So Far Phillies Have Struck Out In Free Agency
Baseball is back and you may be shocked to believe, but free agency is open. I say you may be shocked because the Phillies have yet to make an impact move even though they have glaring holes in both left field and center field. But that doesnt mean the Phillies are just sitting on their hand! Get excited Phillies fans because the bullpen is getting some much needed relief help. Jeurys Familia is moving from the Mets to the Phillies on a 1 year, $6 million dollar deal. BUT THAT ISN’T ALL! The Phillies are also bringing back Odubel Herrera according to Jim Salisbury….
Familia is only a 1 year deal but his last 3 years aren’t great. 4.62 ERA. He had an ok 2021 when looking at his ERA (3.94) but his sabermetric stats were not great. Certainly not $6 million dollars great. While the move to get Corey Knebel before the lockout was a nice move, this is gross. It screams “he has a nice month and then reverts to a 5 ERA” kind of move. But that move looks amazing compared to the other move.
Odubel Herrera is back on a 1 year deal. After an incredible 2021 season with a .260/.310/.416 stat line, you cant let a guy like that get away. Herrera was also a player that MOST Phillies fans wanted no parts of after the domestic violence allegations that kept him out of baseball for most of the 2019 season and the entire 2020 season. While Herrera is probably a better baseball player than guys like Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak, and Matt Vierling, the fact is we dont know. We know what Herrera is. We don’t know what those prospects are. They could struggle, but they could also break out. IF you gave the job to one of those 3 and they struggle then you just go out and address it at the trade deadline in June.
But the bigger issue is the moves are tone deaf and leave a lot to be desired. I am not saying that the fans know more than a front office, but with the case of Herrera the front office should have a clue. I don’t know many, if any, Phillies fans who want or are welcoming Herrera back. If there was one player on the Phillies that needed a “change of scenery” it probably would have been Herrera. No one is itching to run it back with Herrera in center.
I do believe the Phillies will go out and address left field with a big time free agent. There is no doubt in my mind that John Middleton will spend money. But if the money being spent is spent on the wrong players, then the post season drought that the Phillies currently find themselves mired in will continue.
One move (Familia) is very meh. The other (Herrera) is just gross. with a tough division and opponents like the Mets loading up then the contingent of Sam Fuld, Dave Dombrowski, and John Middleton better get it together. Or else no one will be sitting in Citizens Bank Park to see them once again fail to make the playoffs.
