Phillies Bullpen Puzzle: Which Arms Make the Cut?
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2025 bullpen was a paradox - two sides, vastly different in performance and reliability. The early-season unit was a disaster, with signings like Jordan Romano proving to be regrettable decisions, while the late-season team shone bright with trade deadline acquisition Jhoan Duran leading the charge.
Despite being mediocre overall, with a 4.27 ERA (21st) but top-10 strikeout rates, the bullpen's innings pitched total was remarkably low, thanks to the incredible starting pitching that carried the team throughout the season. As we head into 2026, several key arms will be returning, while others will be deciding their fates.
The returning bunch includes Jhoan Duran, who'll remain under contract until 2028; Orion Kerkering, who'll reprise his role as a late-innings righty; Tanner Banks, the lefty specialist with options still intact; Matt Strahm, another lefty reliever set to return in 2026; and Max Lazar, whose minor league options give him flexibility. The big question marks are two relievers: José Alvarado and David Robertson.
Alvarado, a complex case due to his steroid suspension and subsequent performance issues, had a promising start before letting the team down. Despite this, Phillies President Dave Dombrowski has indicated that Alvarado's return is still possible, but it's hard to justify paying him considering the abundance of young talent on hand.
Robertson, meanwhile, returned to Philadelphia mid-season but failed to impress. With his age and performance falling short of expectations, he'll likely be a free agent, making his future with the Phillies increasingly uncertain.
On the other end of the spectrum are arms like Seth Johnson, Tim Mayza, Lou Trivino, and Jordan Romano and Joe Ross, who were highly touted but ultimately failed to impress. Daniel Robert, Michael Mercado, and Nolan Hoffman will likely be back in 2026 as well, with all four under team control.
As the Phillies navigate their bullpen puzzle, it's clear that some arms will need to step up or face an uncertain future. Will they find a way to solidify their rotation, or will the pressure mount on those returning from 2025? Only time will tell.
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2025 bullpen was a paradox - two sides, vastly different in performance and reliability. The early-season unit was a disaster, with signings like Jordan Romano proving to be regrettable decisions, while the late-season team shone bright with trade deadline acquisition Jhoan Duran leading the charge.
Despite being mediocre overall, with a 4.27 ERA (21st) but top-10 strikeout rates, the bullpen's innings pitched total was remarkably low, thanks to the incredible starting pitching that carried the team throughout the season. As we head into 2026, several key arms will be returning, while others will be deciding their fates.
The returning bunch includes Jhoan Duran, who'll remain under contract until 2028; Orion Kerkering, who'll reprise his role as a late-innings righty; Tanner Banks, the lefty specialist with options still intact; Matt Strahm, another lefty reliever set to return in 2026; and Max Lazar, whose minor league options give him flexibility. The big question marks are two relievers: José Alvarado and David Robertson.
Alvarado, a complex case due to his steroid suspension and subsequent performance issues, had a promising start before letting the team down. Despite this, Phillies President Dave Dombrowski has indicated that Alvarado's return is still possible, but it's hard to justify paying him considering the abundance of young talent on hand.
Robertson, meanwhile, returned to Philadelphia mid-season but failed to impress. With his age and performance falling short of expectations, he'll likely be a free agent, making his future with the Phillies increasingly uncertain.
On the other end of the spectrum are arms like Seth Johnson, Tim Mayza, Lou Trivino, and Jordan Romano and Joe Ross, who were highly touted but ultimately failed to impress. Daniel Robert, Michael Mercado, and Nolan Hoffman will likely be back in 2026 as well, with all four under team control.
As the Phillies navigate their bullpen puzzle, it's clear that some arms will need to step up or face an uncertain future. Will they find a way to solidify their rotation, or will the pressure mount on those returning from 2025? Only time will tell.
. They've got some great guys coming back, but others are like, what's the deal with them? I mean, Alvarado has some baggage and Robertson just didn't live up to expectations. And then you've got these guys who were supposed to be superstars but ended up being meh. It's like they're trying to build a new team from scratch, but they're using old parts 
. The only good thing is Duran and Kerkering are gonna be solid, so I guess that's something 
. Maybe they can find some hidden gems in the minors or make some smart trades? That'd be cool 
, he was a total game-changer in the 2nd half and his contract until '28 is, like, a huge plus 
. But at the same time, I don't know if it's worth paying him considering all the other talented young guys we've got on hand 
. Like, what's the point of keeping someone who had major issues last year when you could be giving someone else a shot? 
, I mean, he was decent at first but it just fell off a cliff mid-season and I'm not sure what the team is even thinking keeping him around 
. It feels like they're gonna be letting him walk in free agency and that would be, like, totally justified 
.
️. Like, let's be real, the guys who were total busts last year are probably gonna make way for some new faces in '26 
.
. It's like they're playing a game of musical chairs, but instead of chairs, it's arms and pitchers. They gotta figure out who's reliable and who's not, and fast. I mean, Jordan Romano is still out there? What was thinking signing him to that contract? And don't even get me started on Alvarado, he's got some serious baggage 
. I'm not sure if the Phillies can trust him enough to make it worth paying him. And Robertson... yeah, his age is starting to show 
. It's gonna be a long offseason for them figuring out who's in and who's out 
. Can't teams just figure out who's gonna work and who's not? I mean, it sounds like they've got a good core coming back but then you gotta question the guys who didn't make it through. I get it, we all have ups and downs in our careers, but 2 years is kinda long to be benching a guy just 'cause of some early season struggles 
. What's the point of having options if they're not gonna get utilized?
He was always a bit of a wild card. The whole bullpen is kinda stressful, especially with those decision-making days approaching 
. Guess only time (and Spring Training) will tell what's gonna happen next 
.
... I mean, who thought signing Jordan Romano would be a good idea in the first place? The guy was a disaster. And now they're even thinking about bringing him back? 
It's like they want to repeat the same mistake. At least Duran and Kerkering are decent, but can we trust anyone else? I'm not holding my breath for Robertson or Alvarado to come back and impress. They gotta do a lot better than that...
! The fact that they're bringing back Jhoan Duran and Orion Kerkering is a total win 
, but also kinda scary because what's going on with Alvarado? 
I mean, I get it, everyone has ups and downs, but the suspension was super shady. Still, Dave Dombrowski seems to think he can come back around, so fingers crossed for him! 
. Can't say much for the signing of Jordan Romano tho... was that a huge mistake? 
. While it's great that the team is willing to give him another chance, I think the investment might not be justified 
.
. It's also interesting that the Phillies are bringing back several arms from 2025, including Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks 
. Will they be able to replicate their performance from last season?
... But at the same time, the team has got some young guns brewing like Jhoan Duran and José Alvarado... it's like they're stuck between a rock and a hard place 
... And what's up with Robertson? I don't get why Dombrowski is even considering paying him 
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and it's cool that he's sticking around for 2028. but like, jose alvarado? unsure about him man