Phillies’ Odubel Herrera arrested: Baseball implications of the incident

Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested and placed on administrative leave after an alleged domestic violence incident. What will the team do next?

Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested and subsequently released on summons Monday night in Atlantic City after an alleged domestic violence incident. Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the victim had visible injuries to her arms and neck according to the police report.

MLB placed Herrera on seven-day administrative leave, and a suspension is likely under the league’s Joint Domestic Violence Policy. Addison Russel of the Cubs was recently suspended for 40 games for violating this policy, and the same could come for Herrera.

The Phillies now have a very delicate situation to handle. The league will investigate the matter during this administrative leave period before determining if a suspension is required. If so (and if Herrera also gets into legal trouble) they may have no choice but to release Herrera.

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Beyond the obvious horrific nature of this incident, how will this impact the team and its decision-making moving forward?

While Herrera’ situation is sorted out, Nick Williams and Scott Kingery will take over the missed playing time. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted that Kingery will start in center field against left-handed pitchers while Williams will start in left field and Andrew McCutchen will play center field against righties.

Salisbury stated that Roman Quinn could start a rehab assignment later this week and offered a potential return date of June 7. Whenever Quinn does return, he could become the everyday center fielder. At this point, he is only true center fielder on the 40-man roster.

Looking towards the long-term, it’s tough to see a future where Herrera fits into the picture. General manager Matt Klentak said it’s too early to determine Herrera’s future with the team. If he is found guilty of the simple assault he is charged with, it will be difficult to sell him as a member of the team.

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Before this incident, Herrera was mired in struggles. He has a .222/.288/.341 line in 39 games this year. His issues date back to last season with a 69 wRC+ and -0.9 Fangraphs wins above replacement in the previous calendar year. Herrera’s place on the team was already in jeopardy, and this only puts him further into the hole.

If the team does decide to release Herrera, they will still be on the hook for the $23.05 million he is still owed. A suspension under the domestic violence policy will not void the rest of the contract Herrera signed after the 2016 season. It’s not a massive burden for team “stupid money,” but it’s still worth noting.

No one currently on the team feels like they could be a viable long-term replacement for Herrera. Quinn’s injury history makes him impossible to bet on, and Kingery has barely played center field at the major-league level. Adam Haseley and Mickey Moniak are both options in the minors, but neither will be major-league ready for at least another year.

Herrera’s future is in serious doubt after this incident. We still have to wait and see how things play out, but they aren’t looking good for a player once viewed as a centerpiece of this team.