The Philadelphia Phillies have vaulted themselves into legitimate contention in the National League East this season and a big reason has been their starting rotation. Outside of a rough start for Jesús Luzardo against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, Phillies starters have been solid, ranking 11th with a 3.62 ERA entering Monday’s action.
The bullpen, however, has been a different story. Philadelphia ranks 25th in bullpen ERA at 4.65 entering Monday and the team’s troubles got worse when Jose Alvarado was tagged with an 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. While the Phillies may be trying to work out a return for David Robertson, they haven’t been able to agree on a price point, leaving their relievers in flux as they enter June.
But the Phillies may have another option that just became available and they could look to turn him into a reclamation project as he hits the open market.
Phillies Should Take a Chance on Former Blue Jays Reliever Josè Ureña
The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that right-handed reliever Josè Ureña has cleared waivers and elected free agency after he was designated for assignment on May 31. The 33-year-old was on his second team of the season before his release, allowing five earned runs in 12.1 innings before getting the hook from Toronto over the weekend.
ROSTER MOVE:
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 2, 2025
🔹 RHP José Ureña has cleared waivers and elected free agency pic.twitter.com/vh1P1Ig2Pa
Ureña’s stats don’t bode well for his success as he posted a 6.16 fielding independent pitching with the Blue Jays and a 7.06 FIP on the season. But he has posted some positive metrics according to Baseball Savant including a 96.3 mph average velocity on his fastball, a 33.3% chase rate and a 5.8% walk rate. The right-hander has also seen better days on the mound when he posted a 3.80 ERA in 33 games (nine starts) for the Texas Rangers last season.
While it’s unlikely that Ureña would be a bullpen savior, he can at least bridge the gap until the Phillies find reinforcements. Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason as part of his suspension and Jordan Romano has pitched better in recent weeks but still owns a 7.36 ERA entering Monday. With Carlos Hernàndez also posting a 6.14 ERA, the Phillies need some help even if it’s someone to take over a low-leverage role.
Whether Ureña could be that pitcher remains to be seen. But the Phillies will have to start scouring the waiver wire if they want to fix their bullpen issues ahead of the trade deadline.