It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen has drawn the ire of fans and media alike during the first 70 games of the 2025 Major League Baseball season.
Of course, this is hardly the first time the Phillies bullpen has been identified as a weakness in the regular season. Throughout this successful era of Phillies baseball, the bullpen has gone through its ups and downs during the regular season, only for all the pieces to fall into place for manager Rob Thomson by the time October rolled around.
This season, however, may be Thomson’s toughest challenge yet. The Phillies chose to let 2024 All-Star Jeff Hoffman walk in free agency, and while Hoffman has struggled in his first year with the Toronto Blue Jays, his replacement, two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano, has been even worse, posting a 7.40 ERA and allowing over a hit per inning. Set-up man Matt Strahm has seen his ERA jump by nearly two runs from 2024, while Orien Kerkering has seen his walk rate double and his strikeout rate drop substantially.
The biggest blow, however, came when it was announced that José Alvarado would be suspended for 80 games and ineligible for postseason play after violating Major League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Alvarado has been a constant of the Phillies three straight postseason appearances and looked to be on his way to a career season after posting a career-best 6.25 K/BB ratio through his first 20 appearances of 2025.
Though Alvarado has been plagued by command issues throughout his career, you don’t just find left-handers who throw 102 mile-per-hour sinkers every day. His absence leaves a gaping hole in the middle of an already violate bullpen, and it’s no surprise that The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman and Eno Sarris ranked the Phillies at the top of their reliever urgency index.
“It’s clear the Phillies will need to shop for late-inning bullpen help if they’re going to make another playoff run this October,” they wrote. “And multiple moves might be required again to solidify a unit that ranks 25th in ERA. Something resembling, say, a Jeff Hoffman replacement would work. “
Fortunately for the Phillies, relievers are the most attainable assets at trade deadlines, something general manager Dave Dombrowski displayed last season when he acquired Carlos Estevez and Tanner Banks. The Washington Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan, the Miami Marlins’ Anthony Bender, and the Pirates’ David Bednar are intriguing options on certain sellers, but Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista, who is beginning to round into form after returning from Tommy John surgery, could make the biggest impact. The Phillies can also look into Boston Red Sox flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, who is the only left-hander in baseball who can replicate Alvarado’s high-octane stuff.
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