Philadelphia Phillies' Bullpen Needs Shakeup to Avoid Season Derailment

The Philadelphia Phillies knew they were taking a risk with the moves that were made involving their bullpen over the winter.

They said goodbye to Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency, signing deals with the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, respectively.

To help offset their loss, the Phillies signed Jordan Romano, who was non-tendered by the Blue Jays earlier in the offseason. Carlos Hernandez was going to be tasked with replacing Estevez.

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Neither swap has worked out in Philadelphia’s favor, with Romano having ups and downs. Hernandez was designated for assignment on June 11.

On top of their struggles, the team is navigating the loss of closer Jose Alvarado, who was suspended for 80 games and is not eligible to pitch in the postseason.

What was a strength for the team in 2024 has become a major question mark in 2025.

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Orion Kerkering hasn’t been anywhere near as dominant as he was during a breakout campaign last year. The team is short on left-handed options to mix and match late in games and there hasn’t been a right-handed option to emerge who can handle left-handed hitting.

Luckily for the Phillies, there will be plenty of relief pitchers available ahead of the trade deadline, as is the case every year. But, how successful the transaction will be, is anyone’s guess, with bullpen performance being so volatile.

“Bullpens can be the easiest element of a team to fix in-season; there are dozens of relievers available come July. But the unpredictability of their performance — see: the 2024 NLDS — makes that task unpleasant anyway,” wrote Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required).

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Knowing the moves may not pan out should not deter Philadelphia’s front office from looking to make additions.

This bullpen needs help, and quick, or they are going to watch their playoff chances go up in flames.

Landing a relief pitcher with high-leverage experience would be ideal, especially with Alvarado not being available for a potential postseason run. If that person is left-handed, it would kill two birds with one stone.

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Alas, landing the relief pitcher is the easy part. Having them perform while acclimating to a new team in the middle of a playoff race, is a totally different animal.

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