When the Phillies took Odubel Herrera, he was a shortstop who could not quite nail down the position in the Rangers organization. Spring Training 2015, the Phillies did not use Herrera at shortstop, but he did make two starts at second base. Heading into 2016, the Phillies might give Herrera another shot at the position, potentially to make room in center field for new acquisition Peter Bourjos.
Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that manager Pete Mackanin says Herrera could see time at second this Spring:
Interestingly, Mackanin also said Herrera could get some time at second base in Spring Training. Herrera played primarily second base in the Minor Leagues before joining the Phillies last season. But the Phillies have other outfielders coming through the system, so if they need to make room for somebody, Herrera could transition to second to keep him in the lineup.
Of course, the Phillies also have a shortstop coming through the system in J.P. Crawford, which could displace Herrera.
Herrera compiled a UZR of 9.9, according to FanGraphs. Fangraphs would place 9.9 just below "Great", at the very upper tier of "Above Average" in their published chart. The statistic, though not perfect, compares how many runs the fielder saved in comparison to other players at the position. In comparison, Peter Bourjos rated a -3.4 UZR in 2015, but posted an 8.9 in 2014, when he had closer to a full season. The Phillies may look to see if Bourjos can reclaim his former magic. Bourjos posted a UZR of 16.3 in 2012 and 17.1 in 2010, his strongest seasons.
Aaron Altherr is also a candidate to play center field; he did so in the minor leagues. If the Phillies add a corner outfielder or center fielder in the Rule 5 draft, the Phillies would have some added flexibility in the outfield.
The news is not so good for Cesar Hernandez, who earned the starting job after the trade of Chase Utley. However, Hernandez missed time with an injury down the stretch, perhaps getting in the way of Hernandez claiming the position. Hernandez is a versatile defender and could help the Phillies at other positions as a utility player. Herrera, however, is likely to start, no matter where he ends up playing.
