Phillies Must Set an Example and Move on From Odubel Herrera Despite Dismissal of Assault Charges

On Wednesday, it was reported that the domestic violence charges against Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera had been dismissed.

It's good news for Herrera that he won't be facing punishment from the state of New Jersey, but he could still be punished by Major League Baseball, even with the charges being dropped.

Herrera remains on paid administrative leave, but the league could extend that further or they could could hand down an unpaid suspension. It wouldn't be unprecedented, as several major leaguers have been suspended despite charges being dropped in the past.

I'm sure we'll here more about this in the coming days and weeks, but for the Phillies sake, they should cut bait and move on from Herrera.

Legally, Herrera is in the clear. However, the case was dismissed because Herrera's girlfriend -- Melany Martinez-Angulo -- dropped the charges, as there was not enough evidence for the prosecutor to proceed.

Maybe nothing nefarious happened that warranted Herrera being charged and locked up, but let's not pretend he was fully exonerated.

The Phillies could use an upgrade offensively and in the outfield, which Herrera could provide, and they can't just release him without paying the remaining $23.7 million he's owed through 2021, but it's time a team takes a stand and just moves on, even if it puts their team and franchise in a short term bind. Is Herrera truly worth the negative press that will surround him going forward?