The Philadelphia Phillies have quietly built themselves a serviceable bullpen
By David Esser
In 2020, the Philadelphia Phillies genuinely had the second worst bullpen in baseball history. Had their group of relief pitchers just been bad – as opposed to historically bad – the Phillies likely would’ve ended their near decade long postseason drought (given the expanded format). However, the ‘pen simply couldn’t keep it together, and the team as a whole paid the consequences.
With a new front office implanted this offseason, one of the major tasks was of course revamping the organization’s bullpen. With funds limited, and J.T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorius set to eat up the majority of the Phillies money this winter, Dave Dombrowski and company had to find ways to creatively improve the reliever room.
With Spring Training right around the corner, it appears the Phillies front office has done just that.
The Philadelphia Phillies have built themselves a serviceable bullpen.
As I’m writing this, the team has really only made one noticeable addition via the free agency market. They signed standout RHP Archie Bradley to a one-year deal worth $6 million, and he projects to immediately slot in as Joe Girardi’s primary closer. Outside of Bradley, the team has been focused on bringing in high-velocity arms, or established veterans on the cheap.
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Guys like Sam Coonrod and Jose Alvarado were acquired early in the offseason via trade, and both can hit the triple digits with their fastball. While both are a bit of a work in progress due to injuries/control issues, the upside that they provide with their velocity is definitely present.
On the flip side, names like Hector Rondon, Brandon Kintzler, Neftali Feliz, and Michael Ynoa were all added on minor league contracts – with an invitation to camp this spring. While all of these arms will ultimately have to earn a spot on the roster during Spring Training, established veterans like Rondon and Kintzler feel like names that will likely crack the Opening Day lineup when it’s all said and done.
Even guys like Matt Moore and Vince Velasquez could end up seeing some work out of the bullpen as “long relievers” in 2021. Both have primarily operated as starters for the majority of their careers, but an impromptu switch to the bullpen could potentially rejuvenate their statuses as MLB-caliber pitchers.
The Philadelphia Phillies have not spent a ton of money on their bullpen this offseason – likely due to the fact that both Realmuto and Gregorius ended up being available to sign a few weeks ago. However, Dombrowski did the next best thing when it comes to building an MLB bullpen. He added boatloads of depth.
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Ultimately speaking, the Phillies don’t need to have a top-five bullpen in all of baseball to crack the playoffs this year. They just need a reliable group of arms that won’t blow seven run leads like last year. Considering how many different options Girardi has to choose from this spring, the feeling is that the Phillies should be able to appropriately build a middle-of-the-pack ‘pen this season.
It’s also not too late to rule out further additions. The Phillies were recently connected to the likes of Trevor Rosenthal, and Dombrowski himself highlighted the fact that the organization has still been in contact with the likes of Blake Parker and Jose Alvarez.