The Phillies made some additions by subtraction ahead of the trade deadline.
The Philadelphia Phillies acquired three notable veterans on trade deadline day — outfielder Brandon Marsh, as well as right-handed pitchers David Robertson and Noah Syndergaard.
But, those were not the only headlining moves that caught the attention of Phillies fans on Tuesday. Among the corresponding transactions President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made to clear room on the 40-man roster were designating both outfielder Odúbel Herrera and reliever Jeurys Familia for assignment.
The duo had long been circled in controversy for their off-the-field actions, but it was their poor play that ultimately sealed their fate in red pinstripes. Herrera was slashing just .238/.279/.378 on the year, while Familia posted a 6.09 ERA and 1.853 WHIP across 38 appearances and 34 innings. In a recent road appearance against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the former New York Mets All-Star surrendered five runs (all earned) on four hits, retiring just one of his six batters faced.
Brandon Marsh in CF: Plus-7 Defensive Runs Saved
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) August 2, 2022
Odubel Herrera in CF: Minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved
(via @SportsInfo_SIS)#phillies
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler told reporters that he is sad to see Familia — his former Mets pitching staff teammate — leave the organization. Wheeler described the reliever as being “highly respected” in the clubhouse.
“It stinks to see him go,” Wheeler told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury. “I know he wasn’t having the year he wanted, but he’s a great guy, one of my favorite teammates ever in baseball. We came up together.”
While Wheeler is not thrilled, fans are reacting the exact opposite about Familia and Herrera’s departure:
How can you not like what the #Phillies did?
— marcus (@chosenfool) August 2, 2022
✅They filled in the gaps (CF, SP, Bullpen)
✅Got rid of underperforming players
✅Didn't give up a lot of valued prospects
Just replacing Familia and Herrera was huge enough.
https://twitter.com/saintseamus/status/1554594127324520448
Would’ve been much more excited with Merrifield than Marsh, but at the end of the day Herrera and Familia got DFA’d and that’s a win every day of the week
— Sean Scully (@scully_bear) August 2, 2022
Herrera had been suspended for the final 85 games of the 2019 season for violating MLB’s joint domestic violence policy. Three seasons prior, Familia was suspended for 15 games for a similar violation.
Now, both will inevitably become free-agents. With the duo and former top pick Mickey Moniak no longer Phillies, the postseason-hopeful club surely has a new look with just 60 games remaining in the 2022 season.