Last season, Philadelphia Phillies’ fans witnessed a complete circus of a pitching staff. From starters to the bullpen, the Phillies used a total of 34 total pitchers, which topped the entire MLB. This is also six higher than the league average. This same carousel of pitchers was fourth-worst in the league with 4.90 runs allowed per game.
With many of the injuries coming early in the Summer, and winter meetings and free agency in full swing, let’s check in with the Phillies’ bullpen.
Injuries:
To make this as condensed as possible, check out the list of only the Philadelphia pitchers who missed the majority of the season.
- Tommy Hunter- only 5.1 innings pitched
- Dave Robertson- only 6.2 innings pitched
- Pat Neshek- only 18.0 innings pitched
- Adam Morgan- only 29.2 innings pitched
- Victor Arano- only 4.2 innings pitched
- Seranthony Dominguez- only 24.3 innings pitched
Only one of the projected eight full-time bullpen guys survived the majority of the season. This miracle man, Hector Neris, had a 2.93 ERA in his 68 appearances. His 28 saves were good enough for 7th in the National League, and 13th in the MLB.
As for next season…
Returning from injury
- Adam Morgan- Probable for start of the season
- Victor Arano- Probable for start of the season
- David Robertson- Out for the ENTIRE season
- Seranthony Dominguez- Will be ready for Spring Training
Pending Free agents:
- Tommy Hunter
- Nick Vincent
- Juan Nicasio
- Pat Neshek
- Jared Hughes
Current New Additions:
- Robert Stock (claimed off waivers)
Potential Free Agent Adds
- Will Harris (career 2.84 ERA, 1.50 ERA in 2019)
- Dellin Betances (career 2.36 ERA)
- Steve Cishek (career 2.65 ERA)
- Daniel Hudson (career 3.83 ERA, 2.47 ERA as a reliever)
- Arodys Vizcaino (career 3.01 ERA)
The Round-up
To this day, the injury bug seems to bite Philadelphia harder than most other teams. The annoyance behind pushing off surgery for David Robertson will set him out the entire season, only allowing him to pick up 6.2 innings pitched total on his contract. In other words, it was a waste of $23 million.
Whether that is on Robertson or the Phillies’ training staff, it is still unacceptable.
However, 2020 will mark a new season for the Phillies. New pitching coach Bryan Price will look to bring new ideas and utilize whatever talent he has. Seranthony looks to be the crucial piece of the bullpen, and the Phillies must add a couple of veteran arms around them. Expect J.D. Hammer to make his way back to the big leagues as well, and the youngster Ranger Suarez to continue his impact into 2020.
Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
