4 Relief Pitchers Philadelphia Phillies Should Pursue in Free Agency

Here are four relief pitchers the Philadelphia Phillies should pursue in free agency

Oct 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Tanner Scott (66) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to improve this offseason after an early exit in the playoffs last year, and they will have a few key areas to look at. 

It was another disappointing October for the Phillies in 2024, as despite being considered a World Series contender, they won just one game in the National League Division Series against the New York Mets and were sent home early. 

In the series loss, a few areas of weakness were exposed for Philadelphia.

In their lineup, their outfield didn’t provide any offensive help outside of Nick Castellanos. Also, their bullpen really let them down after looking like a solid group during the regular season. 

With both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez becoming free agents, the bullpen could look much different for the Phillies in 2025. As free agency starts to heat up, Philadelphia will certainly be looking to add some arms for various roles.

Here are four relief pitchers they should pursue this winter. 

David Robertson

A familiar face for the Phillies who could make a lot of sense to provide some bullpen depth and be a bridge to whoever will be closing games is David Robertson. The 39-year-old has been bouncing around the Majors of late, as he has been collecting one-year deals at his age.

However, he is still pitching at a pretty high level, and perhaps a third stint with Philadelphia would make sense. Even though he isn’t a closer anymore, he could be a solid veteran addition to the bullpen. 

Clay Holmes

One pitcher who is a very intriguing player in free agency is Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees.

The 31-year-old saved 30 games for the Yankees in 2024 and was named to the All-Star team, but he also blew a lot of saves, and in the second half of the season, he was replaced by Luke Weaver in the closer role.

However, he performed well in the playoffs for the Yankees and had an overall good season despite the demotion. With the ability to close and setup games, the Phillies should certainly take a look at him. 

Blake Treinen

Coming off missing a lot of time, Blake Treinen was able to reinvent his game with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.

Despite missing an entire season in 2023, the right-hander came back and pitched well this year, as he totaled a 7-3 record and 1.93 ERA. Even though he might not be a closer anymore like he was with the Athletics, he can still be used in high leverage situations like how the Dodgers did in the playoffs. 

Tanner Scott 

Arguably the best closer available in free agency is left-hander Tanner Scott.

With both the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres last season, the 29-year-old totaled 22 saves and an impressive 1.75 ERA in 72 innings pitched. This was the second straight campaign Scott really looked like one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, and he was finally selected to his first All-Star team in 2024.

The veteran would be a huge addition for the Phillies, as he is comfortable in both the closer and set-up role.