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Phillies Smartly Claim Pitcher From Pirates To Bolster Organizational Bullpen Depth

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 2:07 PM ET

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did a wonderful job of addressing the needs he set out to upgrade ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

In need of a closer, he acquired arguably the best one on the market, landing Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. The team also signed veteran David Robertson in free agency to aid the backend of the bullpen. Seeking some outfield help, the team acquired Harrison Bader from the Twins in a separate deal.

However, there was one thing the team was still missing from their bullpen: left-handed help. Jose Alvarado was going to be returning, but he is not eligible to pitch in the postseason after serving an 80-game suspension. That left Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks as the only southpaw options in the organization. That is, until Sunday afternoon.

Phillies Make Smart Move Claiming Tim Mayza From Pirates

According to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, the Phillies have claimed veteran left-handed relief pitcher Tim Mayza from the Pittsburgh Pirates. A corresponding move is going to have to be made so that he can be added to the 40-man roster. Most likely, that will be transferring ace starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to the 60-day injured list as he deals with a blood clot.

LHP Tim Mayza has been claimed off waivers by the Phillies, according to an Indianapolis press release
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) August 31, 2025

Mayza signed a one-year, $1.15 million deal with the Pirates this past offseason. He had been performing well for the team out of the gate. Through seven appearances, he pitched 9.1 innings with a 2.89 ERA. He had struck out eight batters and allowed only one walk.

But, bad luck struck after that. He hasn’t appeared in a Major League game since April 18, dealing with a left shoulder injury. After being shut down for six weeks originally and spending time on the 60-day injured list, he began a rehab assignment this month.

The rehab assignment has been going well thus far. Mayza has made four appearances, throwing 4.1 innings with a 1.93 ERA and six strikeouts without issuing a walk. Philadelphia must have liked what they saw enough to put a claim in on him to bring him aboard for the stretch run.

He has found previous success at the Major League level. In his career, Mayza has a 3.85 ERA across 374 appearances and 311 innings. He has excelled against left-handed hitters, allowing a .215/.266/.306 slash line in 587 plate appearances. That could be something the Phillies take advantage of down the stretch as a potential late-season addition to the bullpen once his rehab assignment is complete.