If the Philadelphia Phillies don’t see significant improvement from their bullpen in the coming months, their long-term prospects could be in trouble. While the team is off to a solid start with a 13-9 record and sits just two games back in the NL East, the bullpen has been a glaring weakness—one that could’ve been addressed during the offseason. Instead, the Phillies let key relievers Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman walk, losing two of their top right-handed options. As a result, they now have the second-worst bullpen ERA in MLB at 5.81 and have surrendered 11 home runs, placing them among the top seven teams in that category.
With few outside reinforcements expected, unless a surprising trade materializes soon, the team will likely look internally for help. Matt Gelb of The Athletic mentioned Brett de Geus as a potential call-up. De Geus, a former waiver claim from the Marlins, has shown promise in Triple-A—most recently tossing two scoreless innings with a fastball averaging 96 mph. Still, his major league track record is shaky, with a 7.48 ERA over 61.1 career innings. Gelb noted that whoever gets the call likely won’t be asked to handle high-leverage situations, leaving manager Rob Thomson to make the most of a struggling group.
De Geus, who was drafted in the 33rd round in 2017, has already bounced around the league and is coming off a rough 2024 season, where he posted a 7.15 ERA over 11.1 innings. It’s hard to justify giving him a real shot without better results. If the Phillies are serious about fixing this issue, a trade may be their best—and fastest—solution.
