Aug 9, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) pats catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) not he head after the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Phillies Bullpen Could See Massive Injection of Talent Come October

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 10:00 AM ET

After sweeping the Texas Rangers, the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a strong start in their series against the Cincinnati Reds with a win.

The Reds are a team that is trying to make some noise in the National League Wild Card picture, making them a challenging opponent. Unfortunately for them, the Phillies are playing some of their best baseball of the season and are hitting their stride.

While the race for the NL East was close for most of the year, the struggles of the New York Mets, coupled with the success of Philadelphia, have ballooned their lead.

Despite relying heavily on their starting rotation for most of the first half of the campaign, this is a team that is now starting to gel and play complete team baseball. One area that has seen a significant improvement is in the bullpen.

The addition of a star closer has dramatically changed the outlook for the unit, and they might be getting even better come October.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Phillies potentially moving some of their starters into the bullpen once October rolls around.

“Maybe the solution to disappointing middle relief is to just let some starters bridge the gap from the rotation to Durán?”

So far this season, the starting rotation has been hands down the best part of the team for Philadelphia. However, when the team starts to plan out what the rotation will look like in the playoffs, they have a plethora of talented arms.

Will Starters Move to the Bullpen?

This is a good problem to have and one that could fix some of the issues in the bullpen for the Phillies. While Zack Wheeler and Christopher Sanchez should be locks to be playoff starters, the next group after them features talented names like Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo, and Ranger Suarez.

At least one of these pitchers is going to have to go to the bullpen, and the franchise also has Taijuan Walker to factor in. Furthermore, the Phillies have yet to have their prized pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, make his debut.

With Jhoan Duran solidifying the closer position, getting him the ball with the lead will be key. If Philadelphia were to add a couple of their starters to the bullpen, that would immediately improve the unit.

A lot of the potential plans will revolve around how well Nola pitches when he returns and what the plan for Painter is. If the Phillies end up having the luxury of moving some of their amazing starters to the bullpen, that unit will be much better in October.