"We feel like we're taking a shot on a prospect," Phillies pro scouting director Mike Ondo said then.
But the Phillies got much more than a prospect. They got an All-Star and a key piece to their future. Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that Herrera is the Phillies' lone representative at next week's All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego. Herrera ranks fourth among National League outfielders in on-base percentage (.389) and hits (92), seventh in batting average (.302) and 14th in OPS (.832).
"He's a special guy," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.