Phillies: Potential bullpen options from the 40-man roster

With the Phillies’ relievers combining for a 9.87 ERA through 11 games, here are a few pitchers from the 40-man roster who should get an opportunity.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen has been arguably their biggest struggle through their first 11 games of the season.

Eleven relievers combined to give up 34 earned runs in 31 innings pitched, or a 9.87 ERA, through Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves. During the same stretch, six starters combined to give up 21 earned runs in 59 innings pitched, or a 3.20 ERA.

The only two relievers who have yet to give up a run are Hector Neris and Jose Alvarez. Neris gave up two hits in 2.1 innings, while Alvarez gave up two hits and one walk, also in 2.1 innings.

Meanwhile, Nick Pivetta, Deolis Guerra, Trevor Kelley, Austin Davis, Cole Irvin and Adam Morgan each have a sub-10 ERA.

The Phillies finally made roster moves on Tuesday, optioning Pivetta to the alternate training site and designating Kelley for assignment. They selected Blake Parker and Connor Brogdon from the 60-man player pool.

Parker has an 11-10 record, 3.56 ERA and 1.176 WHIP in seven major league seasons, split between six teams. He most recently posted a 3-3 record, 4.55 ERA and 1.223 WHIP in 60 games, including two starts, between the Phillies and the Minnesota Twins last season.

Brogdon worked his way through the Phillies’ farm system last year, posting a 6-2 record, 2.61 ERA and 0.921 WHIP in 51 relief appearances between High-A Clearwater, AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley.

It’s good to see roster moves after Aaron Nola pitched a gem on Monday, only to have the bullpen nearly blow a huge lead in the ninth inning. But, there were already alternate options before these moves. So, who from the 40-man roster should get an opportunity?

Edgar García showed last year he should get a shot with the Phillies

Edgar García is another reliever who should get an opportunity.

The right-handed pitcher made his major league debut in May 2019, spending most of last season with the big-league squad. He gave up one earned run off of two hits and a walk in his debut inning, but seemed to settle in quickly, giving up just a walk and striking out three through his next two innings.

García’s struggles came all at once last season, giving up more than one earned run in only six games, including a poor outing against the New York Mets on August 30, where he gave up five earned runs in 1.2 innings. He did not give up any runs in 24 of his 37 appearances, including 16 games where he did not surrender a hit.

García finished last season with a 2-0 record, 5.77 ERA and 1.641 WHIP in 37 games and 39 innings with the Phillies.

He also impressed on his rise through the ranks. In 2018, he had a 7-2 record, eight saves, 3.32 ERA and 1.173 WHIP in 47 relief appearances with AA Reading. His debut at AAA Lehigh Valley did not go as well, with a 7.71 ERA in five games, but he did much better last year at Lehigh Valley, with a 2-1 record, eight saves, 2.48 ERA and 0.793 WHIP in 25 relief appearances.

Part of the reason he’s with the extended roster could be his spring training numbers, giving up three earned runs off of eight hits in five innings. But, spring training was a long time ago and he has better stats from games that count.

García’s recent minor league performance and solid major league stats show that he’s ready and worthy of getting an opportunity with the Phillies bullpen, as other relievers continue to struggle.

Phillies minor league starters who could debut out of the bullpen

The Phillies have a few minor league starters on their 40-man roster, who have yet to make their major league debut. With a struggling bullpen, the Phillies could give these pitchers a chance as relievers for now.

Left-handed pitcher JoJo Romero spent last season between AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley. In 11 starts with Reading, he recorded a 4-4 record, 4.84 ERA and 1.214 WHIP. At Lehigh Valley, he made 13 starts, posting a 3-5 record, 6.88 ERA and 1.919 WHIP.

While those numbers aren’t great, he had a more impressive 7-6 record and 3.80 ERA in 18 starts with Reading in 2018 and could surprise in shorter lengths out of the bullpen.

Philadelphia Phillies

Right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina spent last season at AA Reading, posting a 7-7 record, 4.94 ERA and 1.363 WHIP in 22 games, including 21 starts. He appeared in two games during spring training, giving up only a walk in 1.2 innings of no-hit baseball.

Despite the limited sample size and no previous AAA or major league experience, we’ve already seen the Phillies turn to Spencer Howard, who had no prior experience beyond AA. If they’re willing to take the chance on one of their top prospects, perhaps a team desperate for relievers can give Medina a chance.

And right-handed pitcher Mauricio Llovera also spent last season at AA Reading, posting a 3-4 record, 4.55 ERA and 1.347 WHIP in 14 games, including 12 starts. He did well in spring training, surrendering three hits, three walks and only one earned run in six innings pitched.

While his highest level of regular season experience was in AA, he would still be worth a chance. Given the nature of a shortened MLB season and no minor league baseball this year, now would be the time to do things differently and take a chance on some younger pitchers, at least for an inning or two.

If the Phillies bullpen continues to struggle, there are a few pitchers on their 40-man roster who could be worth the gamble.