Philadelphia Phillies should DFA Brandon Workman to send a message

The writing is on the wall for Philadelphia Phillies RHP Brandon Workman.

You never want to be the person calling for someone else to lose their job, but at some point, enough is simply enough. Despite appearing in just 12 games this year for the Philadelphia Phillies, reliever Brandon Workman has now officially lost three decisions for the team. He’s given up 9 runs and 22 hits, his ERA sits at a 6.94, and his WHIP is at an outstanding 2.66.

Needless to say, it’s time for the former Red Sox closer to pack his bags.

With just eleven games remaining in the season, the last thing the Philadelphia Phillies realistically want to be doing is cutting players. They’ve already experienced a crippling amount of injuries to their pitching staff (Jose Alvarez, Spencer Howard, Jake Arrieta), and with multiple double-headers on the horizon, this team needs all the pitching depth that they can get.

More from Section 215

However, the time for logical roster moves has come and gone here in south Philadelphia. General manager Matt Klentak has somehow managed to construct one of the worst bullpens in baseball history (despite boasting a $200 million payroll), and it’s past time someone actually be held accountable for their actions. The team DFA’d a handful of veteran relievers earlier in the season who were performing just as poorly as Workman, I see no reason it should be any different.

Now the obvious rebuttal to that argument is that Workman was supposed to be one of the Philadelphia Phillies saviors this season. Acquired in a midseason trade with the Red Sox (which cost them future starter Connor Seabold), Workman was projected to come in and solidify the team’s closer position. He had played a crucial role during Boston’s World Series run in 2018, and his veteran experience was something Joe Girardi had intended to lean on quite heavily here in 2020.

However, for whatever reason, Workman showed up to Philly as a complete shell of his former self. He couldn’t locate fastballs to save his life, his cutter barely hit 90 mph on the radar gun, and his curveball hung up in the zone the way those plastic balls do when you play wiffle ball in your backyard. Workman’s stats speak for themselves, as he has actually made the Phillies bullpen situation worse than it initially was.

Outside of his physical mound performance, Workman’s presence in the clubhouse (along with all the other bad relievers) has to be absolutely soul-crushing. This was an individual the team traded away a promising prospect to acquire, and he’s done nothing but ruin the team’s playoff chances. Guys like Aaron Nola, Bryce Harper, and JT Realmuto worked their butts off for this 2020 season, and they’re seeing it thrown in the dumpster by a guy who’s only been in Philly for a few weeks.

By outright releasing Workman, you’re sending one final desperation message to the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse: “poor performance won’t be tolerated”. Workman was seen visibly upset after his most recent blown outing, and while you want to feel bad for the guy, it’s hard not to pin his struggles on a general lack of personal preparation on his part.

Next. Philadelphia Phillies: Stop blaming Joe Girardi for the bad bullpen. dark

People who don’t take their job seriously bring everyone else around them down, and Workman looks to be a prime example of that. Release him, call up a hungry prospect (look how well that worked out with JoJo Romero), and ride with what you got for another 11 games. Even if that strategy doesn’t pan out for the Phillies over the next two weeks, I’ll at least respect them for holding individuals accountable.

Home/Philadelphia Phillies