News

Odubel Herrera Signs Five-Year Extension With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies rewarded center fielder Odubel Herrera with a five-year contract extension with $30.5 million guaranteed on Thursday, one that could strongly benefit the team.

Odubel Herrera Signs Five-Year Extension With Phillies

The Venezuelan, who was set to become a free agent after 2020, instead gets a five-year deal with two club options that could keep him with Philadelphia through 2023. He will be 25 later this month.

The club options are in 2022 and 2023 at $11.5 million and $12.5 million. There is no no-trade clause.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Herrera, who hit .297 as a rookie in 2015, improved in his second season, controlling the strike zone better and developing some power.

He made the NL All-Star team in 2016, hitting .313 with a .462 on-base percentage in April and walking 34 times in the season’s first two months.

Overall, 286/.361/.420 in 656 plate appearances, with seven more homers (15) and nine more stolen bases (25) than he had in 2015. He walked 35 more times and cut his strikeout rate by nearly four percent.

In the last 20 years, the Phillies have twice reached contract deals with payers who have less than three years of major-league experience: Pat Burrell, in 2003, for $50 million; and Cole Hamels, following the 2008 World Series, for $20.5 million.

Both Burrell and Hamels had more than two years of service time when they re-signed.

Herrera hit a bit of a bump as the All-Star break neared, and his walk rate dropped significantly as the season progressed. He walked 29 times in 108 games from May 1-on.

Philadelphia selected Herrera eighth overall in the 2014 Rule 5 draft. Herrera, then a second baseman with the Texas Rangers’ farm system, was coming off a season in which he hit .321 at Double A and then .372 in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Earlier this year, Herrera was a finalist in Gold Glove voting.

Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Melvin Upton Jr. and Herrera were the only four outfielders in the major leagues to hit at least 15 homers and steal at least 25 bases last season. Herrera’s six defensive runs saved ranked sixth among National League center fielders, according to Baseball Info Solutions.

MIAMI, FL – SEPTEMBER 06: Odubel Herrera #37 of the Philadelphia Phillies slides into third on a triple during a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on September 6, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

14 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

14 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

3 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago