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Recently Released Phillies Pitcher Joe Ross Inks Deal With NL Contender

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 3:37 PM ET

This past offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies went with a patchwork approach to their bullpen.

Deciding to let closer Carlos Estevez and key right-hander Jeff Hoffman walk in free agency based on the price tags those two received, the Phillies opted to go with reclamation projects, signing Jordan Romano coming off an injury-plagued season and Joe Ross, who had performed well in his first year back from an extended absence due to Tommy John surgery.

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, that approach has been nothing short of a disaster, with Romano being one of, if not the worst reliever in all of baseball while Ross could never put together a consistent stretch of play.

At the moment, neither of them are on the roster, as Romano was moved to the injured list and Ross was outright released on Aug. 26 following his latest outing where he gave up three earned runs in a single inning.

The Phillies announced the following roster moves:

Right-handed pitcher Daniel Robert was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley

Right-handed pitcher Lou Trivino had his contract selected from triple-A Lehigh Valley and will wear No. 57

Right-handed pitcher Jordan Romano was…
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 26, 2025

To their credit, the Phillies pulled the plug on the Ross experiment, admitting they made a mistake when he was sitting with a 5.12 ERA across 37 outings (one start) instead of continuing to force things. But that doesn't mean other teams aren't willing to roll the dice on the veteran.

In fact, another National League contender has decided to sign Ross, with Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors first reporting the news that the Chicago Cubs have brought the right-hander in on a minor league deal.

What makes this interesting, though, is that Ross doesn't appear like he will be eligible to pitch in the playoffs for the Cubs because his transactions tracker indicates he inked his deal on Sept. 1, a day after the deadline to be with an organization and eligible for their postseason roster.

Will Phillies Face Joe Ross As Member Of Cubs?

If that tracker is indeed accurate and he wasn't signed on Aug. 31, then the Phillies will not face their former reliever for the rest of the year since Philadelphia does not play Chicago again for the rest of the regular season. And since he's not eligible to be on their playoff roster, then that wouldn't come into play, either.

Some Phillies fans might wish that wasn't the case considering how Ross performed while with Philadelphia, but it doesn't appear like they'll get the chance to see if this lineup could best their former teammate or not.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Ross performs with the Cubs and if he does get called up at some point during the final month of the regular season.