PHILADELPHIA— Despite their winning record, the feeling surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies is not a positive one.
After a 7-2 start to the season, the Phillies are 3-6 in their last 9 ballgames. With back-to-back series losses to the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, they are in jeopardy of losing a third consecutive on Thursday afternoon against the San Francisco Giants.
There are plenty of reasons for the recent skid. The pitching staff, both starters and bullpen, has been unable to avoid traffic on the bases. The starting lineup continues to strand runners in scoring position, resulting in low offensive efficiency and production. Regressions from Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh are the tip of the iceberg relating to offensive struggles, and overall, the team has been unable to put together a clean 9 innings consistently.
Due to the small sample size, just 18 games into the season, fans are calling for roster shake-ups. While no transaction will magically change the tides of the season, the front office does have options.
3. Phillies Recall Weston Wilson, Demote Johan Rojas
After suffering a moderate oblique strain in Spring Training, Weston Wilson has been rehabbing with the Phillies’ minor league teams. After a few games in Clearwater, Wilson was recently moved up to Lehigh Valley to face better quality pitching.
With the team searching for offense, Wilson is likely to be recalled to the major league team soon. The Phillies would then have to make a corresponding roster move. While Kody Clemens has not seen much action, I believe the Phillies would instead elect to demote Johan Rojas.
Rojas is not getting much playing time for the club at the moment. In his opportunities to play, Rojas has not exactly seized the opportunity. Poor plate appearances and costly defensive mistakes have seemingly put him in Rob Thomson‘s doghouse.
A move to Triple-A would allow him to play centerfield every day for the IronPigs. Getting consistent at-bats and playing time should help Rojas regain some confidence in his game. He is still just 24 years old and made his big league debut at 22. To call him a finished product would be unfair.
Ultimately, this move gives the Phillies an upgrade in offense off the bench, while not sacrificing defense a great deal. Wilson can play multiple positions, giving Rob Thomson another option late in games. Against left-handed pitching, he can platoon with Max Kepler, who is hitting just .200 against left-handers in 2025.
2. Promote Kyle Tyler, Waiver Carlos Hernandez
A shake-up in the bullpen can be a quick move that the Phillies make with their current roster.
Carlos Hernandez was the last player added to the roster before Opening Day. He was waived by the Kansas City Royals and claimed by the Phillies. A hard-throwing right-hander, Hernandez has a 6.00 earned run average in 5 innings pitched. While he certainly is not the reason for the recent struggles, another option in the bullpen could be beneficial.
A player who was on the roster bubble at the end of Spring Training was Kyle Tyler. The right-hander flashed in Spring Training with the Phillies. In his first 5 outings, he combined for 6.2 innings pitched with a 0.00 earned run average. His last outing, where he allowed 5 earned, spiked his numbers. The end-of-Spring-Training totals do not reflect what he was putting on tape.
Tyler has been used as a starting pitcher for the Phillies in Lehigh Valley. In 3 starts, he has thrown 14.1 innings, pitching to a 3.68 earned run average. He can provide the Phillies with multiple innings out of the bullpen and potentially take over Joe Ross‘s role in the bullpen. Ross has been mostly used in games where the Phillies are trailing late, but are still within striking distance. His struggles are likely going to take the ball out of his hand for the time being.
Honorable Mention: Promote Justin Crawford
The most popular suggestion from the fanbase is for the Phillies to promote top prospect Justin Crawford to the big leagues.
Crawford is just 21 years old and has played just 15 games in Triple-A. While he has been solid for his first month at this level, he is not exactly forcing the Phillies to make a decision.
He is a young player who needs more seasoning. If Crawford starts to swing a hotter bat, there could be more of an incentive for the Phillies to promote him. The common expression of “He cannot be any worse” that most fans are expressing is not a logical reason to jumpstart his big league career.
1. Phillies sign J.D. Martinez
Want to get creative?
A veteran of 14 Major League Baseball seasons, J.D. Martinez has not signed with a club.
The nearly 38-year-old designated hitter has spent the last few seasons as a hitter only for contending teams. In 2022, he was with the Boston Red Sox, in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in 2024 with the New York Mets. Last season, he hit 16 home runs and 24 doubles in 120 games with New York. His .725 OPS was above league average, and he still found a way to drive in 69 runs.
While he would likely need a ramp-up period, this option would give the Phillies a quality right-handed bat to bring off the bench. Their current right-handed bench options are Edmundo Sosa and Johan Rojas. When Sosa starts, Rojas is the only other right-handed batter (excluding Rafael Marchan, the switch-hitting backup catcher).
Martinez would provide 0 defensive value to the Phillies and weaken the versatility on the bench. However, if he can provide an offensive boost, the team might be willing to give it a try. Kody Clemens is currently the last option on the bench, and he has not been given much playing time to begin with.
This is a long-shot possibility, but something creative that the Phillies could try. Overall, these one-off moves aren’t going to change the team that drastically. If the team is going to change their average start, they will have to rally with the players they currently have.
Improving by the margins might at the very least can be an interesting bandaid to the their early wounds.
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
