Phillies stay or go: The bullpen

It came too soon — a pivotal offseason for the Phillies as they scratch their heads after an embarrassing loss to the Mets in the NLDS.

The first thing the team will need to decide is what they should do with the 26 men who got them the 2-seed in the National League with 95 wins this past season. Who should stay, and who should go?

It would be lunacy to return the entire roster. They need some changes. The bullpen was obviously an issue in the playoffs, the team did not have enough contact hitters, nor did it have the best defense in place to handle the young and feisty Mets. But just how should the team approach these necessary changes?

Our final entry in our stay or go series will spotlight the bullpen — a strength in the regular season but an Achilles Heal in the playoffs. Which relievers should the team bring back?

Phillies stay or go

The stars | The bullpen | The bench | Alec Bohm | Taijuan Walker
Bryson Stott | Brandon Marsh | Johan Rojas | Nick Castellanos | Rob Thomson

Overview

We're going to go pitcher by pitcher in just a moment, but first some facts and figures about the Phillies relief corps. The entire unit that performed (if you can use that word) on the postseason roster can be retained by the team except for closer Carlos Estévez and late innings man Jeff Hoffman.

José Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Jose Ruiz, Matt Strahm, and Kolby Allard are under contract at least through next season. We included Orion Kerkering in a previous post — noting that he's the only bullpen piece we are 100 percent certain will be back next year. And there is probably not much debate around him. The same can't be said for his fellow bullpen-mates.

A quick look at the pen as a unit, which had a very decent regular season:

The kind of relief pitching that the Phillies got in 2024 is enough to support a good season, and it did as the Phillies won their first NL East title in over a decade and got a first-round bye. But in the playoffs, in four games against the Mets, the bullpen was a disaster. The full team's ERA, 5.82, was the worst of any of the 14 postseason teams. The bullpen had an 11.37 ERA and (along with a frustrating swing-happy offense) was the reason they had such a quick exit.

Unfortunately that's the measurement that really matters, and the team will now need to decide how it will approach the pen in 2025.

Stay or go?

Carlos Estévez (2.57 ERA in 21 IP)

Used primarily as a closer, the former Angel came to Philly via trade in July and he was extremely solid at the end of games during the regular season. But then he gave up a run to the Mets in Game 3, and surrendered the grand slam to Francisco Lindor in Game 4. Estévez is a free agent and is still in his prime at age 31. The Phillies would likely need to throw at least $10 or $12 million his way to bring him back.

Jeff Hoffman (2.17 ERA in 66.1 IP)

Hoffman was an All-Star and one of the best relievers in baseball during the regular season. He gave up three runs in Game 1 of the NLDS and three runs in Game 4. A pending free agent, will his body of work before his playoff implosion be enough to get him back to Philly?

José Alvarado (4.09 ERA in 61.2 IP)

The lefty specialist signed a three-year, $22 million deal last season with Philadelphia, and he is on the hook for $9 million in 2025, his age 30 season. A club option could get him sent packing a year from now, but it seems likely he will return under that pact for at least next year. He may be more of a middle-innings guy than a high-leverage arm.

Matt Strahm (1.87 ERA in 62.2 IP)

An All-Star and one of the most dynamic late-innings arms in baseball last year, Strahm suffered the same fate as the team's other ace relievers in the NLDS, giving up a pair of runs in Game 1 and in Game 2 against the Mets. At 33, he will earn $7.5 million next year, so it seems pretty much a lock that he's back in 2025.

Tanner Banks (3.70 ERA in 24.1 IP)

Banks came to Philly from the White Sox at the end of July and was a servicable part of the bullpen in low-leverage situations. He is still pre-arbitration and under team control, so he will be back in the spring to compete for a spot on the roster.

José Ruiz (3.71 ERA in 51 IP)

Ruiz was quietly a reliable part of the Phillies 'pen last year, and he also got some meaningful innings in the postseason. Like Banks, Ruiz is in his last year of pre-arbitration team control and will be in the mix for a slot on the team come February.

Kolby Allard (5.00 ERA in 27 IP)

Allard didn't pitch in the playoffs, but he was called up later in the year to eat some innings — including as a starter. He is under team control and figures be in spring training.

Spencer Turnbull (2.65 ERA in 54.1 IP)

A reclamation project that really seemed to be working, Turnbull was a solid fifth starter early in the year. He later moved to the bullpen where he sustained a lat injury that kept him out for most of the second half of the year. He's a free agent but the Phillies might be interested in bringing him back if he's healthy this spring.

Tyler Phillips (6.87 ERA in 31.2 IP)

The 26-year-old tossed an incredible shutout in a start back in July, and did basically nothing else as he proved to be unreliable as a starter long-term. He has five years of team control left and will try and earn a spot in spring training.

Yunior Marte (6.92 ERA in 26 IP)

Marte got his chances but didn't look good over 26 innings last season. He has four years left under team control.

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