The Phillies’ decision to pass on a possible bullpen reinforcement after Jose Alvarado’s PED suspension is puzzling. Alvarado, arguably the team’s top reliever, was hit with an 80-game unpaid suspension and is now ineligible for the postseason, a major blow for Phillies fans. Yet, despite the setback, Philadelphia chose not to claim reliever Tayler Scott, who cleared waivers and became a free agent on Tuesday.
On its own, not picking up Scott isn’t a huge move—he posted a 5.40 ERA over 17 appearances for the Astros and was designated for assignment due to his struggles. He clearly wouldn’t be a direct replacement for Alvarado in the closer role. However, considering the Phillies’ bullpen was already a concern even with Alvarado, it’s surprising they didn’t take a chance on Scott—especially given how solid he was last season.
Phillies pass on opportunity to bolster bullpen
It’s clear that Scott has struggled this season. His high ERA is concerning, and he’s walked 12 batters in just 16.1 innings — a troubling sign for a reliever, especially one who doesn’t have overpowering stuff. His average fastball velocity is only 92.0 mph, making it hard to justify keeping him on a roster given his control issues.
That said, it wasn’t long ago that Scott was a key part of the Astros’ bullpen. Just last year, he appeared in 62 games and posted an impressive 2.23 ERA over 68.2 innings. While some of that success may have been due to good fortune — opposing hitters had just a .232 BABIP — he still played an important role and was effective at limiting hard contact.
Right now, the Phillies are in need of bullpen depth to get them through until potential trades for more reliable relievers materialize closer to the deadline. While Scott shouldn’t be used in high-leverage situations, he likely offers more upside than current options like Max Lazar, Carlos Hernandez, or Jose Ruiz.
Even if Scott didn’t perform well, he probably wouldn’t be a downgrade from the back-end arms the Phillies are currently using. Plus, he’s on a league-minimum salary, so the financial risk would be minimal. A free-agent signing is still possible, but since the Phillies already passed on him via waivers, that scenario seems unlikely.