To make a serious push in the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies need to overhaul their struggling bullpen following the 80-game PED suspension of key reliever José Alvarado. According to an MLB insider, the team have confirmed a major trade for right-handed pitcher from an American League East club in a potential trade.
The Phillies currently have one of the weakest bullpens in the league, ranking 17th in hits allowed (200), 23rd in WHIP (1.42), 25th in ERA (4.65), and 26th in opponent batting average (.264).
In an attempt to bolster the unit, they swapped out high-leverage arms Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez for Jordan Romano, who has struggled with a 7.36 ERA and 1.591 WHIP. However, Romano has shown improvement, cutting his ERA significantly from 15.26 after surrendering six runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Marlins on April 19.
As the Phillies look to stabilize their bullpen, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan suggests that they pursue Tampa Bay Rays reliever as a potential trade deadline acquisition.
“The Phillies’ bullpen has been among the league’s worst this season. Even though it showed improvement in May, Orion Kerkering is the only reliever with an ERA under 3.00,” Jeff Passan noted. “With Jose Alvarado now suspended 80 games for PEDs and unavailable for the postseason, the urgency for reinforcements is even greater.”
Passan added, “Last year, the bullpen was a major reason Philadelphia’s playoff hopes fell short. With both Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman sidelined, it’s up to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to bring in reliable arms who can generate strikeouts in a loaded National League.”
Tampa Bay’s Pete Fairbanks has been floated as a trade target. He owns a 2.05 ERA and an impressive 194 ERA+ over 23 outings, though he’s walking 4.9 batters per nine innings with a 1.227 WHIP. His fastball averages 97.1 mph—ranking in the 91st percentile—but his 23.4% strikeout rate is only slightly above league average, landing in the 57th percentile.
If the Phillies reach the postseason, they do have internal bullpen options, including starters Ranger Suárez, Andrew Painter, and Mick Abel. Suárez has experience handling high-pressure relief situations, while both Painter and Abel bring electric velocity.
Adding Pete Fairbanks would give the Phillies a reliable option to help them navigate the regular season, but they may still need to bolster the bullpen with another one or two arms before October arrives.