Herrera demotion was a ‘baseball decision’
For baseball reasons, and not because of a 2019 charge of domestic assault, Odubel Herrera will not be on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster.
According to first-year president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski Tuesday, the onetime National League All-Star did not do enough in spring training to warrant work with the Phillies without further minor-league opportunities.
Ownership, stressed Dombrowski, did not interfere in that baseball decision, and would have been willing to absorb any leak of public support had Herrera begun the season in centerfield.
The alleged victim in the 2019 assault in Atlantic City chose not to testify in the case, and Herrera was not convicted. He was suspended under baseball’s joint domestic violence agreement with the players’ association.
After not playing in 2020, Herrera was given the opportunity to win major-league playing time during the recently concluded spring training but was unimpressive, hitting .231.
The Phillies will open the season Thursday afternoon at 3 against Atlanta with Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn in line for centerfield work.
“It was a tough decision,” said Dombrowski, a day after the formal announcement. “It went right down to the wire. There was debate. Some peo
ple thought one way, others thought another. What it all came down to in the end is, first of all, we want to look at Haseley a little bit. He swung the bat well at the end. We think he is ready to take that next step and get a chance to play.
“There were times when Odubel did very well. But at the end of the camp, he was not consistent offensively. He is very talented.”
The abuse allegations did not impact Herrera’s job status.
“I have talked to (ownership) since the start of spring training,” Dombrowski said. “They have always been very consistent with me to pick the best team that you feel. It’s up to you. It’s your decision, as long as he follows through with the protocols, which he has. He has been great, on time, working hard. He is at a position where you can tell he is very much sorry for what he did.”
Herrera, who is due to make $10.35 million this season, will be redirected to the Phillies’ alternate camp in Allentown. Dombrowski said he would not hesitate to welcome Herrera back to the Phillies, “if he was performing to his capabilities.”
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Also demoted after being unable to win centerfield time was Scott Kingery, who hit .159 in spring training.
“When we sent him out Sunday, he was very open with us about how he got to the point where he has gotten,” Dombrowski said. “This guy is a good player, a very good player. And he’s got tremendous tools. I saw him in Reading three years ago and said, ‘This guy is really good.’ And he had a good start. He needs to continue to work on leveling his swing. He’s also in a position where he has to produce. Part of that is hitting the ball on a consistent basis. We need to see that consistent improvement. And playing every day, you have a better chance to do that.”
*** Injured early in camp, Haseley likely will be the Opening Day centerfielder, though Quinn is in the mix.
“That’s Joe’s decision, when it comes down to that,” stressed Dombrowski. “With Quinn, in today’s game, he has an element of his game that not many people do, which is base-stealing. And he is versatile. So as a 26th guy, as a platoon guy, we felt he had a lot of value at this time.”