Phillies quietly sign veteran pitcher in intriguing roster move

The Philadelphia Phillies signed veteran right-hander Casey Lawrence on a minor league contract Friday, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. Lawrence is expected to join Triple-A Lehigh Valley after being released by the Seattle Mariners earlier this month.

The 38-year-old pitcher opted out of his minor league agreement with Seattle over the weekend, but the Mariners granted his release rather than promoting him to the major leagues. He has not appeared in an MLB game this season.

Lawrence has been one of the busiest pitchers in the minor leagues in 2026. He leads the minors with 131 2/3 innings and has made 23 starts for Triple-A Tacoma, posting a 4.37 ERA. His 14.4% strikeout rate was below average, but he limited free passes with a 3.5% walk rate.

The Pennsylvania native attended Albright College in Reading and brings five seasons of major league experience. He has appeared in 65 MLB games and most recently pitched 17 2/3 innings between Seattle and the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing 15 runs, including eight earned. His career MLB record is 5-6 with a 6.42 ERA, 104 strikeouts and a -2.3 pWAR.

Lawrence is approaching 1,000 career Triple-A innings across 11 years and spent the 2019 season pitching in Japan. He works primarily in the upper 80s and uses a five-pitch mix.

The Phillies have cycled through options for the fifth starter spot, while bullpen concerns have also persisted. With Andrew Painter receiving another opportunity and Alan Rangel and Brian Keller back in Triple-A, Lawrence joins Tucker Davidson as another non-roster depth option.