Phillies free agency: Which top relievers could be added to the bullpen?

The Phillies have the ability to totally reform their bullpen if they so please — but will they? Should they? And what upgrades are available?

The unit last season was surprisingly reliable, at least in the regular season, as they got incredible performances from Jeff Hoffman (a pending free agent), Carlos Estévez (another pending free agent), Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering. It would make sense to want that foursome back. Add to that the likely return of José Alvarado who is under contract and long-man Spencer Turnbull who is not, and we’ll say that we expect there to be somewhere in the neighborhood of three or four new arms in the bullpen.

Here’s a look at the Phillies’ numbers as a bullpen in 2024:

And then in the playoffs, they crumbled, to the tune of a 11.37 ERA and against the Mets in a dreadful NLDS loss. 

“I would think [the playoff implosion was] an aberration, yes,” Phillies president Dave Dombrowski said to media members a few weeks ago. “Any time you see guys struggle a lot, you get perhaps a little concerned. I don’t think they were overworked or overtired. We all are searching for that answer ourselves.”

Operating under the assumption that some new relievers will be brought in, and a little cash will thrown around, here’s a look at 20 free agent relievers who should be on the Phillies radar:

Old friends (6): Carlos Estévez, Jeff Hoffman, Héctor Neris, Matt Moore, David Robertson, Drew Smyly

The first two will be pricy to the Phillies, but are priorities for the team to bring back into the fold. 

“I still like our group, our core group of guys, going into next year,” Dombrowski said in his season ending press conference. “We like them. Of course, a couple of them are free agents, as you’re aware. I’m not sure where that will take us, but we feel very comfortable with Strahm from the left-hand side, Alvarado and [Tanner] Banks, and then we like Kerkering, as high-leverage type of guys.”

Beyond that, there are quite a few other former Phillies available. Perhaps a reunion with Neris, who serves as an innings eater for mid to late innings, would be a nice fit. Moore and Smyly previously pitched in Philadelphia in a starting role, but each has since carved out a nice relief pitching career. And then the ageless David Robertson, who is 39 but coming off his 12th career season with an ERA below 3.50.

True closers (4): Kirby Yates, Clay Holmes, Kenley Jansen, Tanner Scott

If the Phillies don’t bring back Estévez and Hoffman, they will theoretically need another pitcher who can close out games. The four hurlers in this category saved at least 20 last season for their respective teams. Yates had a 1.17 ERA in 61.1 innings, tallying 33 saves. Holmes is a key part of the Yankees pennant-winning bullpen. Jansen and Scott are known quantities from their time in the NL East and each can reliable close out games in high pressure spots.

Late inning aces (6): Aroldis Chapman, Ryan Pressly, Andrew Kittredge, Blake Treinen, Chris Martin, A.J. Minter

Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson certainly seems to prefer a closer-by-committee approach, which makes these relief pitchers desirable to the Phils as they can mix into any of the last three or four innings in a game, and all have had success across the board. 

Bounce-back guys (4) Joe Kelly, Will Smith, Ross Stripling, Paul Sewald

There are countless pitchers who fit this description and the Phillies typically do bring in some veterans looking to prove themselves. The four aforementioned veteran relievers fit the bill as players who might be acquirable on a manageable, one-year contract. Each of them has a track record — though inconsistent at times — anchoring a bullpen. 

There is quite a lot of turnover among MLB bullpen units, as it is really hard for a pitcher to stay consistent in such a volatile role. The Phillies will no doubt have some sort of different look, but they also will and should prioritize bringing back the players they saw first hand succeed last season. 

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