The Phillies have signed veteran right-handed reliever Lucas Sims to a minor league contract, according to the team’s transaction log. He’ll begin his stint with the Florida Complex League Phillies in Clearwater.
Sims, 31, was released by the Nationals on May 10 after inking a major league deal with them during spring training. His time in Washington was rough—he allowed 19 earned runs and issued 14 walks over just 12 1/3 innings.
His strongest MLB season came in 2023, when he posted a 3.10 ERA across 67 appearances for the Cincinnati Reds. Sims started 2024 on a solid note with the Reds but faltered after a trade deadline move to the Boston Red Sox.
Sims has a connection to Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham, who previously worked with him as the Reds’ assistant pitching coach from 2019 to 2020.
He could emerge as a bullpen option for the Phillies in the near future. Unless the team makes a significant bullpen addition, they are expected to spend the coming weeks assessing internal candidates and exploring the free agent and waiver markets. Max Lazar, recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday, is the first in line for a shot.
The Phillies currently have an open spot on the 40-man roster, created by José Alvarado’s placement on the restricted list following his 80-game suspension for PED use.