Philadelphia Phillies: It’s time to move on from Odubel Herrera
After being arrested in Atlantic City, it’s finally time for the Philadelphia Phillies to move on from ex-All-Star center fielder Odubel Herrera.
Odubel Herrera has always been a square peg in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ current scheme.
I mean sure, he’s immensely talented – he was the team’s lone All-Star representative in 2016 after all – but ever since Gabe Kapler came to town it’s always seemed like the ‘Odubel-era’ had an expiration date.
That day appears to be now, as Herrera has all but forced the team’s hand after a late-night arrest in Atlantic City for domestic violence.
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Now there’s not a whole lot to be said about the case right now, as it’s barely a day old, but the Phillies and Major League Baseball have already acted swiftly; putting Herrera on ‘paid administrative leave’ for the foreseeable future.
Needless to say, it’s very possible that Herrera has played his last game in Phillies’ pinstripes, and even if he is somehow cleared by the MLB, and Atlantic City police department, maybe that’s a good thing.
Again, it’s not a knock against Herrera as a player, as he’s long been a personal favorite of mine for his speedy defense, base stealing prowess, and cool nickname, but for every unbelievable, ‘Sportscenter’-style play makes, there are a half-dozen or so that make even the most generous baseball fans scratch their heads in confusion.
For this current Phillies squad, who received a major facelift in the offseason, inconsistency is the antithesis of success, regardless of a player’s talent.
Need proof? Look no further than Vince Velasquez, who was just sent to the bullpen after three seasons of wildly inconsistent play as a starting pitcher. Much like Herrera, Vinny V has all of the physical tools to be an elite player, but his inconsistency was just too much to stomach for a first-place club looking to make a deep postseason run.
Next. Vince Velasquez is clearly still a work in progress for Phillies. dark
While the Philadelphia Phillies could conceivably try to flip Odubel Herrera for an immediate contributor, maybe for that left-handed hitter they’ve been desperately looking for over the past few weeks, it seems like re-incorporating the troubled-center fielder back into the fray as the team enters the most important summer in a decade may be the best move for everyone involved