Former MLB Exec Shares How Phillies Should Handle Jose Alvarado's Future With Team

The Philadelphia Phillies received some brutal news recently when it was revealed that closer Jose Alvarado would not be available for the foreseeable future.

He has been suspended for 80 games for PED usage, taking him out of the bullpen until early August. On top of the regular season games he will be missing, Alvarado is ineligible to pitch in the playoffs should the team qualify.

The Phillies have already been dealing with some bullpen issues this year, so losing the player who has been their most consistent in the positional group is a tough blow.

Alvarado had been excellent to this point with a 2.70 ERA across 20 innings. He had 25 strikeouts compared to only four walks and was successfully limiting damage, giving up only one home run.

A perfect seven-for-seven on save opportunities, Philadelphia is going to need some other players to step up now in his absence.

Jordan Romano will likely assume a more traditional closer’s role now. It will be interesting to see how manager Rob Thomson deploys his lefties; Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks.

They are the only two on the Major League roster, and Strahm has been a versatile weapon. But it is hard to envision him being placed in a traditional role as the ninth inning guy, which could lead to Banks getting more high-leverage situations.

Should Phillies Exercise Jose Alvarado’s Option?

Whatever the team decides to do this year, there is a major decision to be made for 2026.

Alvarado has a $9 million club option; the team will either decline to make him a free agent or exercise it, which would lock him in for one more year.

If it were up to former MLB executive Jim Bowden, Alvardo would be gone.

"I don't know why players, if you make a mistake, can't go to the podium and just own up to it,” Bowden said during a recent appearance on "Foul Territory," saying he would take the money owed to Alvarado and use it on someone else.

What would have been a no-brainer decision to exercise the club option given Alvarado's production has turned into quite a conundrum in the coming months.

While Bowden would move on from Alvarado, the Phillies' decision could ultimately come down to whether or not they can address the void ahead of the trade deadline.

If they can secure a late-game, left-handed option under control beyond 2025, the potential outcome of moving on from Alvarado becomes much easier.

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