Phillies Add More Reliever Depth, Acquire Nolan Hoffman From Rangers

For the rest of the season, this Philadelphia Phillies bullpen is going to be under a microscope.

Crumbling when it matters the most the past two years, the Phillies haven't addressed this area of their roster in the manner that many fans would have liked to see, letting Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez walk in free agency while adding Jordan Romano and Joe Ross as their backfills.

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Results have been poor overall, and this relief staff enters Wednesday with an ERA of 4.56 -- 24th in the Majors.

Bullpen arms are going to be popular targets before the trade deadline, but Dave Dombrowski didn't wait until then to give this team another option.

In an announcement made by the team, Philadelphia revealed they have acquired right-handed pitcher Nolan Hoffman from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. He was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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Hoffman was a fifth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2018, and after a good showing in his first two years on the farm, the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 2021 Rule 5 draft.

Reaching the Triple-A level with the Orioles in 2023, he spent the entire season with that affiliate in 2024, posting a 3.88 ERA across his 44 outings before electing to become a free agent after the year.

Hoffman signed with the Rangers and hasn't had the same success.

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In 22 outings (three starts) this season, he has posted a 5.91 ERA.

Still, the Phillies must believe that trading for the submarine-style thrower is a risk worth taking, giving them a different type of pitcher who has had some good moments in the past.

The 27-year-old has never pitched in the MLB, but he owns a 3.65 ERA across 185 minor league outings where he's struck out 267 batters in 249 innings pitched.

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