Phillies Top Ten Trades, Signings, and Roster Moves of 2016
By John Town
No. 5: Extending Odubel Herrera
The Phillies have started to assemble their future core of players, and the first of that core to receive a contract extension was center fielder Odubel Herrera. On December 15, the team signed Herrera to a five-year, $30.5 million extension that has two club options for 2022 and 2023.
With the club options for 2022 and 2023, the team essentially got three extra years of Herrera before he would hit free agency. The deal has an average value of $6.1 million per year in the first five years, and the two options are worth $11.5 and $12.5 million, respectively. On the open market, Herrera would easily receive close to, if not more than, $20 million per year. He was worth more than $30 million in each of his first two major-league seasons according to Fangraphs.
By completing this extension, the Phillies avoid arbitration with Herrera for three years as well as lock up his first three years of free agency. They did this on an insanely team-friendly contract that keeps Herrera in Philadelphia through his prime.