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Philadelphia Phillies: What happens if they “sell” at the trade deadline?

By David Esser

Feb 26, 2021; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski watches the team workout during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2021; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski watches the team workout during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Phillies Odubel Herrera
May 18, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera (37) reacts during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Odubel Herrera

A player whom many never expected to see on a Major League Baseball field ever again, Odubel Herrera has somehow returned here in 2021 as one of the Philadelphia Phillies best offensive players. He’s currently batting .271, and his OPS over the past two weeks or so is north of .900.

While Herrera is technically on the books for $11.5 million in 2022 and $12.5 million in 2023, there are buyout clauses attached to both of those years. As long as a team is willing to pay for the rest of his salary here in ’21, he could ultimately work as a rental player as well. While teams around baseball might not be willing to acquire Herrera due to his well-documented domestic violence incident, a left-handed center fielder batting .270+ on an *expiring* contract typically nets teams back a decent return via the trade market.

From the Phillies perspective, Herrera has definitely come in and exceeded expectations this season, but he’s still not someone I expect the team to commit to past 2021. Dombrowski has long put an emphasis on the CF position during his executive career, and Odubel is starting to get up there in age too.

Getting some value out of him before the Phils presumably cut ties would be nice.

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