That Balls Outta Here
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The Phillies must finally move on from Odúbel Herrera

By Kerry Kauffman

Sep 12, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera (37) walks off the field after making the final out during the ninth inning of loss to the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera (37) walks off the field after making the final out during the ninth inning of loss to the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Phillies need to move on from Odúbel Herrera

It’s no secret the Philadelphia Phillies have issues in centerfield.

One can make a solid case that the position hasn’t been stable since Shane Victorino manned the grass from 2006-12.

Odúbel Herrera has seen most of the time since 2015, but by and large, he’s been a roller coaster ride at best. Between his domestic violence suspension in 2019 and being sent to free agency after the 2021 season, the Phillies have attempted to move from Herrera several times, but he seems to always find his way back into the fold.

But now it’s time to move on for good.

There are those that can’t get past Herrera’s off-field issues. Since that cannot be denied, let’s talk about why his on-field production also merits parting ways. All players have had a boneheaded moment, but it seems Herrera has significantly more than most, in the field, on the bases, and at the plate.

Over 52 games this year, Hererra is batting a mediocre .242, with lowly .281 on-base and .404 slugging percentages, and a less-than-stellar .684 OPS. While he never makes a ton of errors in the field, he seems to make costly mistakes and his DWAR hovers near 0 for his career, meaning he’s average at best.

Looking over his career, Herrera hasn’t sniffed a .300 batting average in any of his seven seasons. He’s never slugged above .452, or finished a year with an OPS higher than .781. His career slash line of .272/.327/.421 is underwhelming for a player who also isn’t a defensive star.

Victorino hit .273/.345/.439, but won three Gold Gloves. He also had some incredibly clutch moments during the postseason. Back in the day, Garry Maddox put together a .280/.320/.409 line, which compares to Herrera, BUT he was one of the best defensive centerfielders of all time, accumulating eight Gold Gloves.

With Matt Vierling showing flashes of significant production and Mickey Moniak showing signs of improvement, it’s time to move Herrera in a trade or cut him. It’s clear he’ll never be a dependable everyday centerfielder.

The experiment is over.

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