Phillies' response to Odubel Herrera's domestic violence arrest may set encouraging precedent
The Philadelphia Phillies are starting to distance themselves from former All-Star outfielder Odubel Herrera after his Memorial Day domestic violence arrest, signaling his time with the club could be coming to an end.
The Phillies have already removed the banners of Herrera around Citizens Bank Park, a move that Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer indicates could just be the start of a divorce between the team and its centerfielder.
The team was also quick to get Herrera’s name removed from the All-Star ballot, Breen reports:
“We don’t believe it’s appropriate to have them displayed while the investigation is going on,” Phillies vice president of communications Bonnie Clark said.
After being informed that Herrera had been arrested, the Phillies asked Major League Baseball to remove his name from the All Star Ballot as voting was to begin that day. They replaced his four banners outside the ballpark while the team was on a six-game road trip and covered a large sign on the main concourse with a photo of reliever Hector Neris.
“That decision will be made at an appropriate time," Clark said of the signage ever returning to the ballpark.
In a post-Ray Rice world, Major League Baseball has tried to be consistent with how it holds players accountable for their actions. MLB rolled out a comprehensive domestic violence policy a few years ago, which immediately puts players on the restricted list for a week after an incident while the league investigates. That leave can be extended as the league sees fit, based on the circumstances.
Herrera is still on the restricted list and will be until at least June 17. MLB can choose to reinstate him or suspend him — and those decisions largely have nothing to do with what happens in a court of law. We’ve seen MLB punish players even when the courts don’t.
Where this has broken down in the past is at the team level. While the league handles matters of discipline, the individual teams are left to handle matters of public relations and deal with the fallout.
It’s safe to say, most of these haven’t gone well. The Cubs trading for Aroldis Chapman, the Mets bringing back Jose Reyes, the Houston Astros trading for Roberto Osuna or the Cubs welcoming back Addison Russell — these have all brought forth a good amount of fan outrage.
The Phillies, however, might be setting themselves up to be the team that does this right. They’ve already been proactive about Herrera’s spot on the All-Star ballot and the banners around their stadium.
The big question will be his roster spot. Quite frankly, if the Phillies choose to release Herrera, it would be the strongest statement we’ve seen from a team about domestic violence in quite a while.
Herrera is being paid a modest $5.35 million this season, but he’s still owed $21.2 million dollars between now and 2023. He signed a $30.5 million extension with the club in 2016 after his All-Star season.
It’s not enough money to make or break a franchise, but it’s still significant. Herrera hasn’t produced at the level the Phillies were betting on when they signed him, and they’ve already brought in Jay Bruce to help their outfield situation. But flat-out releasing a player like Herrera is not something MLB teams often do in this situation.
The Cubs could have decided to cut Addison Russell loose this offseason after the horrible accounts from his ex-wife went public. He wasn’t guaranteed a contract. But the Cubs kept him around, and now he’s back on the field after serving his suspension.
It’s unfortunate baseball teams even find themselves in these situations. Grown men — whether they’re baseball players or everyday folks — should be able to conduct themselves in a manner where there’s a need to weigh the option of rooting for someone at their job vs. how they treat their significant other.
When put in these situations, most teams haven’t figured out how to correctly balance humanity with baseball.
The Phillies, though? They have a chance to set a precedent here.
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Mike Oz is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @mikeoz
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