney of the “new” Washington Senators still holds the record for 21 strikeouts in a game. He pitched 16 innings against the Orioles in 1962.To make sure that there’s no confusion, the “old and original” Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins in 1961. The “new and expansion” Senators came into existence in 1962. They eventually became the Texas Rangers years later.

The Washington Nationals are the old Montreal Expos. Chris Short of the Phillies pitched 15 innings against the Mets in 1965. He struck out 18. Nobody won, since the game ended in a 0-0 tie and was called due to a NY curfew.

Nowadays, we have five- or six-man rotations and the pitchers are pulled after five- or six- innings, even if they’re pitching a great game. Also, we have more arm problems. There’s a decrease in complete games and innings pitched, but an increase in arm problems. If they’re pitching a good game, let them go as far as they can.

Wouldn’t this strengthen their arm? It would also give the ‘pen a break.

Richard Ochs

Walnutport, PA

Rotisserie Round ... If you’re looking for some short or long-term pickups, try Phillies’ outfielder Nick Castellanos and relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman, along with Mets’ rookie starting pitcher Christian Scott.

Castellanos was an early dump, but he has signs of heating up. Hoffman is pitching well, and Scott could be the real deal with some strong outings behind him.

Feedback ... Your thoughts, ideas, and comments are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com